Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling has been widely used for performance-based tunnel fire safety design in engineering applications. A CFD tool divides a computation domain into a large number of small cells and solves a set of differential equations with sub-models using different solution algorithms. The CFD users need to not only efficiently use CFD tools but also understand the embedded mechanisms. The basics of CFD modelling are introduced including controlling equations, different turbulence models and numerical methods. Sub-models important for tunnel fires are then described, i.e. gas phase combustion models, condensed phase pyrolysis models, fire suppression models, wall functions and heat transfer models. Despite the rapid development and completeness of these models related to fire phenomena, many limitations exist which should be always kept in mind by the users. Recommendations for CFD modelling of tunnel fires are presented.

The maximum gas temperature below the ceiling is an important parameter for tunnel safety. The present study analyzed the characteristics of the maximum excess ceiling gas temperature driven by double fire sources in a naturally ventilated tunnel. A series of small-scale tunnel fire experiments were carried out with different fire separation distances and heat release rates. Theoretical analysis based on the equivalent virtual origin was also performed. The results showed that there exists only one peak gas temperature when the two fire plumes are merged before reaching the ceiling, while two peak gas temperatures can be observed when the two fire plumes are completely separated. The maximum excess gas temperature below the tunnel ceiling gradually decreases with an increasing fire separation distance in the plume merging region (S < Scp). When the fire separation distance increases further (S > Scp), the effect of the fire separation distance on the maximum gas temperature below the ceiling is very limited. Furthermore, a model using an equivalent fire source was proposed to predict the maximum excess gas temperature below the ceiling, considering different plume merging states. The present study contributes to the understanding of the maximum excess gas temperature characteristics of the smoke flow driven by double fires with an equal heat release rate in naturally ventilated tunnels. 

Smoke control in a longitudinally ventilated tunnel with various blockage conditions was investigated experimentally. A total of 28 tests were conducted with a focus on single blockage with a short distance from the fire source, although continuous blockage and semicontinuous blockage were also discussed. Both gas and pool fires were used. The aim was to understand the influence of upstream blockage on critical velocity and babcklayering length. The results confirm that blockage ratio is a critical parameter when determining the critical velocity and backlayering length. The longitudinal location of the blockage in relation to the fire source also influences the values of critical velocity and backlayering length. The experiments presented are in scale 1 to 3.3, representing a medium sized tunnel. The focus was on free flow conditions and blockage ratios of regular sizes. For the various tested scenarios with single blockage, the reduction ratio of critical velocity appears to be slightly less than the blockage ratio. However, when the blockage is attached to the upstream side of the fire source, the reduction ratio of critical velocity approximately equals the blockage ratio. 

This report presents both small scale laboratory tests and tunnel fire tests carried out in a FORMAS project. Four series of small scale laboratory tests were conducted to obtain the material properties, burning properties, water spray distributions, and spray droplet size distributions. The main efforts were, by adopting the Froude scaling, seven series of tests conducted in a about 50 m long container tunnel with a scale of 1 to 3. This report presents results on the influence of low pressure, medium pressure and high pressure water-based fixed fire fighting systems (FFFSs) on fire development, fire spread to adjacent vehicles, structural protection, tenability, smoke control, spray deflection and spray resistances. The focus is to compare the performance of three default FFFSs and to evaluate the efficiency of each of the FFFS. The results show that the default low pressure FFFS performs well in term of suppressing the fire development, preventing the fire spread to nearby vehicles, providing tenable conditions for evacuation and rescue service, protecting tunnel structure and easing the problem with spray deflection due to tunnel ventilation. The default high pressure FFFS is usually on the opposite side while the default medium pressure FFFS usually lie in between.

This work aims to validate numerical modelling of water sprays against experiments carried out in this project. The focus has been on the influence of ventilation on water distributions on the tunnel floor, the influence of water sprays on control of smoke flow, and the modelling of pool fires and crib fires. Besides, full scale tunnel fires with FFFS in tunnels using longitudinal ventilation and point extraction ventilation systems are simulated and compared, as well recommendations for numerical modelling of such scenarios.

Low pressure, medium pressure and high pressure water-based fire suppression systems were tested in a medium scale tunnel (scale 1:3). The primary objective was to investigate which of these systems are most effective in the suppression or control of different types of tunnel fires. The default low, medium and high pressure systems refer to full scale water flow rates of 10 mm/min, 6.8 mm/min and 3.7 mm/min, respectively. Some other water densities were also tested to investigate the effects, as well as different ventilation velocities and activation criteria. Several series of fire tests were conducted for different fire scenarios. The fire scenarios considered included idle wood pallet fires, loosely packed wood crib fires, loosely packed wood and plastic crib fires, and pool fires, with or without a top cover on the fuel load. Comparisons of the three default systems based on the three parameters: heat release rate, energy released and possibility of fire spread, show that the performance of the default low pressure system is usually the most effective based on the parameters studied. The default high pressure system usually yields results less effective in comparison to the default low pressure system. The performance of the default medium pressure system usually lies in between them. The high pressure system behaves very differently in comparison to the others, in terms of tunnel ventilation velocity, water density, operating pressure, and the presence of the top cover. © 2024 The Authors

Society is changing ever faster, and tunnels are complex systems where performance is affected by many different stakeholders. These conditions suggest that safety management needs to be proactive and based on a systems perspective that acknowledges socio-technical theories. Although systems thinking principles are foundational in overarching European regulations and goals, system principles generally don’t affect tunnel fire safety design principles or engineering practice. In the countries investigated in this study, tunnel fire safety management (TFSM) builds on experience-based and risk management-based principles that are optimized independently system by system. This is usually done with limited consideration of how these systems are interconnected and affect the overall tunnel system. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how systems thinking could support existing engineering practice. The work presented in this article is the outcome of a collaboration between fire safety researchers and practitioners from five countries and three continents. Through three workshops, current TFSM principles have been compiled and discussed. It is suggested that tunnel safety regulations be redesigned to strengthen the ability of engineers to work in design teams using systems thinking principles.

Accurate measurement of the heat release from a battery fire is vital for risk management, product development and construction of accurate models. Oxygen consumption calorimetry is the most common method for heat release measurements in experimental fire tests. The strength of the method is that it can be applied to unknown compositions of fuel with sufficient accuracy. Despite that this method is used to estimate heat release from battery fires, the method is subject to discussion. In this work, the method is studied in-depth, and potential errors are structured and quantified. Uncertainties associated with self-generated oxygen and internal heat generation, total gas release from the battery and impact on the heat release calculations, as well as the assumed E-factor (i.e., heat release per unit mass of oxygen consumed), are thoroughly discussed. For a Li-ion battery fire, it is concluded that oxygen consumption calorimetry will exclude internal heat generation and underestimate the total heat released from the external flaming fire by up to 10 %. In addition, high rate of combustion reactions can result in that the measured peak heat release rate is underestimated much more, up to 100 %. 

This report describes the fire dynamic conditions in natural ventilated tunnels. A summary of the today’s knowledge about the dynamic fire conditions in nonventilated road or railway tunnel is given. The concept of fire dynamic conditions includes the variation of different parameters in length and height at different ventilation conditions. This primarily applies to parameters such as fire development, heat and smoke gas dispersion, gas temperatures, heat radiation towards objects and surrounding wall construction, flame lengths and sight length and toxic conditions in the smoke gases.