2016/17 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

CAPE5530M Fire and Explosion Investigation

15 creditsClass Size: 40

Module manager: Professor G E Andrews
Email: profgeandrews@hotmail.com

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2016/17

Module replaces

PEME5555M Fire and Explosion Investigation

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

The legal, scientific, engineering and risk analysis tools needed in fire and explosion investigations and for fire and explosion risk analysis are fully detailed in this course. A large set of case studies of fires and explosions that have occurred and been investigated is a major part of the teaching methodogy and the coursework.

Objectives

The objectives of the module are to provide the scientific knowledge and understanding needed in fire and explosion investigation within the framework of the relevant fire legislation.

The module will also provide illustrations of fire investigation through a wide range of fire and explosion investigation case studies.

Learning outcomes
The knowledge outcomes will be the scientific principles of fire and explosion investigation, the relevant legal background, the knowledge through case studies of how to carry out a fire investigation and a fire risk analysis.

Skills outcomes
The skill to carry out a competent fire or explosion investigation and a fire or explosion risk analysis.

The skills to assess fire development and likely toxic gas products.

Syllabus

- Legal implications of fire investigation
- Management of fire investigation
- Effects of fire fighting operations on fire investigation
- Fire and explosion investigation case studies
- The interaction of insurance with fire investigation
- Heat transfer, ignition and flame spread
- Burning rates and fire plumes
- Compartment fires
- Stoichiometry: passive fire protection and air supply, fire load and estimation of fire heat release
- Fire smoke toxicity
- Forensic pathology as an aid to fire investigation
- Laboratory analytical techniques for the detection of fire accelerants (arson)
- Fire investigation to improve building fire protection design
- The digital equipment fire in detail
- Fire modelling in support of fire investigation
- Passive fire protection and its failure in precess equipment fires
- Fire and explosion case studies in industry
- Vehicle fire investigation
- Electrical fires
- Hazard zoning
- Spontaneous ignition as a source of fires and explosions
- BLEVES
- Types of explosions with case studies
- Vapour/gas explosion fundamentals
- Hickson and Welch explosion and fire - extended case study
- Electrostatic ignition hazards
- Explosion investigation: overpressure estimation.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	35	1.00	35.00
Independent online learning hours			45.00
Private study hours			70.00
Total Contact hours			35.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

The whole module is assessed on a major set of case studies in fire and explosion. This is backed-up by the 20 hours of seminars and tutorials on the structure of case studies and the sources of information.

The aim is brief summaries of a large range of case studies that are assembled to illustrate different aspects of fire and explosions. About 100 case studies are mentioned on the course and at least half of these would be expected to be in the case study file for the part 1 report. A similar number of case studies would be expected to be researched from the literature and internet for part 2.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Weekly meetings as seminars or tutorials are held with all the students so that any problems with the access to information on fire and explosion case studies can be dealt with. The case studies are submitted in two parts to ensure that equal work is done in the two semesters.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Case Study	Part 1	30.00
Case Study	Part 2	30.00
In-course Assessment	Open Book assessment	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Part 1 handed in at the end of Semester 1 and based on all the case studies mentioned on the course and Part 2 handed in after Easter and consisting of fire and explosion case studies that have been researched by the student. With permission the case studies can be handed in as Part 1 and 2 at the end of semester 2, but this option is normally for part time students.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/03/2015

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