Modeling to Support Damage Control Assessment and Decision-making in Shipboard Environments - Smoke Navy SBIR FY2005.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2005.1 Topic No.: N05-050 Topic Title: Modeling to Support Damage Control Assessment and Decision-making in Shipboard Environments - Smoke Proposal No.: N051-050-1127 Firm: SURVICE Engineering Company 4695 Millennium Drive Belcamp, Maryland 21017-1505 Contact: W. Bowman Phone: (410) 273-7722 Web Site: www.survice.com Abstract: As the Navy moves to reduce shipboard manning, automated damage control systems are necessary to evaluate real-time data and provide the crew with proper situational awareness and predictive capability. Existing computer models for estimating smoke spread are not designed to model confined compartments, are complex in operation, and generally require long periods of time to set up and process. An accurate, yet fast-running computer model is needed to input shipboard sensor and baseline target configuration data to simulate the smoke spread in a shipboard environment. The SURVICE Engineering Company, with our team members Enthalpy Corporation and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, proposes the development of a smoke spread analysis model that can fill the gap between over-simplified empirical relationships in zone based fire/smoke models and the ultra-high-resolution computational fluid dynamics type field models. The smoke spread prediction model will be fast running and sufficiently accurate while capable of simulating all the key processes involved in smoke spread dynamics and interfacing with the shipboard sensor network. To develop such a model, and to minimize development risk, the basis for this proposed model will be the existing Fire Prediction Model (FPM) and its inherent methodology. Benefits: The successful completion of this SBIR will provide the U.S. Navy with a fast running and accurate model to be used as part of an automated damage control system that will provide crews with proper situational awareness and predictive capability. This system will be effective in both reduced and fully-manned shipboard environments. In addition to traditional DoD applications, SURVICE can apply this capability to ferries, oil tankers, cruise liners, and other maritime applications. Also, the methods can be applied to other similar compartment configurations including land based industry facilities with hazardous materials such as refineries and chemical processing plants where smoke spread control is also very critical. The potential also exists for application of the model to commercial buildings, train stations, airports, and other heavily occupied facilities that require foresight into damage control to then direct evacuation and facility preservation. Finally, derivatives of the foundation methodology can also support design trade studies for vessels or buildings where smoke spread is a concern. Return