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Fire modelling of passenger trains
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614068341211136 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Becker, Yoshua |
| author2 | Walls, Richard Shaun |
| author_browse | Becker, Yoshua Walls, Richard Shaun |
| author_facet | Walls, Richard Shaun Becker, Yoshua |
| author_sort | Becker, Yoshua |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134508 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:09.042Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134508 Fire modelling of passenger trains Becker, Yoshua Walls, Richard Shaun Conradie, Pieter Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Civil Engineering. Passenger trains -- Safety measures Railroad trains -- Fires and fire prevention. Fire risk assessment Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Becker, Y. 2025. Fire Modelling of Passenger Trains. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/ce1d134a-fd60-4028-9706-c2ff0946ebb9 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Train fires continue to pose a significant threat both internationally and in South Africa, particularly with the increasing prevalence of emerging hazards such as lithium-ion battery devices carried by passengers. With the introduction of the new X’Trapolis Mega fleet, it is essential to evaluate fire safety performance when exposed to both conventional and emerging hazards to ensure sufficient time is available for safe evacuation. This study investigates fire growth and tenability conditions in a single passenger carriage through numerical modelling using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). Generic material properties have been incorporated to broaden the applicability of the results and offer adaptability for future specifications. Eight fire scenarios were developed, ranging from traditional luggage fires and arson to lithium-ion powered devices such as tablets, e-bikes, and e-scooters. The models were assessed in terms of heat release rate development, flashover potential, and available safe egress time at both 1.5 m and 0.9 m above the floor level, representing typical standing and crawling breathing zones. The results demonstrate that conventional luggage fires provide up to 5 min of evacuation time, with flashover occurring after approximately 8 min. In contrast, arson resulted in untenable conditions within 30 s at 1.5 m and flashover within 5 min after ignition. Lithium-ion devices showed variable performance: small fires from devices such as e-cigarettes and tablets pose limited threat with no significant fire spread and subsequently no flashover. Larger e-mobility devices presented significant hazards, with the e-bike fire scenario resulting in impaired evacuation in less than 40 s at 1.5 m and reaching flashover in 5 min 23 s. The seated e-scooter presented the most severe scenario, with impaired evacuation in under 20 s at 1.5 m and flashover after 3 min 22 s. Overall, the study shows that while the new X’Trapolis carriage adheres to strict fire standards, both arson and large lithium-ion devices create conditions in which the safety of passengers intimate with the fire cannot be assured. Material specifications were found to effectively limit fire spread in small battery fire incidents and did not significantly influence initial life safety conditions, as tenability limits were primarily determined by the first item ignited. Passenger behaviour, including moving away from fire risks and crouching low to avoid toxic smoke, is critical for survival. Tenable conditions are also influenced by ventilation, which can help contain smoke in the carriage of origin and prolong the evacuation time for adjacent carriages. The findings underscore that life safety requires not only engineering measures but also effective operational controls, passenger management, and ventilation strategies, particularly concerning e-mobility devices. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Treinbrande bly ’n beduidende bedreiging, beide internasionaal en in Suid-Afrika, veral met die toenemende voorkoms van gevare soos litium-ioon-batterystoestelle wat deur passasiers gebruik word. Met die bekendstelling van die nuwe X’Trapolis Mega-vloot is dit noodsaaklik om die brandveiligheidsprestasie te evalueer wanneer dit aan konvensionele sowel as opkomende gevare blootgestel word, om te verseker dat daar voldoende tyd vir veilige ontruiming beskikbaar is. Hierdie studie ondersoek brandontwikkeling en bewoonbaarheidstoestande in ’n enkele passasierswa deur middel van numeriese modellering met Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). Generiese materiaal-eienskappe is ge¨ınkorporeer om toepaslikheid en aanpasbaarheid vir toekomstige spesifikasies te bied. Agt brandscenarios is ontwikkel, wat wissel van tradisionele bagasiebrande en brandstigting tot litium-ioonaangedrewe toestelle soos tablette, e-fietse en e-bromponies. Die modelle is ge¨evalueer in terme van hittevrylatingskoers-ontwikkeling, flashover en beskikbare veilige ontruimingstyd op beide 1.5 m en 0.9 m bo vloervlak, wat tipiese staan- en kruipende asemhalingsones verteenwoordig. Die resultate toon dat konvensionele bagasiebande tot 5 min ontruimingstyd bied, met flashover na 8 min. Brandstigting het tot onbewoonbare toestande binne 30 s op 1.5 m gelei en tot flashover binne 5 min. Litium-ioon-toestelle het veranderlike prestasie getoon: klein brande van e-sigarette en tablette het beperkte gevaar ingehou sonder beduidende brandverspreiding of flashover. Groter e-mobiliteitstoestelle het egter aansienlike gevare geskep, met die e-fiets-brandscenario wat gelei het tot belemmerde ontruiming in minder as 40 s op 1.5 m en flashover na 5 min 23 s. Die e-bromponie het die mees ernstige scenario verteenwoordig, met belemmerde ontruiming binne 20 s op 1.5 m en flashover na 3 min 22 s. Algeheel toon die studie dat, hoewel die nuwe X’Trapolis aan streng brandstandaarde voldoen, beide brandstigting en groot litium-ioon-toestelle toestande skep waarin die veiligheid van passasiers in noue nabyheid aan die brand nie gewaarborg kan word nie. Materiaalspesifikasies is bevind om brandverspreiding in kleiner batterybrandvoorvalle te beperk en het nie beduidend die aanvanklike lewensveiligheidstoestande be¨ınvloed nie, weens bewoonbaarheidsperke hoofsaaklik bepaal is deur die eerste item wat aan die brand slaan. Passasiersgedrag, insluitend om weg te beweeg van brandgevare en laag te kruip om rook te vermy, is krities vir oorlewing. Ventilasie be¨ınvloed ook bewoonbaarheidstoestande en kan rook in die wa van oorsprong beperk en die ontruimingstyd vir aangrensende waens verleng. Die bevindinge beklemtoon dat lewensveiligheid nie slegs ingenieursmaatre¨els verg nie, maar ook doeltreffende operasionele beheer, passasiersbestuur en ventilasiestrategie¨e, veral ten opsigte van e-mobiliteitstoestelle. Masters 2025-12-11T12:15:49Z 2025-12-11T12:15:49Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134508 en Stellenbosch University xv, 136 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Passenger trains -- Safety measures Railroad trains -- Fires and fire prevention. Fire risk assessment Becker, Yoshua Fire modelling of passenger trains |
| title | Fire modelling of passenger trains |
| title_full | Fire modelling of passenger trains |
| title_fullStr | Fire modelling of passenger trains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fire modelling of passenger trains |
| title_short | Fire modelling of passenger trains |
| title_sort | fire modelling of passenger trains |
| topic | Passenger trains -- Safety measures Railroad trains -- Fires and fire prevention. Fire risk assessment |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134508 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT beckeryoshua firemodellingofpassengertrains |