Smoke simulation is a key feature of serious gaming applications for fire-fighting professionals. A perfect visual appearance is not of paramount importance, the behavior of the smoke must however closely resemble its natural counterpart for successful adoption of the application. We therefore suggest a hybrid grid/particle based architecture for smoke simulation that uses a cheap multi-samplin...

This work addresses the issue of fire and smoke detection in a scene within a video surveillance framework. Detection of fire and smoke pixels is at first achieved by means of a motion detection algorithm. In addition, separation of smoke and fire pixels using colour information (within appropriate spaces, specifically chosen in order to enhance specific chromatic features) is performed. In par...

Research in microgravity (low-gravity) combustion promises innovations and improvements in fire prevention and response for human-crew spacecraft. Findings indicate that material flammability and fire spread in microgravity are significantly affected by atmospheric flow rate, oxygen concentration, and diluent composition. This information can lead to modifications and correlations to standard m...

Fire safety requirements on lift system used for evacuation in supertall buildings were discussed in this paper. Designs for fire and smoke protection for lift systems for evacuation were reviewed. Lifts are not yet designed to be used by most of the occupants in fire. Two major safety concerns were identified on the hazards due to smoke spread to the lift shafts and lobby; and the fire resisti...

Indoor fire detection using gas chemical sensing has been a subject of investigation since the early nineties. This approach leverages the fact that, for certain types of fire, chemical volatiles appear before smoke particles do. Hence, systems based on chemical sensing can provide faster fire alarm responses than conventional smoke-based fire detectors. Moreover, since it is known that most ca...

In recent years, natural ventilation technology is extensively used in order to improve indoor environment quality and reduce power consumption of air-conditioning systems in green buildings. However, the effect of natural ventilation on fires needs to be evaluated carefully, and how to make these energy-saving buildings safe is a topic worth studying. This study uses Fire Dynamics Simulator on...

BACKGROUND In most accidents causing smoke inhalation only a few victims actually inhale the smoke. The fire at King's Cross provided an opportunity to assess the long term effects of smoke inhalation in a larger number of patients. METHODS Fourteen survivors from the King's Cross underground station fire were assessed for respiratory disability six months after the disaster and 10 were reass...

OBJECTIVES To reduce fires and fire related injuries by increasing the prevalence of functioning smoke alarms in high risk households. SETTING The programme was delivered in an inner London area with above average material deprivation and below average smoke alarm ownership. The target population included low income and rental households and households with elderly persons or young children. ...

Numerical modeling of the behavior of fire and smoke within proposed building atria have revealed the possible presence of violent fire whirls or fire tornadoes induced by an inadvertent combination of ventilation and exhaust openings. Such fire vortexes can accelerate combustion up to ten times that seen during conventional fires, rapidly move fire and debris across available evacuation routes...