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Undergraduates Conduct Experiments to Explore Wildfire Spread in WPI鈥檚 Fire Laboratory Course

jcain — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

In early October, students in the fire protection engineering department鈥檚 undergraduate course 鈥淔ire Laboratory,鈥?taught by assistant professor James Urban,鈥痯articipated in the hands-on culmination of their A-Term work, setting fire to miniature model wildland urban interface communities to understand how wildfires spread when the flames enter populated areas. Better understanding the spread of wildland urban interface fires is critical for society as more than 63,000 communities in the United States are considered at risk, according to the National Association of State Foresters.鈥?lt;/span>

Models of houses and trees made of cardboard and paper burn during student-designed fire laboratory experiments

In keeping with WPI鈥檚 project-based learning model, the class鈥攚hich is focused on the fundamentals of fire behavior measurement and research testing鈥攔equires four teams of five students to develop and perform experiments that study these damaging fires. Their designs involved running multiple tests using a wind tunnel and a burn table to see the variability of wildfire spread under changing scenarios. The students were responsible for choosing the experimental conditions and research questions. For example, the students designed experiments to see how changes in wind speed, terrain slope, soil type or moisture, and vegetation management around a structure would affect how quickly and extensively a wildland urban interface fire spreads between buildings.鈥?lt;/span>

WPI Wildfire Research Headed to International Space Station

jcain — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Name a place where you might expect to uncover the unknown inner workings of wildfires. Chances are outer space does not top the list. However, that鈥檚 exactly where fire protection engineering Assistant Professor James Urban is sending his research.

As early as August 3, a SpaceX Falcon 9 is scheduled to blast off from NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The rocket will launch a Northrup Grumman Cygnus spacecraft carrying cargo bound for the International Space Station (ISS). On board the cargo mission will be supplies for Urban鈥檚 research into how flames spread. Astronauts on the space station will perform experiments for Urban鈥檚 study, funded by the National Science Foundation and sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory.

Assistant Professor James Urban

鈥淭he International Space Station gives us a really amazing opportunity to perform an experiment we could not do on Earth,鈥?says Urban. 鈥淚n space, we鈥檝e effectively created an environment where there isn鈥檛 the effect of gravity or buoyancy.鈥?Through experiments Urban鈥檚 team has been conducting in WPI鈥檚 fire protection engineering (FPE) labs, and through the upcoming tests in space, he hopes to better understand how wildfires spread here on Earth to more accurately predict how quickly and where a fire will spread once flames erupt.

Urban is focusing on an area where research is limited: how non-steady flame behavior in wildfires contribute to wildfire spread. For example, wildfires tend to be dynamic. They often spread through the uneven and intermittent movement of flames, influenced by rapidly changing winds, gravity-fueled buoyancy, and the varying presence of flammable materials.

However, Urban says most research into fires in laboratory settings is done with equilibrium and an idealized version of stable flame spread, rather than with variable settings that mimic the real-world, like changeable wind speed. That's where the space station comes in.

鈥淣on-steady flame behavior is hard to research in a small-scale laboratory test,鈥?says Urban. 鈥淏ut in space, without the effect of gravity, we can control the flame by controlling the airflow and we can create non-steady flame behaviors and study those behaviors in a controlled environment to better understand their role.鈥?amp;nbsp;

Urban says ground-based experiments in WPI鈥檚 labs allow his team to change the air flow affecting a flame, but gravity is always playing a role on Earth in a flame鈥檚 behavior, making it impossible to fully control the flame without modifying air flow in a microgravity setting like the upcoming experiments on the International Space Station.

Professor Urban's research team observes a ground-based flame spread experiment in a fire protection engineering lab.

The equipment Urban鈥檚 team is sending to space includes fuel samples, a sample holder, and hardware to ignite it. The fuel samples are thin sheets of polymethyl methacrylate, each a little longer and wider than a cell phone. The sample holder is a tray with backing insulation that a sample can slide into. The sample holder also includes an igniter wire, similar to what you'd find in a toaster, connected to electrical leads. The wire is used to ignite the fuel sample when the experiment begins.

On board the ISS, astronauts will burn one fuel sample at a time inside a flow duct within a sealed chamber. Urban will monitor the first few experiments from NASA鈥檚 Glenn Research Center in Ohio and suggest adjustments, if needed, for future burns. Each experiment will result in video footage and sensor data on radiant heat and flow velocities, which Urban鈥檚 team will analyze to see how the rate of flame spread changes over time and how changes in the shape of a flame impact the rate of spread.

