Parametric analysis of a cabin fire using a zone fire model

Fire onboard has always been considered as one of the most relevant hazards to ships. As an effect of ship fires, toxic smoke might develop and start spreading from the compartment of fire origin to other connected compartments. Such smoke can cause injuries and deaths and can impair the passengers and crew’s abilities to muster and evacuate the ship on time. Fire simulation models have been developed and are continuously being refined and validated to estimate the consequences of compartment fires. The available fire models generally include the capability to evaluate fire development and smoke movement as well as the time to reach critical untenable conditions inside such compartments. The work presented in this paper shows the results of a parametric study using the latest version of one of the available fire models of the zone model type, called BRANZFIRE, in order to assess the effect of changing the size of the compartments on the time available for occupants to escape safely.