LES field model-based fire accident reconstruction with the OED method and its experimental validation

One of the objectives of fire accident reconstruction is to determine the cause of the fire and to examine the fire spread. The temperature and extent of fire damage are the two most important characteristics in a fire accident. They can be fully utilized in a fire accident simulation that is based on a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) field model, which has been widely used as a simulation model for fire analysis. However, since it needs many simulation runs using this model in fire accident reconstruction, it will increase the reconstruction time and cost. The use of an Orthogonal Experimental Design (OED) method as a tool to reduce the simulation runs in fire accident reconstruction is proposed. An orthogonal array is selected on a discrete design space and levels are chosen from candidate values. Matrix experiments with the orthogonal array are conducted and a range difference analysis is used to find out the optimum levels. The method is applied to a fire experiment as a validation. The numerical and experimental results fit very well. ► A mixture of OED method and LES model in fire accident reconstruction is proposed. ► The temperature and extent of fire damage are the two main characteristics in a fire accident. ► Matrix experiments with the orthogonal array are conducted to find out the optimum levels. ► An experimental validation is carried out. ► The numerical and experimental results fit very well.