In advance of the ISS mission, Urban鈥檚 team has been designing and conducting similar experiments in wind-tunnels in the FPE labs, burning samples in both horizontal and vertical configurations. They have also created strategies for analyzing the data that will be beamed down to Earth from the space experiments. Urban鈥檚 team consists of postdoctoral fellow Xiuqi Xi, doctoral student Pablo Pinto, and master鈥檚 student Alana Miska; all are in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Celebrates 45 Years of Fire Protection Engineering Excellence

cbwamback — Thu, 30 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

For three days in May, WPI hosted a 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Who in FPE鈥?amp;nbsp;as the university celebrated the 45th anniversary of its renowned Fire Protection Engineering program. From May 16 to 18, more than 100 industry partners, faculty, staff, and former students gathered for a comprehensive look at FPE鈥檚 history, its impact at WPI and beyond, ongoing research, and the future of the field with the dawn of new disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Since its inception in 1979, the program has been a leader in innovation and education, significantly advancing the field of fire protection engineering. As the first university to offer a graduate program in FPE, WPI has also established itself as a premier institution for producing highly skilled practitioners and pioneering new knowledge that enhances global safety.

鈥淎s we celebrate this milestone,鈥?said Albert Simeoni, professor and fire protection engineering department head, 鈥渨e reflect on the incredible journey that began with the vision of Dave Lucht and Bob Fitzgerald. These pioneers鈥?dedication to excellence shaped not only the FPE curriculum but propelled advancements in life-saving technologies, mitigation techniques, and a new understanding of fire dynamics鈥攏otably through the seminal work of Professor Dougal Drysdale from the University of Edinburgh in the UK, who developed the first-ever Fire Dynamics course during a long-term visit, which was made into a textbook and has become a foundational element for fire protection engineers worldwide.鈥?amp;nbsp;

Over the past 45 years, WPI鈥檚 FPE program has grown into a thriving graduate program with a robust research agenda and strong industry partnerships. With more than 1,000 alumni across the globe, WPI's influence is far-reaching, educating leaders in industry and agencies.

Recent groundbreaking research in environmental remediation, wildfires, battery fires, and firefighter safety exemplifies WPI鈥檚 commitment to addressing contemporary challenges. Contributions have been recognized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), and esteemed publications like The New York Times, with whom WPI helped investigate a fatal Bronx, NY, fire.

As we look to the future, we recognize the continued critical need for highly skilled fire protection engineers,鈥?said Bogdan Vernescu, Vice President and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. 鈥淲e strive to continue making significant positive impacts, guided by the sustained vision and leadership within our internationally recognized FPE Department, with input and support from our partners. We also aim to attract and retain talented graduate students through fellowships and equip our fire science lab to tackle the most pressing fire-related problems.

鈥淲ith continued industry support, WPI can expand its student pipeline and continue to produce exceptional FPE graduates who will lead work to advance safety and sustainability for future generations,鈥?said John McNeill, the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of WPI鈥檚 School of Engineering. 鈥淭hese are indeed exciting times for Fire Protection Engineering, and at WPI we are ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.鈥?lt;/span>

WPI and FM Global sign MOU to strengthen workforce development, research, and philanthropic support.

To underscore the importance of industry support, during the celebration WPI and FM Global, one of the world's largest commercial property insurance companies and longstanding FPE industry partner, signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) reinforcing a collaboration surrounding workforce development, research, and philanthropic support. In addition, the annual Howard Emmons Lecture Award was given to Dr. Sergey Dorofeev, vice president and research area director, fire hazards and protection at FM Global. Named after Professor Howard Emmons, an early pioneer in fire research and safety science, this award recognizes global leaders in fire research and education, encouraging them to share their work with the WPI community.

鈥淲e are proud of Sergey鈥檚 accomplishments and congratulate him for this prestigious award,鈥?said Dr. Louis Gritzo, chief science officer at FM Global. 鈥淲e are also very appreciative of our longtime partnership with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which is helping to prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers, and business leaders through its leading curriculum and academic approach of project-based learning.鈥?lt;/span>

National Science Foundation Taps WPI Fire Protection Expertise and Resources for the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center

cbwamback — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Over the past 22 years, wildfires in the United States have caused damages exceeding $100 billion, and as climate change continues to intensify wildfire frequency and severity, research is essential to protect lives, property, and ecosystems鈥攁nd to help communities adapt to these changing conditions. To this end, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has added Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to its Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC), a collaboration between universities and industry. Supported by a three-year, $450,000 grant with additional direct funding from industry partners, WPI will build upon its longstanding expertise in fire protection and work with San Jose State University to study new fire detection methods, robotics solutions to enhance first responder safety, and fire suppression systems for wildfires.

