Author(s)

M. L. Hobbs & G. H. Lemmon

Abstract

A Simple Polyurethane Foam (SPUF) mass loss and response model has been developed to predict the behavior of unconfined, rigid, closed-cell, polyurethane foam-filled systems exposed to fire-like heat fluxes. The model is based on simple two-step mass loss kinetics using distributed Arrhenius reaction rates. The initial reaction step assumes that the foam degrades into a primary gas and a reactive solid. The reactive solid subsequently degrades into a secondary gas. The SPUF decomposition model was implemented into the finite element (FE) heat conduction codes COYOTE [I] and CALORE [2], which support chemical kinetics and dynamic enclosure radiation using "element death." A discretization bias correction model was parameterized using elements with characteristic lengths ranging from I-mm to 1-cm. Bias corrected solutions using the SPUF response model w

Keywords