Fire Dynamics - Advanced
Branddynamik - avancerad

VBRN05, 9.0 credits, A (Second Cycle)

Valid for: 2026/27
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering LTH
Decided by: PLED BI/RH
Date of Decision: 2026-04-09

General Information

Main field: Fire Safety Technology Depth of study relative to the degree requirements: Second cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified
Mandatory for: MFST1
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English

Aim

The overriding aim of the course is that, after taking the course, the students will understand the various stages that a fire in a building goes through. Furthermore, the course is aimed at providing the students with a knowledge base concerning the different methods and techniques applied in the analysis of a fire sequence, as well as developing their ability to critically examine those methods in terms of practical application. The course is also aimed at increasing the engineering-related ability to construct and analyse models.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to explain the effect of the enclosure on a fire sequence.
• be able to explain the range of application of the models and the applicable constraints for fire safety engineering computations.
• be able to characterise the various stages of a fire sequence based on various variables.

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to apply various manual computation models and computer models (2-zone models) for calculating various variables in a fire sequence.
• be able to calculate the value of various physical variables associated with a fire sequence.
• be able to analyse and interpret results from fire safety engineering experiments.
• be able to judge the reasonableness of calculated results obtained from various computational models.
• be able to estimate data values for input into computational models where these are lacking in the problem statement.
• be able to design fire safety engineering systems for control and handling of combustion gases.
• be able to evaluate the effect the fire event can have on people occupying the building.
• be able to calculate the time before critical conditions are reached for fires in a building.
• be able to defend, orally and in writing, his/her choice of models and assumptions in the analysis of fire sequences in private and public operations.
• be able to present results from fire safety engineering experiments in a clear and scientific manner.
• be able to search for and apply information concerning fire evolution inside buildings in scientific journals and manuals.
• be able to carry out fire safety engineering experiments.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• demonstrate a capacity to make judgements on the applicability of various computation models to various types of problems.
• demonstrate insight into the responsibilities of a fire engineer in choosing and reporting parameters in such a way that the models are used properly.

Contents

• Qualitative description of a fire sequence. Ignition, flame spreading. Various ways of categorising a fire. The effect of the building on the fire.
• Heat release rate. Mass burning rate and time-dependency of the heat release rate, the order of magnitude of the heat release rate, the strengths and weaknesses of various test methods, growth of alfa-t2, the effect of the enclosure on the heat release rate, extraction of a power curve.
• Fire plumes and flames. Froude number, mean flame height, flame-height correlations, various profiles in a plume, ideal plumes, strong and weak plumes, plume correlations, ceiling jets, special issues to be considered in the design process, quasi-stationary conditions, selecting a plume model.
• Pressure profiles. Background on air-flow in buildings. Bernoulli's equation. Various forms of pressure. Computing pressure, rate and mass air-flow through openings.
• Gas temperatures. Energy balance, rate of heat transfer, correlations for computing gas temperatures. Fully-developed fires, ISO 834, temperature calculation. The influence of high temperatures on structural elements of steel or wood.
• Heat transmission. Conduction, convection, and radiation. Visibility factors, emissivity.
• Smoke filling. Pressure build-up in the fire enclosure. Transient smoke filling models. Stationary models for control of combustion gases. Various fire safety engineering systems for handling and control of combustion gases. Continuity equations. Effect of sprinklers on smoke filling. Correlations.
• Combustion products. Equivalency ratios. Soot production. Visibility, dosage. How soot particles are formed. CO, CO2.
• Fire dynamics in tunnels.
• Computer modelling. Sub-models for zone models. Model constraints.

Examination details

Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment: The final certificate is based on a written examination (individual work), home assignments (individual work), and laboratory work reports (group work) and requires participation in compulsory seminars.

The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.

Modules
Code: 0111. Name: Fire Dynamics.
Credits: 6.0. Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5). Assessment: Written examination. The module includes: The course is based on lectures and written exercises.
Code: 0211. Name: Laboratory Work and Homework.
Credits: 3.0. Grading scale: UG - (U, G). Assessment: Home assignments (individual work) and laboratory work reports (group work). Participation in compulsory seminars is also required. The module includes: This part of the course contains home assignments (individual work) and laboratory work reports (group work).

Admission

Assumed prior knowledge: FMAA05 Calculus in One Variable or FMAB65 Calculus in One Variable B1 together with FMAB70 Calculus in One Variable B2, MMVA01 Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Basic Course.
The number of participants is limited to: No
Selection:
Kursen överlappar följande kurser: VBR033 VBRF05 VBRF10

Reading list

• Karlsson, B and Quintiere, J G: Enclosure Fire Dynamics. CRC Press, 2022, ISBN: 978-1-138-05866-8. 2nd edition.
• Leif Staffansson: Selecting design fires. Lund: Department of Fire Safety Engineering, 2010. report 7032.
• Haukur Ingason: Fire Dynamics in Tunnels. Springer, 2015, ISBN: 978-1-4939-2198-0. Selected chapters will be provided to the students.
• Additional litteratur will be provided to the students.

Contact

Course coordinator: Nils Johansson, nils.johansson@brand.lth.se
Course administrator: Linnéa Ekman, linnea.ekman@ebd.lth.se

Further information

Active participation in group work is required. Each group member must be able to report and be responsible for the content individually. If a group member does not fulfill the requirements for active participation, or disregards his/her commitments, she/he can be reassigned by the examiner to another group or get a fail result.

The course includes mandatory elements that require you to work independently and safely in a laboratory environment. These elements demand the ability to follow current safety regulations and instructions, and to safely navigate and evacuate the premises.

Generative AI may be used in a similar way as other tools used for gathering information. Using the resulting text, figure, code or similar created by a GAI tool is treated as deceptive and is treated as cheating. The use of GAI tools shall be stated in written material for examination. Recommendation on the use of GAI tools is presented on the course area on Canvas.