Fire Study of Melting Fiberglass Using FLUENT CFD Software

Thermal insulation is used in chemical plants primarily as a tool to prevent energy loss. However, if installed properly, an added benefit is that of allowing the use of smaller relief valves when designing relief systems in the fire case.

The study described in this report was initiated to determine if fiberglass insulation systems designed according to normal practice would "function effectively" during a fire even though the insulation material is not rated for the fire temperature. This paper reviews computer modeling of the heat transfer through fiberglass subject to a fire to predict the heat flux applied to the vessel contents during a two-hour time period.