Numerical Study on the Effect of Atmospheric Wind on the Fire Severity in Informal Settlements with Different Dwellings’ Wall Thermal Characteristics

Abstract There is a persistent risk of large-scale fire conflagrations in informal settlements, which can threaten hundreds people simultaneously. Although the literature implies that wind conditions have significant impact on these fires, little known about how affect dynamics and spread flames settlements. In order to comprehend (speed direction) time flashover severity settlement dwellings with different wall thermal characteristics, numerical study was conducted utilizing Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), Computational Fluid (CFD) code. For six speeds (1 m/s, 5 10 15 20 m/s 25 m/s) two directions (side back wind). Simulations were full-scale burning wood cribs, analyzing fuel mass loss rate, hot gas temperature, global equivalence ratio, radiative heat flux outside door, flashover. addition, influence properties examined for thermally-thin steel-clad asbestos cement-clad (thermally-thick). Regardless direction, it noticed an increase speed significantly shortened required attain This shown be result accelerating rate cribs and, as result, faster temperature rise gas. Radiative fluxes observed door increased speeds. The direction had small effect investigated side scenarios exhibiting somewhat longer timeframes Thermally-thin walled exhibited greater severity, higher rates, layer temperatures, external radiant fluxes, well shorter These findings indicate both characteristics substantial fires settlements enhance spread.