Methods and systems of thermal simulation for fire analysis of objects

1. A method for predicting the structural behavior of an object when a fire is applied to the object for a period of time, the method comprising;

a) preparing a computer-implemented 3D Finite Element Model of said object including relevant material an thermal properties;

b) preparing a computer-implemented 2D Finite Volume Model for simulating a fire inside said object and obtaining predicting information regarding thermal effects of the fire;

c) obtaining the heat transfer coefficients of the structure using said predicting information regarding the thermal effects inside said object;

d) applying said heat transfer coefficients and other relevant thermal boundary conditions in said 3D Finite Element Model, simulating the application of a fire to said object and obtaining a thermal mapping of the object during said application of fire.

2. A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that said predicted information regarding thermal effects inside the object includes information regarding the flame trace, the different ambient zones and the temperatures.

3. A method according to claim 2 , characterized in that obtaining the heat transfer coefficients is carried out in two steps: a first step obtaining first predicted heat transfer coefficients using said computer-implemented 2D Finite Volume Model and a second step obtaining final predicted heat transfer coefficients using said 3D Finite Element Model.

4. A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the object is an aircraft structure.

5. A method according to claim 4 , characterized in that the object is an auxiliary power unit compartment.

6. A system for predicting the structural behavior of an object when a fire is applied to the object for a given period of time, the system comprising:

a) a computer-implemented 3D Finite Element Model of said object including relevant material and thermal properties;

b) a computer-implemented 2D Finite Volume Model for simulating a fire inside said object and obtaining predicting information regarding thermal effects of the fire;

c) a computer-implemented calculation module for obtaining the heat transfer coefficients using said predicting information regarding the thermal effects inside the object;

d) a computer-implemented analytical module that, applying said heat transfer coefficients and other relevant thermal boundary conditions, allows simulating the application of a fire to said object and obtaining a thermal mapping of the object during said application of a fire.

7. A system according to claim 6 , characterized in that said predicted information regarding thermal effects inside the object includes information regarding the flame trace, the different ambient zones and the temperatures.

8. A system according to claim 7 , characterised in that said computer-implemented calculation module for obtaining the heat transfer coefficients comprises a first module for obtaining first predicted heat transfer coefficients using said computer-implemented 2D Finite Volume Model and a second module for obtaining final predicted heat transfer coefficients using said 3D Finite Element Model.

9. A system according to claim 6 , characterized in that the object is an aircraft structure.

10. A system according to claim 9 , characterized in that the object is an auxiliary power unit compartment.