Fire Protection Engineering
Undergraduate Courses
FP 3070. Introduction to Fire Protection Engineering
Cat I (offered at least 1x per Year).
This course teaches students of different technical disciplines the fundamentals of fire protection engineering including combustion chemistry, fire behavior, compartment fire dynamics, toxicity, human behavior in fire, and fire modelling. Students have an opportunity to conduct and view fire experiments in both the WPI Fire Safety Engineering and the WPI Fire Fundamentals laboratories. Fire models are used to aid in use of the scientific method to determine cause and origin of a fire. This course is intended for both majors and non-majors as an introduction into Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) and how engineering knowledge can be used to save lives and property around the world.
FP 3080. Introduction to Building Fires Safety System Design
Cat I (offered at least 1x per Year).
This course introduces principles and applications of building fire safety design. Topics include the interaction between fire, the building, and building occupants; systems that are used to detect, suppress, and control the spread of fire; and systems that facilitate the safe evacuation of occupants during fire. Building code requirements and engineering methods for analysis and design of building fire safety systems will be explored.
FP 4000. Fire Laboratory
Cat I (offered at least 1x per Year).
This course will cover experimental methods used in fire research as well as other thermal-fluid topic areas. Students will learn fundamentals of metrology (calibration, sensor response constraints, uncertainty quantification), standard tests in fire research (i.e. cone calorimeter, fire propagation apparatus, etc.), as well as other measurement methods (thermocouples, heat flux gauges, velocimetry, thermometry, etc.). Students will also learn design of experiments and conduct a large-scale experiment in the UL performance lab.
FP 4001. Fire, Risk, and Sustainability
Cat I (offered at least 1x per Year).
As the pace of development increases around the world, fire prevention and control are becoming more vital for individuals, organizations, and society itself. This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of fire risk and sustainability along with related multi-disciplinary topics such as economics, human behavior, and decision-making. The process of fire risk assessment is taught and applied to the built environment and to the wildland fire problem. Students will undertake a structured applied-research project (individually or in small groups) to develop sustainable solutions at the interface of fire and a chosen area of sustainability such as climate change, safe drinking water, public health, housing, and more.
Graduate Courses
FP 520. Fire Modeling
Modeling of compartment fire behavior is studied through the use and application of two types of models: zone and field. The zone model studied is a student developed model. The field model studied is FDS. Focus on in-depth understanding of each of these models is the primary objective in terms of needed input, equations solved, interpretation of output and limitations. A working student model is required for successful completion of the course. Basic computational ability is assumed. Basic numerical methods are used and can be learned during the course via independent study.
FP 521. Fire Dynamics I
This course introduces students to fundamentals of fire and combustion and is intended to serve as the first exposure to fire dynamics phenomena. The course includes fundamental topics in fire and combustion such as thermodynamics of combustion, fire chemistry, premixed and diffusion flames, solid burning, ignition, plumes, heat release rate curves, and flame spread. These topics are then used to develop the basis for introducing compartment fire behavior, pre- and post-flashover conditions and zone modeling. Basic computational ability is assumed. Basic numerical methods are used and can be learned during the course via independent study.
FP 553. Fire Protection Systems
This course provides an introduction to automatically activated fire suppression and detection systems. A general overview is presented of relevant physical and chemical phenomena, and commonly used hardware in automatic sprinkler, gaseous agent, foam and dry chemical systems. Typical contemporary installations and current installation and approval standards are reviewed.
FP 554. Advanced Fire Suppression
Advanced topics in suppression systems analysis and design are discussed with an aim toward developing a performance-based understanding of suppression technology. Automatic sprinkler systems are covered from the standpoint of predicting actuation times, reviewing numerical methods for hydraulic analyses of pipe flow networks and understanding the phenomenology involved in water spray suppression. Special suppression systems are covered from the standpoint of two-phase and non-Newtonian pipe flow and simulations of suppression agent discharge and mixing in an enclosure.
FP 555. Detection, Alarm and Smoke Control
Principles of fire detection using flame, heat and smoke detector technology are described. Fire alarm technology and the electrical interface with fire/smoke detectors are reviewed in the context of contemporary equipment and installation standards. Smoke control systems based on buoyancy and HVAC principles are studied in the context of building smoke control for survivability and safe egress.
FP 570. Building Fire Safety I
This course focuses on the presentation of qualitative and quantitative means for firesafety analysis in buildings. Fire test methods, fire and building codes and standards of practice are reviewed in the context of a systematic review of firesafety in proposed and existing structures.
FP 571. Performance-Based Design
This course covers practical applications of fire protection engineering principles to the design of buildings. Both compartmented and non-compartmented buildings will be designed for criteria of life safety, property protection, continuity of operations, operational management and cost. Modern analytical tools as well as traditional codes and standards are utilized. Interaction with architects and code officials, and an awareness of other factors in the building design process are incorporated through design exercises and a design studio.
FP 572. Failure Analysis
Development of fire investigation and reconstruction as a basis for evaluating and improving fire-safety design. Accident investigation theory and failure analysis techniques such as fault trees and event sequences are presented. Fire dynamics and computer modeling are applied to assess possible fire scenarios and the effectiveness of fire protection measures. The product liability aspects of failure analysis are presented. Topics include products liability law, use of standard test methods, warnings and safe product design. Application of course materials is developed through projects involving actual case studies.
FP 573. Industrial Fire Protection
Principles of fire dynamics, heat transfer and thermodynamics are combined with a general knowledge of automatic detection and suppression systems to analyze fire protection requirements for generic industrial hazards. Topics covered include safe separation distances, plant layout, hazard isolation, smoke control, warehouse storage, and flammable liquid processing and storage. Historic industrial fires influencing current practice on these topics are also discussed.
FP 575. Explosion Protection
Principles of combustion explosions are taught along with explosion hazard and protection applications. Topics include a review of flammability limit concentrations for flammable gases and dusts; thermochemical equilibrium calculations of adiabatic closed-vessel deflagration pressures, and detonation pressures and velocities; pressure development as a function of time for closed vessels and vented enclosures; the current status of explosion suppression technology; and vapor cloud explosion hazards.
FP 580. Special Problems
Individual or group studies on any topic relating to fire protection may be selected by the student and approved by the faculty member who supervises the work. Examples include: Business Practices Combustion People in Fires Fire Dynamics II Fire and Materials Forensic Techniques Complex Decision Making