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Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research

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A special issue of Fire (ISSN 2571-6255). This special issue belongs to the section "Fire Risk Assessment and Safety Management in Buildings and Urban Spaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 15236

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jinlong Zhao

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Guest Editor

School of Emergency Management and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, China
Interests: pool fire; spill fire; storage tank fires; fire extinguishment and fire risk assessment
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Dr. Yongzheng Yao

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Guest Editor

School of Emergency Management and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: tunnel fire; pool fire; fuel-rich combustion; smoke movement; smoke control; Lithium battery fire; safe utilization of hydrogen
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Prof. Dr. Zihe Gao

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: fire risk assessment; underground fire
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Dr. Qiang Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Automobile and Transportation Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
Interests: jet flame; flame instability; flame spread over solid fuel; blow out; lift off
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the rapid pace of urbanization, the development of cities and industrial parks has been accelerating, resulting in both an increased convenience in people's lives and an increase the risk of fire incidents. The occurrence of a fire accident can have severe consequences, encompassing property damage, environmental pollution, and human casualties. Industrial park fires often entail the combustion of flammable materials, including hazardous substances, fuels, and chemicals. Furthermore, the presence of intricate machinery and advanced production systems within these parks further amplifies the risk and severity of industrial fires. Urban fires, in contrast, predominantly transpire in densely populated areas characterized by high-rise buildings, congested regions, and interconnected structures. These distinctive attributes pose significant challenges in terms of fire prevention, evacuation, and firefighting endeavors. Therefore, conducting relevant research in these domains is essential.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the original findings related to industrial fire and urban fire in experimental and simulation methods. Additionally, potential perspectives for future investigations are also encouraged. In this Special Issue, original research articles, case studies, and review papers covering a broad range of topics related to industrial fires and urban fires are welcome. The areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Fire behaviors and dynamics;
Fire suppression and control techniques;
Fire risk assessment and management;
Personnel evacuation and human behaviors;
Prevention and control strategies of industrial fires and urban fires;
The combination of urban and industrial fires with AI technology.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jinlong Zhao
Dr. Yongzheng Yao
Prof. Dr. Zihe Gao
Dr. Qiang Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fire is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

industrial fire
urban fire
fire risk assessment
personnel evacuation
industrial and urban fire dynamic
numerical simulation
AI technology

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 14804 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fire Detection in Urban Areas Using Multimodal Data and Federated Learning

by Ashutosh Sharma, Rajeev Kumar, Isha Kansal, Renu Popli, Vikas Khullar, Jyoti Verma and Sunil Kumar

Fire 2024, 7(4), 104; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7040104 - 22 Mar 2024

Viewed by 966

Abstract

Fire chemical sensing for indoor detection of fire plays an essential role because it can detect chemical volatiles before smoke particles, providing a faster and more reliable method for early fire detection. A thermal imaging camera and seven distinct fire-detecting sensors were used simultaneously to acquire the multimodal fire data that is the subject of this paper. The low-cost sensors typically have lower sensitivity and reliability, making it impossible for them to detect fire at greater distances. To go beyond the limitation of using solely sensors for identifying fire, the multimodal dataset is collected using a thermal camera that can detect temperature changes. The proposed pipeline uses image data from thermal cameras to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and their many versions. The training of sensors data (from fire sensors) uses bidirectional long-short memory (BiLSTM-Dense) and dense and long-short memory (LSTM-DenseDenseNet201), and the merging of both datasets demonstrates the performance of multimodal data. Researchers and system developers can use the dataset to create and hone cutting-edge artificial intelligence models and systems. Initial evaluation of the image dataset has shown densenet201 as the best approach with the highest validation parameters (0.99, 0.99, 0.99, and 0.08), i.e., Accuracy, Precision, Recall, and Loss, respectively. However, the sensors dataset has also shown the highest parameters with the BILSTM-Dense approach (0.95, 0.95, 0.95, 0.14). In a multimodal data approach, image and sensors deployed with a multimodal algorithm (densenet201 for image data and Bi LSTM- Dense for Sensors Data) has shown other parameters (1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.06). This work demonstrates that, in comparison to the conventional deep learning approach, the federated learning (FL) approach performs privacy-protected fire leakage classification without significantly sacrificing accuracy and other validation parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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16 pages, 5111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Experimental Analysis of a Nuclear-Grade Cable Based on Fire Combustion Characteristics and Pyrolysis Behavior

by Qiang Shi, Jiaxu Zuo, Wei Song and Fang Jing

Fire 2024, 7(3), 101; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7030101 - 21 Mar 2024

