Abstract
This paper presents a numerical investigation of the impact of a wind-driven surface fire, comparable to a large wildfire, on an obstacle located downstream of the fire source. The numerical modelling was conducted using FireFOAM, a coupled fire-atmosphere model underpinned by a large eddy simulation (LES) solver, which is based on the Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) combustion model and implemented in the OpenFOAM platform (an open source CFD tool). The numerical data were validated using the aerodynamic measurements of a full-scale building model in the absence of fire effects. The results highlighted the physical phenomena contributing to the fire spread pattern and its thermal impact on the building. In addition, frequency analysis of the surface temperature fluctuations ahead of the fire front showed that the presence of a building influences the growth and formation of buoyant instabilities, which directly affect the behaviour of the fire’s plume. The coupled fire-atmosphere modelling presented here constitutes a fundamental step towards better understanding the behaviour and potential impacts of large wind-driven wildland fires in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas.
Highlights
Wildfires are a major natural hazard, which can have disastrous consequences from socio-economic and environmental points of view
Despite its capability in large-scale fire dynamic modelling, it has not yet been employed in winddriven wildfire-urban interface simulations, this study aimed to provide further fundamental insights into the interaction between a wind-driven fire and a building, thereby improving our understanding of the mechanisms involved in fire propagation and structure loss in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas using FireFOAM code
The study was based on large eddy simulation (LES) modelling of a wind-driven fire using of
Summary
Wildfires are a major natural hazard, which can have disastrous consequences from socio-economic and environmental points of view. Given the apparent increase in large wildfires [1] and continued urban expansion into wildland areas [2], there is a clear need for further study of the vulnerability of built assets to fires impacting the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Such studies underpin further development of comprehensive wildfire risk management strategies, including improved urban planning. The first fully physical multiphase wildfire model was developed by Grishin [4]. This model has formed the basis for the development of more advanced, fully physical wildfire models capable of handling additional physicochemical phenomena
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