鈥淭he solutions to our current wildfire issues are going to require creative thinking across multiple sectors and disciplines,鈥?said Dr. Kendra McLauchlan, Program Officer at the National Science Foundation and chair of the NSF Wildland Fire Initiative Working Group. 鈥淭his is exactly the approach taken by WIRC, and the new site at WPI adds some really exciting capacity. We are looking forward to the innovations this industry-university partnership is able to achieve.鈥?lt;/p>

WPI Experts Weigh in on Tragic Wildfires

sfoskett — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Devastation in Maui. A record-breaking fire season in Canada. Sweltering temperatures sparking deadly blazes in Greece. Wildfires have been thrust into the public consciousness this summer, but WPI researchers have been studying the phenomenon for decades. We spoke with a number of experts to get their unique perspective on what happened, what happens now, and how impacted communities can rebuild in a sustainable way.

The Month in Photos: November 2022

amracicot — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

A new president, prestigious fellowship wins, musical holiday cheer, impromptu dance parties鈥攊n a community as special as WPI鈥檚, we鈥檝e got a lot to be thankful for. Check out a glimpse of a few more examples through the lenses of our talented staff photographers.

California Awards +$500,000 to WPI Researchers to Develop New Wildfire Defense Tools

leckelbecker — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers Albert Simeoni and James Urban have been awarded $514,981 by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to develop a model to predict how fire spreads from burning wildlands to communities so that fire protection engineers can design homes and surrounding landscaping to better withstand destructive blazes.

Simeoni and Urban will focus on how physical distance, wind, specific vegetation, and other factors impact the spread of fire from wildland vegetation to ornamental vegetation and from vegetation to buildings. Their three-year project, 鈥淒evelopment of Engineering Tools for Exposure Analysis at the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI),鈥?will lead to tools that could help communities protect buildings and create fire-safe roadways.

Albert Simeoni

The researchers鈥?work for CAL FIRE will address the critical problem of ongoing wildfire threats in California, where blazes have burned millions of acres, destroyed thousands of homes, and left more than 100 people dead in recent years. In 2021, more than 8,000 fires burned more than 2.5 million acres across the state.

鈥淭he fire protection engineering community has developed tools to design structures to resist fire, but disastrous wildfires in California and elsewhere have demonstrated that communities remain vulnerable to destruction,鈥?said Simeoni, a professor in the WPI Department of Fire Protection Engineering.

Simeoni will be principal investigator (PI) of the project and will collaborate with co-PI Urban, who is an assistant professor in WPI鈥檚 Department of Fire Protection Engineering. They will simulate fires under controlled conditions in laboratory experiments with vegetation found in California during dry summer conditions and then use data from the experiments to develop computational models that predict how fire spreads among separate and specific fuel sources.

James Urban

鈥淣ew tools are needed to determine necessary defensible space around homes and fire breaks so that engineers can develop strategies to reduce exposure of communities and structures to wildfires,鈥?said Urban.

Simeoni is a former firefighter who has studied how wind impacts wildfires and how burn patterns across landscapes can point to the origin of wildfires. He was recently awarded $399,999 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop technology to simulate wildfires near communities, reconstruct how wildfires burn, and determine hazards to communities by wildfires.

Urban focuses his research on how flying showers of burning embers and intermittent winds impact the spread of wildfires. The National Science Foundation has awarded him $200,000 to determine how wind gusts impact the spread of wildfires and $399,095 for experiments aboard the International Space Station to understand the impact of dynamic fire processes on wildfire spread.

鈥淔ire has been and will always be a factor in how we live,鈥?Simeoni said. 鈥淚t is critical for researchers to think about what we can do to prepare for the next fire season and what can we do over the next five or 10 years to ensure that we are developing a way to coexist with fire.鈥?lt;/p>

鈥淒evelopment of Engineering Tools for Exposure Analysis at the WUI鈥?is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment鈥攑articularly in disadvantaged communities. The cap-and-trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.