Viewed by 685

Abstract

Nuclear power fire protection is an important part of nuclear safety, and strengthening fire protection technology research is essential for improving nuclear safety and fire protection. The operating platform inside a containment structure is one important element in fire risk evaluation in nuclear power plants. In this paper, a combustible nuclear-grade cable in a fire scenario was firstly selected as the research object, and then the nuclear-grade cable was separately subjected to a combustion test as well as a thermogravimetric test in order to obtain the relevant thermal parameters, which provide more accurate data support for the establishment of a cable fire development and spread model. The nuclear-grade cable material data obtained from the test were compared with a civil PVC cable in order to conduct a specific analysis of the fire risk of nuclear-grade cables. This study shows that the effects of different heating rates and heating atmospheres on the thermal decomposition behavior of cable materials are meaningful and helpful in understanding whether the materials will undergo combustion processes at high temperatures and whether fire spread will occur. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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13 pages, 3273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Smoke Exhaust Volume and Smoke Vent Layout on the Ceiling Centralized Smoke Exhaust Effect in Tunnel Fires

by Youzhi Shi, Shixiong Qian, Pengju Zhao, Pan Guo and Zihe Gao

Fire 2024, 7(3), 78; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7030078 - 01 Mar 2024

Viewed by 884

Abstract

This research focuses on the impact of smoke exhaust volume and smoke vent layout, which are two crucial factors affecting the smoke control efficiency in tunnels, on the smoke exhaust effect in tunnel fires. Numerical simulation methods are employed to investigate the impact of changing the smoke exhaust volume and the smoke vent number on the smoke exhaust performance in a curved tunnel with a ceiling centralized smoke exhaust system. This research primarily examines the length of the smoke distribution, the smoke temperature under the ceiling, the vertical visibility, and the exhausted smoke mass flow rate. The findings indicate that, in a tunnel with a single-side ceiling centralized smoke exhaust mode, an imbalance in smoke distribution occurs between the upstream and downstream of the fire source. The upstream area experiences a higher amount of smoke, while the downstream area has thinner smoke. Increasing the smoke exhaust volume yielded positive effects on smoke control, as evident in the reduced the smoke spread range, and improved the smoke exhaust efficiency. The influence of changing smoke vent number on the smoke exhaust effect was dependent on the smoke exhaust volume. When the smoke exhaust volume was excessive, altering the number of smoke vents had a minimal impact on smoke exhaust, while in cases with small smoke exhaust volumes, changes in smoke vent numbers obviously influenced the smoke control effect. Therefore, selecting an appropriate smoke exhaust volume and raising the smoke vent number can effectively optimize the performance of the ceiling centralized smoke exhaust system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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17 pages, 6365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Data-Driven Prediction Methods for Real-Time Indoor Fire Scenario Inferences

by Lu Zhang, Like Mo, Cheng Fan, Haijun Zhou and Yangping Zhao

Fire 2023, 6(10), 401; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire6100401 - 18 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1872

Abstract

High temperatures, toxic gases, and smoke resulting from indoor fires pose evident threats to the lives of both trapped individuals and firefighters. This study aims to predict indoor fire development effectively, facilitating rapid rescue decisions and minimizing casualties and property damage. A comprehensive database has been developed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools, primarily focused on basic fire scenarios. A total of 300 indoor fire scenarios have been simulated for different fire locations and severity levels. Using fire databases developed from simulation tools, artificial intelligence models have been developed to make spatial–temporal inferences on indoor temperature, CO concentration, and visibility. Detailed analysis has been conducted to optimize sensor system layouts while investigating the variations in prediction accuracy according to different prediction horizons. The research results show that, in combination with artificial intelligence models, the optimized sensor system can accurately predict temperature distribution, CO concentration, and visibility, achieving R² values of 91%, 72%, and 83%, respectively, while reducing initial hardware costs. The research results confirm the potential of artificial intelligence in predicting indoor fire scenarios and providing practical guidelines for smart firefighting. However, it is important to note that this study has certain limitations, including the scope of fire scenarios, data availability, and model generalization and interpretability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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14 pages, 3104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evacuation Path Planning Based on the Hybrid Improved Sparrow Search Optimization Algorithm

by Xiaoge Wei, Yuming Zhang and Yinlong Zhao

Fire 2023, 6(10), 380; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire6100380 - 06 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1292

Abstract

In the face of fire in buildings, people need to quickly plan their escape routes. Intelligent optimization algorithms can achieve this goal, including the sparrow search algorithm (SSA). Despite the powerful search ability of the SSA, there are still some areas that need improvements. Aiming at the problem that the sparrow search algorithm reduces population diversity and is easy to fall into local optimum when solving the optimal solution of the objective function, a hybrid improved sparrow search algorithm is proposed. First, logistic-tent mapping is used to initialize the population and enhance diversity in the population. Also, an adaptive period factor is introduced into the producer’s update position equation. Then, the Lévy flight is introduced to the position of the participant to improve the optimization ability of the algorithm. Finally, the adaptive disturbance strategy is adopted for excellent individuals to strengthen the ability of the algorithm to jump out of the local optimum in the later stage. In order to prove the improvement of the optimization ability of the improved algorithm, the improved sparrow algorithm is applied to five kinds of maps for evacuation path planning and compared with the simulation results of other intelligent algorithms. The ultimate simulation results show that the optimization algorithm proposed in this paper has better performance in path length, path smoothness, and algorithm convergence, showing better optimization performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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16 pages, 16186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Location Determination of Building Fire Points Based on Acoustic CT Temperature Measurement

by Hengjie Qin, Lingling Chai, Xinzheng Yang, Zihe Gao, Haowei Yao, Zhen Lou, Huaitao Song, Zhenpeng Bai and Jiangqi Wen

