B.Sc. Thesis Defence | Musanna Galib

B.Sc. Thesis: Computer Modeling of Fire Smoke Movement in Multizone Structure Using Two Open Source Platforms

According to the ASHRAE standard, safe level of CO is 9 ppm for prolonged exposure. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maximum exposure of CO for 8 hours working day is 35 ppm. Death can occur within 2-3 hours with a concentration of 800 ppm and within 2-3 minutes for 12800 ppm. But in our study peak CO concentration is more than 60000 ppm. The simulation by which we get 60000 ppm had been carried out from fire of stack of polyester jacket storage units with a maximum input heat release rate per unit area (HRRPUA) of 1500kw/m2 over a 50m2 area. It indicates that how severe real situation is. Because in real garment and textile industry can have cloth stocks larger than 50 m2. So preventive measures is must to save life of people as we know smoke is more dangerous than the fire itself. In most of the fire incidents people were killed due to inhalation of smoke. Our study shows the propagation behavior of CO smoke and different ways to reduce the propagation.

References

2017

Modeling of fire smoke movement in multizone garments building using two open source platforms

Md. Arifur Rahman Khandoker, Musanna Galib, Adnan Islam, and 1 more author

AIP Conference Proceedings, Jun 2017

Abs

Casualty of garment factory workers from factory fire in Bangladesh is a recurring tragedy. Smoke, which is more fatal than fire itself, often propagates through different pathways from lower to upper floors during building fire. Among the toxic gases produced from a building fire, carbon monoxide (CO) can be deadly, even in small amounts. This paper models the propagation and transportation of fire induced smoke (CO) that resulted from the burning of synthetic polyester fibers using two open source platforms, CONTAM and Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). Smoke migration in a generic multistoried garment factory building in Bangladesh is modeled using CONTAM where each floor is compartmentalized by different zones. The elevator and stairway shafts are modeled by phantom zones to simulate contaminant (CO) transport from one floor to upper floors. FDS analysis involves burning of two different stacks of polyester jacket of six feet height and with a maximum heat release rate per unit area of 1500kw/m2 over a storage area 50m2 and 150m2, respectively. The resulting CO generation and removal rates from FDS are used in CONTAM to predict fire-borne CO propagation in different zones of the garment building. Findings of the study exhibit that the contaminant flow rate is a strong function of the position of building geometry, location of initiation of fire, amount of burnt material, presence of AHU and contaminant generation and removal rate of CO from the source location etc. The transport of fire-smoke in the building Hallways, stairways and lifts are also investigated in detail to examine the safe egress of the occupants in case of fire.