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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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied sciences 2020-05, Vol.10 (10), p.3380
Main Authors: Fernandez-Alaiz, Florencio, Castanon, Ana Maria, Gomez-Fernandez, Fernando, Bascompta, Marc
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air flow
Coal mining
Computer simulation
Experiments
FDS
Fire
fire behavior
Fire load
Fires
Flammable materials
Fluid dynamics
Heat
Mathematical models
Mine accidents
Mine ventilation
Mines
Observations
Pollutants
safety hazard
Simulation
underground fire
Underground mines
Ventilation
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Summary: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.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app10103380