SFPE Pyrolysis Model Parameters Guide

A detailed standard guide to instruct fire model users on how to obtain material input parameters consistent with model assumptions would be extremely helpful to the Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) community and would greatly facilitate consistent application of computer models. Numerous approaches to obtain material parameters for input into deterministic fire models have been published in the literature. A subset of these approaches is described in ASTM E 1591 Standard Guide for Obtaining Data for Deterministic Fire Models. Unfortunately, the ASTM guide is obsolete and incomplete as it was developed more than 15 years ago and only addresses input parameters for zone models. Recognizing the importance and urgent need, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) decided to fund the development of a new comprehensive guide in 2008. A grant was awarded to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to lead this effort. WPI is supported by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). The three-year project was originally scheduled to be completed at the end of June 2011 but the project has been extended to June 2012. This presentation summarizes the accomplishments to-date and the work planned to complete the project. The document that will result from this project will serve as the basis for an SFPE guide on pyrolysis model parameters.