Analysis of Smoke an‎d Pollutant Dispersion in Metro Train Cabin Fires

5/22/2026 12:00:00 AM

With the expansion of railway transportation networks, fire safety in metro trains has become a critical issue. This research aimed to analyze the dispersion of smoke, toxic gases, an‎d heat transfer resulting from a fire inside a metro train cabin using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation via PyroSim software. Key parameters—including fuel load (20, 60, an‎d 100 kg), fire source location (front, middle, an‎d rear cabins), fuel type (firecracker, polyester sock, an‎d wood), an‎d train motion conditions (stationary an‎d accelerating) were systematically investigated. Simulation results revealed that increasing the fuel load nonlinearly raised the peak temperature significantly; a fivefold increase in weight resulted in approximately a 2.5-fold rise in peak temperature. The fire location also played a decisive role in pollutant spread: a fire in the middle cabin accelerated smoke propagation to the rear cabin about four times faster than a fire in the front cabin. Among different materials, polyester socks produced the highest peak temperature, while wood resulted in the longest duration of critical temperatures. Although airflow induced by acceleration temporarily improved visibility, it prolonged the duration of critical temperatures (above 60°C) in the fire-affected cabin to 418 seconds nearly twice that of the stationary condition It has been observed that in the event of ignition of flammable materials, such as goods sold by street vendors inside metro carriages, the train must stop. By providing a comprehensive analysis of the interaction of key parameters, this study lays the groundwork for practical measures such as optimizing ventilation systems, installing physical barriers between cabins, an‎d revising emergency evacuation protocols.

ايمني حريق، قطار مترو، شبيه‌سازي انتشار دود، PyroSim، گازهاي سمي، قابليت ديد

: Fire Safety, Metro Train, Smoke Dispersion Simulation, PyroSim, Toxic Gases, Visibility

Mohammad Nedaei

Dr. Mohammad Reza Talaei