About the Project
Applications are invited for two fully funded (four years maximum) PhD scholarships in the department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, to work on overpressure events in combustible compartment under the supervision of Dr Andres Valencia, Dr Aatif Khan and Emeritus Prof. Charles Fleischmann in the context of the Project “Investigating Overpressure Events in Combustible Compartments” funded by Fire Safety Research Institute.
Description
Fires are inherently unexpected and unpredictable events that threaten both the occupants and firefighters. One of the most unexpected phenomena in a compartment fire is an overpressure event (OPE) that can occur with no apparent flammable liquid or gas within the building. Sometimes referred to as a smoke explosion or backdraft, an OPE represents a significant danger to firefighters operating within the building due to its explosive nature that can cause burns and traumatic injuries. In this project, OPE in combustible compartment will be experimentally investigated in the state-of-the art fire facilities at UC. The student will design and perform experiments to
1. Determine the ventilation openings factors and geometry that result in an OPE in a combustible compartment.
2. Evaluate the compartment conditions (temperature and gas species) immediately preceding an OPE.
3. Quantify the intensity of an OPE based on the volume of the external fireball, compartment pressure, and maximum opening velocity.
4. Evaluate the impact of vertical ceiling obstruction, i.e. joists/rafters, on the intensity of an OPE over a range of opening factors.
Selected candidates will attend technical conferences and symposia to present their research results.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Dr Andres Valencia
Other Supervisors: Dr Aatif Khan, Emeritus Professor Charles Fleischmann
Key qualifications and skills
It is preferred that the candidates demonstrate strong experimental background in fire engineering and strong analytical skills using Python/R/Matlab.
Does the project come with funding
Yes: Scholarship of $32,000 per annum + domestic tuition fees (New Zealand Dollars) provided by the Fire Safety Research Institute
Final date for receiving applications
28 February 2025
How to apply
Please send your CV, motivation letter and Transcript to Dr Andres Valencia: andres.valencia@canterbury.ac.nz
Keywords
Fire Engineering, Fire Behaviour, Civil Engineering, Fire Safety
