Abstract

Scaling analysis is used to characterise a series of ten different possible compartment fire scenarios as a function of compartment geometry and ventilation. In addition to the classic scenarios corresponding to Regime I and Regime II fires, eight additional cases were analysed showing that the flow characteristics are generally a function only of the Froude and Euler non-dimensional parameters. All ten scenarios can be described or bounded by the two classic and limiting regimes of behaviour, nevertheless five intermediate scenarios require spatial resolution to achieve a precise characterisation. Therefore, simple scaling analysis appears sufficient to deliver an adequate assessment of all parameters needed to define the heat transfer from the fire to the compartment until burnout of the available combustible compartment contents. The present analysis highlights the specific areas where spatial resolution is required and the potential limitations associated to the use of more detailed tools, such as CFD, for quantification in these specific areas.