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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2022/2023

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Engineering : Civil

Undergraduate Course: Fire Science and Engineering 2 (CIVE08024)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Engineering CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course provides a multidisciplinary introduction to fire dynamics covering fundamentals applicable to fire safety engineering in the built environment, manufacturing, and process industries. It considers the processes that govern how fires are ignited and how they burn and how they can be controlled through engineering design.
The course covers fundamental fire science including thermochemistry, transient heat transfer, material flammability, smoke and fire plumes, and basic fire models; as well as the principles of fire safety engineering, including regulation relevant to the built environment and process industries.
The course is structured around taught material, and a mix of tutorials based on group-based discussion and problem solving.
Course description LECTURER-LED LEARNING
Introduction:
The role of fire science in fire engineering in the built and natural environment; process safety; tensions and drivers of fire safety engineering; role of fire science in engineering design.
Thermochemistry:
Fuels; combustion chemistry; flames and flame structure; explosions.
Heat transfer:
Modes; transient conduction; defining boundary conditions; convective heat transfer coefficients.
Material flammability:
Pyrolysis; ignition; burning rate; flame spread.
Smoke and fire plumes:
Characterising a fire plume; smoke control calculations; detection and suppression.
Compartment fire dynamics:
Fire growth; flashover; ventilation-controlled fires.
Fire models:
Zone and field models (introduction)

STUDENT-LED LEARNING
Tutorials to alternate between student-led group discussion and problem-based sessions expanding on the taught content based on the themes below. This will allow the students to demonstrate understanding of the theories through discussion and application of the equations through exercises of varying degrees of difficulty.
Tutorial themes
Ignition sources
Fire testing
Fire hazards of consumer goods
Fire hazards in manufacturing systems
Fire hazards to infrastructure
Wildfires
Sustainability and fire safety
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 22, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 65 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 70 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Written Exam: 70%
Coursework: 30%

The School has a 40% Rule for 1st and 2nd year courses, i.e. you must achieve a minimum of 40% in coursework and 40% in written exam components, as well as an overall mark of 40% to pass a course. If you fail a course you will be required to resit it. You are only required to resit components which have been failed.
Feedback Opportunities through discussions in lectures, and tutorial sessions for direct feedback; feedback on each coursework submission
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)2:00
Resit Exam Diet (August)2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Discuss the role of fire science and engineering in the design of engineering systems;
  2. Manipulate concepts related to the quantification of fire hazards and processes;
  3. Perform basic fire engineering calculations, recognising the associated limits of applicability;
  4. Critically appraise simple fire engineering designs.
Reading List
Required reading:
Drysdale, D., An Introduction to Fire Dynamics, Wiley, 2011.

Further reading:
Quintere, J., Fundamentals of Fire Phenomena, Wiley, 2006.
SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, NFPA 2016.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsFire Safety,Process Safety,Fire Safety Engineering
Contacts
Course organiserDr Rory Hadden
Tel: (0131 6)50 5944
Email:
Course secretaryMr Craig Hovell
Tel: (0131 6)51 7080
Email:
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