Simulated pool fire testing and modeling of a composite metal foam

Abstract

SummaryA series of simulated pool fire testing and modeling were conducted on steel‐steel composite metal foam (S‐S CMF) panels according to the procedure described in appendix B of 49 CFR Part 179, Specification for Tank Cars. This paper describes a series of 3‐D heat transfer calculations using the finite‐element software COMSOL Multiphysics. The purpose of the COMSOL calculations is to determine up to what extent the FDS neglects lateral heat conduction due to heat losses at the perimeter of the exposed area. To gauge the effect of the latter, the COMSOL model assumes that the heat flux at the exposed surface of the specimen is uniform. The 3‐D heat transfer calculations show that lateral heat conduction indeed needs to be included in the model to improve the accuracy of the predicted temperature distribution but that the non‐uniformity of the heat flux in the test also should be accounted for. Based on the experimental and both 1D and 3D simulation modeling results, the steel‐steel composite metal foams tested as novel insulation system met the acceptance criteria for the simulated pool fire test in 49 CFR 179 appendix B by a large margin.