Verification and Validation of Selected Fire Models for Nuclear Power Plant Applications. Volume 5. Consolidated Fire Growth and Smoke Transport Model (CFAST) (NUREG-1824)

Published

May 1, 2007

Author(s)

Richard D. Peacock, Paul A. Reneke

Abstract

As the use of fire modeling tools increases in support of day-to-day nuclear power plant (NPP) applications including fire risk studies, the importance of verification and validation (V&V) studies for these tools also increases. V&V studies provide the fire modeling analysts increased confidence in applying analytical tools by quantifying and discussing the performance of the given model in predicting the fire conditions measured in a particular experiment. The underlying assumptions, capabilities, and limitations of the model are discussed and evaluated as part of the V&V study. The main objective of this volume is to document a V&V study for the Consolidated Fire Growth and Smoke Transport (CFAST) zone model. As such, this report describes the equations that constitute the model, the physical bases for those equations, and an evaluation of the sensitivity and predictive capability of the model. CFAST is a two-zone fire model capable of predicting the fire-induced environmental conditions as a function of time for single- or multi-compartment scenarios. Toward that end, the CFAST software calculates the temperature and evolving distribution of smoke and fire gases throughout a building during a user-prescribed fire. The model was developed, and is maintained, by the Fire Research Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which officially released the latest version of the CFAST model in 2004.

Citation

OTHER -

Volume

5

NIST Pub Series

Other

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

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Keywords

nuclear power plants, verification, validation, fire models, fire protection engineering, risks, ASTM E 1355, NFPA 805, fire protection, fire growth, smoke transport, equations, zone models, plumes, ceiling jets, vents, heat transfer, heat detectors, fire suppression, sprinklers, sensitivity, heat release rate, high temperature gases, oxygen, carbon dioxide, smoke, compartments, pressure, heat flux, temperature, tests, flame height, oxygen concentration, CFAST

Citation

Peacock, R. and Reneke, P. (2007), Verification and Validation of Selected Fire Models for Nuclear Power Plant Applications. Volume 5. Consolidated Fire Growth and Smoke Transport Model (CFAST) (NUREG-1824), Other, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=913110 (Accessed October 25, 2025)