Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS)
Definition
Computational fluid dynamics software developed by NIST that models fire-driven fluid flow and heat transfer. Used in landmark investigations including Station Nightclub and Grenfell Tower to reconstruct time-resolved fire spread, temperature distributions, and smoke movement.
- Developer
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Type
- Open-source computational fluid dynamics code
- Models
- Combustion, heat transfer, smoke movement, time-resolved fire spread, temperature distributions
Common questions
What does FDS do in a fire investigation?+
FDS is computational fluid dynamics software that reconstructs how fire spread through a building, how hot it got, and where the smoke went. Investigators use it to model the timeline of a fire and compare simulations against physical evidence like burn patterns and thermal damage.
Who developed FDS and why is it trusted?+
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed FDS as an open-source tool. NIST is a federal metrology agency, and FDS has been used in high-profile investigations including the Station Nightclub and Grenfell Tower fires, giving it credibility in forensic and fire engineering work.
What makes FDS different from a simple fire model?+
FDS is a large-eddy-simulation CFD code, meaning it solves detailed equations for fluid motion, combustion, and heat transfer rather than using rough approximations. This level of detail lets investigators model complex scenarios like how ventilation affects smoke path or how an unusual room layout influences fire behavior.
Related terms
- Flashover
- The near-simultaneous ignition of all exposed combustible surfaces in a compartment, occurring when the upper gas layer reaches approximately 600°C and radiative...
- Heat Release Rate (HRR)
- The rate at which a burning material releases energy, measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW). Measured by cone calorimetry for material...
- ACM-PE Cladding
- Aluminium composite material with a polyethylene core (Reynobond PE). The combustible cladding type responsible for external fire spread at Grenfell Tower. Now...
- Arc-Flash Bead Metallurgy
- Forensic metallurgical analysis of conductor wire segments to distinguish between arc-flash ignition (producing globular fusion beads) and mechanical fracture followed by fire...
- BS 8414-1
- British Standard for external wall systems: fire performance test for facade assemblies. The large-scale test that ACM-PE cladding, as installed at Grenfell...
- Char Depth
- The depth of carbonisation in timber or wood products, used in post-fire investigation to estimate fire duration and intensity at a point....
- Fuel-Limited Burning
- A fire regime in which oxygen is plentiful and the burning rate is controlled by the mass of combustible material available and...
- Negative Corpus
- The discredited practice of concluding incendiary fire cause by eliminating all identifiable accidental causes without positive physical evidence of intentional fire-setting. NFPA...
- NFPA 921
- US National Fire Protection Association Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. The internationally accepted methodology Indian fire investigators and SFSL fire divisions...
- No-Objection Certificate (NOC)
- The fire-safety clearance issued by Indian municipal fire brigades as a prerequisite for operating certain categories of public premises. Absence of a...
- Ventilation-Limited Burning
- A fire regime in which the available oxygen supply, governed by opening size and position, constrains the burning rate. The fire produces...
- Zone Model
- A simplified fire model that divides a compartment into two well-mixed zones (upper hot layer and lower cool layer), predicting temperature and...
Explained in these topics
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