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Flame Spread Modelling of Complex Textile Materials

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Abstract

Flame spread in textile materials was modelled using two different simulation programs: the semi-empirical area-based code ConeTools, and the computational fluid dynamics, CFD, code Fire Dynamics Simulator, FDS, (version 5). Two textile products developed within the EU-project Flexifunbar were selected for study. The two products show a large difference in composition and application area, one material is developed to function as a protecting layer for the underlying structure in case of fire while the other is an insulating material with no requirements on fire performance. The products represent materials for which fire test results indicate a classification on either end of the rating scale for wall materials according to EN 13501. Two FDS-models were developed for the simulations. The first FDS model was a relatively simple model of the small scale Cone Calorimeter test (ISO 5660) which served the purpose of a first preliminary validation of the model for pyrolysis of the material. In the second FDS model, a model of the intermediate scale Single Burning Item, SBI, test method (EN 13823), the fire scenario was expanded to simulate flame spread over a surface. The work included determination of the necessary material properties. In ConeTools, the option to predict an SBI test was used. The results from the two simulation methods were compared to real SBI tests. Neither model was able to fully predict the heat release rate for these complex products. However, the results from both codes were accurate enough to correctly predict the fire rating class for wall linings according to EN13501.

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Acknowledgements

The work in this paper was conducted as part of FLEXIFUNBAR contract no. 505864 IP-SME-FP6 which was financially supported by the European commission. The support is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fire Technology, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Box 857, 50115, Borås, Sweden

    Maria Hjohlman & Petra Andersson

  2. Department of Fire Safety Engineering and Systems Safety, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 22100, Lund, Sweden

    Patrick van Hees

Authors
  1. Maria Hjohlman
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  2. Petra Andersson
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  3. Patrick van Hees
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Correspondence to Maria Hjohlman.

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Hjohlman, M., Andersson, P. & van Hees, P. Flame Spread Modelling of Complex Textile Materials. Fire Technol 47, 85–106 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-009-0128-2

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