Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling uses FDS and Pyrosim software to model the fire development and spread of heat and fire gases through a virtual computer model of a premises. This can assess whether a proposed fire engineered solution achieves a suitable level of safety to comply with the functional requirements of part B1 of the Building Regulations.

When might this be needed?

In some situations, fire and evacuation modelling using computational fluid dynamics may be required to support the fire engineering strategy. This would typically be in 'nonstandard' situations, or to justify non-standard design features. Typical situations requiring modelling include:

• Mechanical smoke control systems for residential staircases
• Atrium building design
• Open plan apartment design with the kitchen open to the lounge/access room

Which modelling tools do we use?

At TecFire, we use Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), developed at the US NIST laboratory for fire applications, in conjunction with the Thunderhead Engineering user Interface program - PyroSim, which is designed to complement FDS and providing graphical tools and visualisations.