Modelling of the radiative feedback from flames in cone calorimeter

The ignition and combustion properties of building materials are often studied using the Cone Calorimeter (ISO5660:1993, NT Fire 048:1993), where the sample is heated by a temporally and spatially constant incident radiative heat flux. After ignition, however, the heat transfer characteristics are changed due to the flame radiation and convection. In this work computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques are used to model the turbulent flames in the cone calorimeter. Two different CFD-codes, NIST Fire Dynamics Simulator and CFD-code SOFIE, are used to predict the enhanced radiant energy flux to the sample surface as a function of the fuel flow rate and soot yield. The flow field predictions are compared against the measurements of temperature and flow velocity above the cone exit. The project results can be used to widen the use of the cone calorimeter to fire safety engineering, where more accurate data on pyrolysis as a function of radiative heat flux is needed.