Experimental and Numerical Investigations into Fire Dynamics in Enclosed and Open Spaces

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "Experimental and Numerical Investigations into Fire Dynamics in Enclosed and Open Spaces," aims to bridge the gap between fundamental combustion science and practical fire safety applications. It focuses on exploring the complex physicochemical processes—including turbulence, heat transfer, and chemical kinetics—that dictate fire development, smoke transport, and flame spread.

The scope of this issue is divided into addressing two distinct yet interconnected domains. Firstly, Enclosed Spaces: focusing on ventilation-controlled fires within compartments, high-rise buildings, tunnels, and underground facilities, where heat feedback and pressure differentials play critical roles. Secondly, Open Spaces: focusing on fuel-controlled fires, such as wildland fires, large-scale industrial pool fires, and facade fires, where environmental conditions like wind, topography, and ambient pressure are dominant factors.

We particularly encourage submissions that combine experimental campaigns (ranging from bench-scale calorimetry to full-scale fire tests) with advanced numerical simulations (such as CFD and finite element analysis). Studies that validate numerical models against experimental data or propose new theoretical frameworks are highly welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Fire dynamics in confined spaces (flashover, backdraft, and smoke filling);
• Smoke behavior in the tunnels and subways;
• Fire behavior in high-rise buildings;
• Wildland fire spread and the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI);
• Interaction between fire suppression systems (sprinklers/mist) and fire plumes;
• Validation and sensitivity analysis of CFD fire models (e.g., FDS, OpenFOAM);
• Flame interactions in large-scale fires.

Dr. Xiepeng Sun
Dr. Xuehui Wang
Dr. Tianwei Chu
Dr. Nan Zhu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fire is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• compartment fire
• flashover and backdraft
• smoke filling
• facade fire spreading
• high-rise buildings fire
• fire plume
• CFD simulation
• flame interactions