The Validation and Application of Pool Fire Models

When a hydrocarbon liquid is accidentally released, there is a possibility of ignition leading to severe fire consequences. As the result of an extensive review of literature, a semi-empirical pool fire model has been developed. In undertaking the review, a large amount of experimental pool fire data was drawn together to form a validation database, which includes fuels ranging from smoky heavy hydrocarbons to relatively clean burning liquefied gases. Various statistical measures were used to test the quality of the model against the database, in order to define the range of validity of the model and to assess its overall applicability for use in hazard assessments. This paper illustrates how the extensive validation of a model allows its limitations to be identified and the uncertainty of its predictions to be quantified.