The Month in Photos: July 2022

amracicot — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Campus may be a bit quieter for the summer, but it鈥檚 still plenty busy. From sports camps and research grants to snapping more than a few of those Instagram-worthy campus photos we all know and love, see what the WPI community was up to in July with the latest Month in Photos.

Asking and Answering a Burning Question: WPI Fire Protection Engineers Work with The New York Times to Understand a Fatal Fire and Help Prevent Future Tragedies

cbwamback — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000

On January 9, 2022, a fire at a Bronx, N.Y. apartment building claimed the lives of 17 people. The origin of the fire has been linked to a malfunctioning space heater, but many question how the blaze turned so deadly so quickly. The New York Times sheds new light on the cause in its report "The Chain of Failures That Left 17 Dead in a Bronx Apartment Fire."

The report is the result of a months-long investigation into what went wrong and uses a first-of-its-kind multimedia approach to give readers a more comprehensive understanding of the issue and its impact. Through this new kind of reporting, The Times works closely with independent experts to conduct scientific research and gain insightful analyses, producing stories whose scope goes far beyond informing readers of an incident. These stories dig deeper with the aim of educating and empowering readers and, ultimately, informing change鈥攁t a personal level or through broader policy shifts.

Specifically, for this story, the Times journalist Jim Glanz approached WPI fire protection engineers in January and asked them to create a virtual smoke flow model鈥攃ritical to understanding how and why this tragedy occurred鈥攖o provide insights and information that could possibly help prevent future tragedies. The team conducted a number of tests, using data and 3D modeling of the Bronx apartment building provided by The Times.

A new kind of collaboration

鈥淲e often work to help media with fire-related stories, but this collaboration with The New York Times is very different. This was a shift from providing expert opinions and insights to really getting into the weeds of what happened and trying to get the details and provide the right scenarios and answers to their questions,鈥?says Albert Simeoni, head of WPI's Fire Protection Engineering Department, who led the university's research for The New York Times report.

鈥淥ur contribution here was to help the Times make people aware of this problem, why it happened, how it happened, hoping that we'll find the solution for it to not happen again,鈥?Simeoni said. 鈥淭his partnership created a magnificent opportunity for WPI to carry out our mission of going beyond just understanding an issue to working collaboratively to use that knowledge to help address a real-world problem impacting society.鈥?lt;/p>

Answering the Million-Dollar Question (Part 1)

jaquinnszcesuil — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Ask any researcher about their work, and you鈥檒l likely get a robust and detailed answer鈥攅ven if you don鈥檛 always understand it. But when researchers apply for funding, the expert panel that decides who receives funds needs to know just this:

Why should they fund this researcher for this project over everyone else?

This specific and focused answer doesn鈥檛 come easily, but millions of dollars can ride on getting it right.

At WPI, the newly formed Value Creation Initiative (VCI) conducts forums to help faculty members more rapidly and effectively develop individual and team-based proposals. The forums use feedback, iteration, and the application of core value creation concepts to answer the most important questions and increase the chances of winning highly competitive funding.

Value creation isn鈥檛 a new term, but implementing it requires breaking old patterns and habits, and that鈥檚 not easy. For WPI鈥檚 faculty members, the iterative process requires thought, effort, a flair for storytelling, and the grit to answer basic questions in a compelling way. Throughout the process, a steady feedback loop is a vital feature as it engages the entire forum group and brings critical elements to light.

A Program Led by Proven Value Creators and Innovators

For faculty members seeking research funding, presenting their work in a way that鈥檚 informative and relatable is essential, but not always intuitive, says Ellen Piccioli, director of manufacturing innovation. 鈥淭hese forums help faculty communicate the value and impact of their research and their related proposals,鈥?she says.

The opportunity to add value creation to both research and development and to student projects brought Curt Carlson 鈥?7 and Len Polizzotto 鈥?0 back to WPI as distinguished executives-in-residence. WPI pioneered project-based education in the 1960s, and Carlson and Polizzotto see adding value creation to the university鈥檚 approach to education as the next step. Value creation, says Carlson, is the core responsibility of all professionals and students must master it to be successful over their careers. In addition to WPI鈥檚 distinctive project work, students will now learn how to incorporate the value creation process into their projects and other academic work. The goal of student projects is not just to do projects, but to deliver value and solutions that matter to others. 鈥淥nly WPI has embraced that perspective,鈥?he says.

