Modelling of the plume rise phenomenon due to warehouse fires considering penetration of the mixing layer

PresentationThe present paper describes the theory behind the “plume rise from warehouse fires model” as implemented in the software package EFFECTS. This model simulates the rising of buoyant plumes due to the density difference between the hot combustion products and the ambient air. The plume rise model calculates the maximum height at which the released material will be in equilibrium with the density of the air, and presents the resulting trajectory of the plume, including hazard distances to specific concentration threshold levels. These parameters will be determined depending on the windspeed, atmospheric stability class and the fire’s convective heat production, leading to potential penetration of the mixing layer. Additionally, the ‘penetration fraction’ is assessed which expresses the amount of plume penetrating the mixing layer. If the convective heat of production is sufficient to penetrate the mixing layer, the smoke plume will be trapped above the mixing layer. When this occurs, the (potentially toxic) combustion products do not disperse back below the mixing layer, thus, the individuals at ground level are not exposed to the harmful combustion products. If the convective heat of production is not sufficient to penetrate the mixing layer, the smoke plume may experience the so-called reflection phenomena which will trap the smoke plume below the mixing layer. This could have more dangerous consequences for individuals who then might be exposed to harmful combustion products at ground level. Moreover, this paper includes the validation of the model against experimental data as well as to other widely validated mathematical models. The experiments and mathematical models used for the validation are described, and a detailed discussion of the results is included, with a statistical and graphical comparison against the field data