Fire modelling: The success, the challenges, and the dilemma from a modeller's perspective

The presentation will review the achievements of my team and the wider IAFSS community in advancing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques for modelling a wide range of fire scenarios, including physics-based sub-models for combustion, soot, and radiative heat transfer as well as robust modelling approaches for flame spread over solids, liquid fuels, and fire suppression. These will be followed by revisiting some successful applications in which CFD simulations influenced design, development of fire protection strategies as well as fire safety in emerging energy technologies like hydrogen and batteries. Some challenges for which robust modelling techniques/approaches are still lacking will be flagged up. Examples in which codes and standards for fire protection should consider explosion safety and the role of consequence analysis using CFD to inform such consideration will be elucidated. Finally, the presentation will reflect on some dilemma faced by fire modelers.