TY - JOUR

T1 - Validation of the Simplified and Detailed Models of Mixed Polymer Combustion in a Small Fire in a Cargo Compartment

AU - Ponomarev, Andrei

AU - Mullyadzhanov, Rustam

N1 - This research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Agreement No. 075-15-2024-543 dated 24 April 2024. Ponomarev A., Mullyadzhanov R. Validation of the Simplified and Detailed Models of Mixed Polymer Combustion in a Small Fire in a Cargo Compartment / A.Ponomarev, R. Mullyadzhanov // Fire. - 2025. - Т. 8. № 10. - С. 403. DOI 10.3390/fire8100403

PY - 2025/10/16

Y1 - 2025/10/16

N2 - This study validates numerical models for mixed polymer combustion in a B-707 aircraft cargo compartment against Federal Aviation Administration test data. A simplified approach using a predefined mass loss rate was compared with a detailed model coupling in-depth heat transfer and pyrolysis kinetics based on the assumption of negligible co-pyrolysis effects. Both approaches reliably captured smoke dynamics and light transmission. The detailed model predicted the mass loss rate with high accuracy, matching the experimental value of 0.11 g/s at 200 s after the ignition. However, it significantly overpredicted the heat release rate with a peak value of 8 kW versus 5 kW in the experiment. This discrepancy was examined through a sensitivity analysis of key parameters: the radiative fraction, heat of combustion, turbulence model, and pyrolysis kinetics. The Smagorinsky model best captures the growth pattern of the heat release and mass loss rates, despite its larger deviation from the experimental data compared to other models. The analysis revealed that the radiative fraction and the activation energy of high heat-of-combustion materials like high-density polyethylene are the most influential parameters. One possible solution to the overestimation is the calibration of the activation energy and heat of combustion values for high-energy materials like HDPE. The results confirm the detailed model’s physical realism for fire spread modeling and highlight a path for improving its heat release rate predictions. Further investigation is required across a wider range of computational cases with varying sample mass fractions, compositions, geometries, and boundary conditions to establish the broader applicability of this approach.

AB - This study validates numerical models for mixed polymer combustion in a B-707 aircraft cargo compartment against Federal Aviation Administration test data. A simplified approach using a predefined mass loss rate was compared with a detailed model coupling in-depth heat transfer and pyrolysis kinetics based on the assumption of negligible co-pyrolysis effects. Both approaches reliably captured smoke dynamics and light transmission. The detailed model predicted the mass loss rate with high accuracy, matching the experimental value of 0.11 g/s at 200 s after the ignition. However, it significantly overpredicted the heat release rate with a peak value of 8 kW versus 5 kW in the experiment. This discrepancy was examined through a sensitivity analysis of key parameters: the radiative fraction, heat of combustion, turbulence model, and pyrolysis kinetics. The Smagorinsky model best captures the growth pattern of the heat release and mass loss rates, despite its larger deviation from the experimental data compared to other models. The analysis revealed that the radiative fraction and the activation energy of high heat-of-combustion materials like high-density polyethylene are the most influential parameters. One possible solution to the overestimation is the calibration of the activation energy and heat of combustion values for high-energy materials like HDPE. The results confirm the detailed model’s physical realism for fire spread modeling and highlight a path for improving its heat release rate predictions. Further investigation is required across a wider range of computational cases with varying sample mass fractions, compositions, geometries, and boundary conditions to establish the broader applicability of this approach.

KW - cargo compartment

KW - fire dynamic simulator

KW - fire modeling

KW - heat release rate

KW - mass loss rate

KW - plastic mixture

KW - thermal decomposition kinetics

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/a7a48aad-b8cb-3116-8484-c1debbc2962e/

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=105019927469&origin=inward

U2 - 10.3390/fire8100403

DO - 10.3390/fire8100403

M3 - Article

VL - 8

JO - Fire

JF - Fire

SN - 2571-6255

IS - 10

M1 - 403

ER -