Previously Carlson was CEO of SRI International, an independent, nonprofit research institute in Silicon Valley. The value creation methods Carlson and Polizzotto teach, Innovation for Impact (i4i), were responsible at SRI for creating innovations including HDTV and Siri, which was bought by Steve Jobs for the iPhone. In addition to SRI, the i4i methodology is being used worldwide. Using the NABC (Need, Approach, Benefit/costs, and Competition) value proposition framework, they teach how to address the most fundamental topics required for winning proposals.

Why Feedback Is Critical to Value Creation

The value creation forums follow a concise structure where teams have five minutes to explain their work incorporating the NABC framework using one slide. The objective is to capture the most fundamental concepts in the proposal to be understood and remembered by proposal review teams. Forum participants then offer feedback on strengths they liked, suggestions for improvement, and the perspectives of both end users and funders. Presenters remain silent during the feedback process so they actively listen and absorb the new insights and opportunities offered for strengthening their proposal. All the feedback is positive and supportive鈥攖he goal is for all to learn and improve.

鈥淚 am grateful to Curt Carlson and Len Polizzotto for bringing their expertise and enthusiasm to these proposal development forums that provide faculty with a framework to best message the value and impact of their research projects,鈥?says Bogdan Vernescu, vice provost for research. 鈥淚n these forums, the message gets sharper after each iteration, and the group feedback helps identify potential gaps that need to be addressed.鈥?lt;/p>

Carlo Pinciroli, assistant professor of robotics engineering, computer science, and fire protection engineering, was intrigued by the forums. 鈥淚 think that proposal writing is a muscle I need to develop,鈥?he says. 鈥淓specially this format鈥攊t鈥檚 usually hard to get feedback like this from colleagues.鈥?And instead of running his proposal by people he normally interacts with or those in his department, gathering diverse opinions is especially helpful. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more like a panel,鈥?he says. Polizzotto says the feedback design is intentional. 鈥淭he feedback is about the content of the presentation, not the presenter,鈥?he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about improving your chances of getting the grant and making an impact.鈥?lt;/p>

Feedback is an essential aspect of the value creation process, as it brings in diverse perspectives that help uncover hidden issues and opportunities. The forums are focused on all the elements needed to distinguish a proposal. For example, they include answering questions such as:

鈥?amp;nbsp; Who are the end users and what is their problem?

鈥?amp;nbsp; What is their actual need that must be addressed?

鈥?amp;nbsp; Why hasn鈥檛 it been solved?

鈥?amp;nbsp; What is the compelling solution and how is it better than any competing solution?

Despite the potential for feeling challenged when proposals are still incomplete, participants say they were grateful to be able to have a chance to enhance their proposals and refine their approach before sending the proposals. 鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating when you get feedback too late,鈥?says Pinciroli. 鈥淭his feedback isn鈥檛 frustrating because I can still work on it.鈥?lt;/p>

This process forces you to explain your science to people who don鈥檛 know anything about it. It worked well to help us springboard our initial efforts and accelerate them. 鈥?lt;em>Elizabeth Long Lingo

Elizabeth Long Lingo, assistant professor in The Business School, is part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advance team that is working on an institutional transformation grant. She says the workshop鈥檚 fast pace doesn鈥檛 give time for holding back, so ideas, even if they are just barely formed, can grow. 鈥淲e tend to have ideas perfect before we share them,鈥?she says. 鈥淏ut where there鈥檚 a forum, a safe space, where everyone is sharing ideas early and often, and giving and receiving feedback, that鈥檚 constructive in the process.鈥?lt;/p>

Pinciroli says hearing from others helped him shift his perspective of his own research. 鈥淎s an early career researcher, it鈥檚 usually just your own research you鈥檙e doing,鈥?he says. 鈥淓ven with co-principal investigators, research is a very monastic experience. It is just you.鈥?The very presence of peers and administrators from across campus was, Pinciroli says, a game changer. 鈥淵ou want to impress them,鈥?he says, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 a little scary, because you want to do a good job. And you鈥檙e in front of all these people so you can鈥檛 slack off. That鈥檚 motivating.鈥?lt;/p>

Participants then use feedback to make actionable changes that will make their proposal better.

In the second installment of this series, Answering the Million Dollar Question (Part 2), see how that happens.

For more information about upcoming value creation forums for faculty members, contact Ellen Piccioli, director of manufacturing innovation.