Mine fire behavior under different ventilation conditions: real-scale tests and CFD modeling

Fires in underground spaces are especially relevant due to their potential mortality. However, there is not much research in real-scale spaces done so far. In this study, several fire scenarios were analyzed in an underground drift, taking into account the main environmental variables: airflow, temp...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernández-Alaiz, Florencio, Castañón García, Ana María, Gómez Fernández, Fernando, Bascompta Massanes, Marc|||0000-0003-1519-6133
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/190267
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/190267
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10103380
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Mine fires
Mine ventilation
Fires -- Computer simulation
Mine safety
Underground fire
Safety hazard
Fire behavior
Fire dynamics simulator (FDS)
Incendis en les mines
Mines -- Ventilació
Incendis -- Simulació per ordinador
Mines -- Mesures de seguretat
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Enginyeria de mines
Descripción
Sumario:Fires in underground spaces are especially relevant due to their potential mortality. However, there is not much research in real-scale spaces done so far. In this study, several fire scenarios were analyzed in an underground drift, taking into account the main environmental variables: airflow, temperature, oxygen, and pollutants. The behavior before and after the fire load was determined, as well as the evolution of the fire over time throughout the drift and its cross-section, finding important trends of the fire based on the airflow–fuel load ratio. Furthermore, the five most representative scenarios were modeled using the fire dynamics simulator (FDS). Results obtained in the simulations, with the adjusted parameters, display a good correlation between simulated and experimental values, being able to extrapolate these values to know the performance of potential fires in other underground spaces or mines. The outcomes could also be a very useful tool to study the effectiveness of possible emergency measures or the potential impact of a fire in this type of environments.