Fire 2023, 6(9), 353; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire6090353 - 09 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1153

Abstract

Rapid perception of the location of the fire point is crucial to building fire emergency response in the process of building fire emergency response, which can help firefighters direct fire-fighting operations, effectively control fire sources, and provide strong evidence for the analysis and investigation of fire causes. This paper uses acoustic CT temperature measurement technology to determine the fire source location of a building fire and verifies its validity and applicability as follows: we construct various fire point numerical models based on the fire dynamics simulator (FDS) and obtain temperature data at different times; neural network means were used to obtain the time-of-flight (TOF) of an acoustic wave traveling; the large ill-conditioned matrix equation of acoustic flight under different meshing schemes was constructed and solved based on the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART) and least squares QR-decomposition (LSQR), and then reconstruction temperature data under each scheme were obtained. Through the error analysis, the reconstruction effect of each reconstruction scheme is evaluated, and then the applicability of the location coordinate determination of the fire point is analyzed. The results show that the determination of the fire location under the conditions of various fire points in the building space can be realized by acoustic CT temperature measurement technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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17 pages, 3521 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fire Incidents, Trends, and Risk Mitigation Framework of Electrical Vehicle Cars in Australia

by Md Kamrul Hassan, Nazra Hameed, Md Delwar Hossain, Md Rayhan Hasnat, Grahame Douglas, Sameera Pathirana, Payam Rahnamayiezekavat and Swapan Saha

Fire 2023, 6(8), 325; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire6080325 - 21 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3531

Abstract

Electric Vehicles (EVs) offer a promising solution to reduce the environmental impact compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. However, EV adoption in Australia has been hindered by concerns over fire safety. This study aims to comprehensively analyse EV fire risks and trends in Australia, including those related to charging stations and lithium-ion batteries. The research utilises secondary data from various reputable sources to develop statistical forecasting models, which estimate that Australia will have approximately 1.73 million EVs by 2030 and 15.8 million by 2050. The study reveals an average EV fire frequency of six fires per million EVs in Australia, aligning with the global average. Consequently, Australia is expected to experience 9 to 10 EV fire incidents annually in 2030, 37 to 42 EV fire incidents annually in 2040, and 84 to 95 EV fire incidents annually in 2050. To address these risks, an EV fire risk control framework is considered to identify and recommend appropriate measures for life safety, lithium-ion batteries, charging, EV handling, and EV locations. This research provides vital evidence for regulators, policymakers, and the fire industry to effectively manage EV fire risks and enhance preparedness for the growing EV market in Australia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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Review

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25 pages, 2231 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Systematic Review on Cavity Fires in Buildings: Flame Spread Characteristics, Fire Risks, and Safety Measures

by Rajeendra Godakandage, Pasindu Weerasinghe, Kumari Gamage, Hani Adnan and Kate Nguyen

Fire 2024, 7(1), 12; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire7010012 - 28 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1606

Abstract

Fire spread scenarios associated with concealed cavity spaces have been relatively less discussed. The variation in studies with respect to geometry, influential parameters, and protection strategies has been an obstacle to deriving more generalized solutions in terms of cavity fire in buildings. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA method to identify the conclusive fire behaviour, safety risks, and protection strategies to enable future researchers to address cavity fire scenarios effectively, avoiding catastrophic disasters. This study identified that relative to open-fire scenarios, cavity fires could result in up to 10 times higher flame spread, up to 14 times higher heat exposure, and temperature conditions 13 times higher. Increased toxicity and smoke velocity are also found with cavity fires. Fire protection strategies and their efficiency were identified for a range of cavity geometries. Altogether, cavity spaces, especially narrow ones, cannot be neglected during fire safety, and proper risk identification is required to ensure the safety of the buildings and the occupants in a fire scenario. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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Other

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23 pages, 1159 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Economic Costs of Residential Fires: A Systematic Review

by Fahmida Saadia Rahman, Wadad Kathy Tannous, Gulay Avsar, Kingsley Emwinyore Agho, Nargess Ghassempour and Lara A. Harvey

Fire 2023, 6(10), 399; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fire6100399 - 18 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1960

Abstract

Globally, most fire-related deaths and injuries occur in residential areas. The aim of this systematic review is to report on the economic costs of residential fires from a societal perspective. Five databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, EconLit, CINAHL, and Scopus) and grey literature were searched to identify studies that report economic or societal costs of residential fires with data from 1978 to 2021. There were no restrictions on study design. A narrative synthesis was undertaken based on the societal and economic costs reported for each included study. Seven studies from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Kuwait reported costs of residential fires. The costs of injuries and deaths were between USD 12 million and USD 5 billion, and between USD 75 million and USD 26 billion, respectively. The costs of treatment ranged from USD 0.3 million to USD 551 million, lost productivity from USD 12 million to USD 4 billion, and property damage from USD 8 million to USD 10 billion. This systematic review provides the most comprehensive evidence to date on the economic costs of residential fires. This study would offer insights into the effects of residential fires on diverse economic agents and aid in community fire prevention messaging and incentives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research)

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