Research

Research activity in the FireLab is centered on the study of fire safety related issues, with the purpose of deepening the knowledge of materials behavior under fire, of finding models of fire consequences and of proposing engineering solutions for fire control and suppression.

The main research topics are:


Combustion phenomena modeling

Combustion models are developed by means of thermo-fluid dynamics simulations (CFD), paying particular attention to the assessment of fire effects in confined spaces and to fire control, suppression and extinction by means of active protection methods. Numerical solution strategies and turbulence models are also studied and compared.

Numerical and experimental analysis on fire suppression systems

Water mist and sprinkler systems modeling: the study focuses on water droplets diameters, velocities and distribution pattern. The experimental validation is made by means of Phase Doppler Anemometry. Water mist systems efficacy on smoke containment and stratification is also analyzed.

Fire safety in civil and industrial applications

Thermo-fluid dynamic assessment of fire consequences in tunnels, analyses on the effect of passive (vent shafts) and active (fans) safety systems in smoke and temperature management; modeling of fire behavior in tunnel networks. Numerical modeling of evacuation procedures.