Ship’s Engine Room Fire Modelling

Abstract

When traffic accidents occur, transport systems can result in irreparable negative impacts on people as well as the environment. In maritime transport unexpected fire in the ship’s engine room represents a grave risk. Because such accidents are very often difficult to prevent, modelling of fire propagation bears a vital significance for setting up preventive measures and safety systems, whose task is the suppression of fire danger. The paper describes the CFAST computer model (Building and Fire Research Laboratory - National Institute of Standards and Technology), whose purpose is to solve the problem of fire propagation in a complex multi-compartment environment. In our example it was used in a concrete ship’s engine room, with a fire starting in the ship’s main propulsion engine. The application includes all elements that can be damaged in case of fire at different ventilation conditions of the ship’s engine room. By means of simulation, the analysis and presentation of physical parameters working upon exposed engine components was made.