Particulate systems in fire safety engineering: creating tools for reliable prediction of aerosol evolution and transport

Emission of significant amounts of atmospheric aerosols, in addition to gas pollutants, negatively affects the environment in most European countries. Aerosol emission into the atmosphere may be controlled or accidental. Large-scale industrial fires give the examples uncontrolled accidental emission of vast amount of aerosol. Fires and smoke in objects with high accumulation of occupants and difficult evacuation in case of emergency are particularly hazardous. The probability of such events has been increased in recent years by threat of terrorist attacks.

This project aims to quantify and to monitor aerosol emission, to assess its fire and explosion potential, and to create tools for reliable prediction of aerosol evolution and transport. The need of such a study becomes particularly evident in view of recent statistics that shows the increased frequency and severity of accidents involving hazardous aerosols.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools have the potential to model the physics and dynamics of explosion and detonation, but without relevant physical and mathematical models, choice of appropriate numerical methods, adjustment of computational parameters and proper user guidelines based on extensive validation work, poor prediction capability is expected. Computer modelling of the accident scenario development is able to provide reliable data of the possible pressure loads resulting from explosion process.