While working on a project, you can make some errors so that it will become impossible to perform evacuation or fire dynamics simulation or simulation results can be unreliable.
Since evacuation and fire dynamics simulation require some time, you would like to find errors before running simulation, so that you could avoid running another simulation after correcting all the errors.
In Fenix+ 3 Classic, you can use a special tool to check your project for errors. For this, click the 
button on the control panel. If necessary, you can configure the program to check scenario for errors automatically before running evacuation or fire dynamics simulation (for more information, see General settings).
As a result, the program will check scenario for critical and potential errors. If no errors are detected, the program will display the following message:
If errors are detected, the program will display corresponding messages at the bottom of the window:
In Fenix+ 3 Classic, there are several types of errors.
- Errors that may affect fire dynamics simulation.
- Errors that may affect evacuation simulation.
- General errors that may affect both evacuation and fire dynamics simulation.
In Fenix+ 3 Classic, checks that can be performed, errors and inaccuracies, that they are used to detect, can be classified in several ways.
By relation to evacuation and fire dynamics simulation:
- Fire dynamics checks. These checks allow you to identify errors and inaccuracies related to the fire dynamics simulation.
- Evacuation checks. These checks allow you to identify errors and inaccuracies related to the evacuation simulation.
- General checks. hese checks allow you to identify errors and inaccuracies related to both the fire dynamics and evacuation simulation.
Despite the fact that some checks are assigned to one of the groups (for example, evacuation checks), the errors they detect can have an indirect effect on the results of the fire dynamics simulation (for example, fire dynamics simulation results).
For example, the check for the intersection of an exit with other objects belongs to checks designed to find errors that are related to the evacuation simulation. However, if there is a topology error, for example, there is an extra wall that crosses the exit, then deleting this wall may lead to a change in the spread of the dangerous fire factors.
By severity:
Fenix+ 3 Classic checks projects for the following errors:
-
Critical errors. If your project contains critical errors, it is not possible to perform simulation, until you correct them. Such errors have the
icon in the error panel. -
Potential errors and warnings. If your project contains potential errors and warnings, you can perform simulation but it may finish with the Error status, or simulation results can be inaccurate. Therefore, it is recommended to ignore such warnings only in case they do not affect simulation results. Potential errors and warnings have the
icon in the error panel.
By relation to objects on the scene:
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Checks that are not related to a specific object on the scene. As a rule, these are checks for the presence of elements that are necessary to perform the evacuation and fire dynamics simulation (fire source, exit, person).
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Checks that are related to a specific object on the scene. For example, checking the width of the door. The name of the object the check is related to is displayed in the error panel. Moreover, there also can be another object that is associated with this error. To fix the error, you need to double-click the corresponding message in the error panel. As the result, the program will display the object on the scene the error relates to (the object will be selected and displayed in the center of the scene). After this, you can adjust the object on the scene to fix the error. If there is another object on the scene that is associated with this error, then you can display it by double-clicking the message in the error panel holding the Shift key.
Description of Project Checks
Below is a description of all the scenario’s checks for errors, warnings about the non-compliance of the scenario with the requirements of these checks, and recommendations for eliminating the warnings are given.
Checks that relate to the evacuation and fire dynamics simulation
There are registering devices — a registering device is designed to determine the values of dangerous fire factors and the results of evacuation of people at their location. Therefore, for simulating the dynamics of fire development, and for simulating the evacuation of people, the scenario shall contain at least one registering device. If the registering device is not in the scenario, then when you try to start the simulation, the program displays the following warning: “Registering devices are missing”. Before starting the simulation, this warning should be eliminated, since in the absence of a registering device during the simulation, the program will not be able to take measurements. To resolve the warning, place at least one registering device in the scenario.
Checks that relate to the fire dynamics simulation
There is a calculation area — the calculation area in the program is the area in which the dynamics of fire development are simulated. During this check, the program checks whether you have placed such an area in the scenario. If there is no calculation area in the scenario, then the program simply cannot perform the simulation. The following warning is displayed: “Calculation areas are missing”. To eliminate the warning, activate the Calculation Area tool and indicate on the scene the boundaries of the area in which the simulation is to be performed.
There is a registering device in the calculation area — during the simulation of the fire development dynamics, the registering device is used to determine the magnitude of the dangerous fire factors. Measurements are taken at the installation site of the registering device. Therefore, in the area in which the simulation of fire dynamics takes place, at least one registering device should be located. If the registering device is absent, then the simulation cannot be performed because no measurements in the calculation area will be made. In this case, the program displays the following warning: “Registering device in the calculation areas are missing”. To eliminate this warning, place the registering device in the calculation area.
There is a fire source — in a program, a fire source means the maximum possible burning area. During this check, the program checks if this area is indicated in the scenario. If the maximum burning area is not specified, the program displays the following warning: “No fire source”. To eliminate this warning, activate the Fire source tool and indicate the maximum burning area on the scene.
There is a fire source in the calculation area — the fire source (maximum burning area) should be located inside the calculation area, i.e., directly in the place where the simulation will be carried out. When performing this check, the program verifies this requirement. If there is no fire source in the calculation area, the following warning is displayed: “The fire source is located outside the calculation area.” To eliminate this warning, it is recommended to change the boundaries of the calculation area so that it includes the fire source.
Fire source is located on combustible object — the fire source (maximum burning area) should be located on a combustible object. Combustible characteristics of an object are determined by the value of the Material property. It is impossible to place a fire source in a program on an object made of non-combustible material. However, after placing a fire source on a combustible object, the material of this object can be accidentally changed to non-combustible. As a result, such an object will not burn. Therefore, if the fire source is located on a non-combustible object, the program displays the following warning: “Fire source is located on a non-combustible object.” To resolve this warning, change the object material to combustible.
Location of the fire source inside the object — the fire source (maximum burning area) should be located inside the object. When placing a fire source of an object, it is always located on the upper surface of this object. However, when placing another object near it, the height of which exceeds the height of the object with the fire source, the contour of the neighboring object can overlap (fully or partially) the object with the fire source. If the fire source is located inside another (neighboring) object, the following warning is displayed: “Fire source is located inside another object.” You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to eliminate the warning. To do this, remove the neighboring object at a distance from the fire source.
Fire source is located near other objects — the distance from the fire source to the object above the fire source should not be less than the mesh size of the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring a scene to FDS, this distance may become zero and will not be transferred. As a result, the fire source will be cramped between two objects, which can lead to unreliable simulation results. If during the check the program detects that the specified distance is less than the current mesh size, the following warning is displayed:
Ventilation size — when ventilation is used in the scenario, it is recommended that the size of the ventilation is not less than the size of the mesh in the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the ventilation size may become zero and the ventilation will not be transferred. As a result, when modeling the dynamics of fire development, ventilation may not be taken into account, which will lead to unreliable simulation results. If during this check the ventilation size is smaller than the mesh size, the program displays the following warning: “The ventilation size is smaller than the mesh size of the calculation area.” You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to eliminate the warning. To do this, reduce the current mesh size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with a smaller mesh size at the valve location.
Size of object on which ventilation is located — when ventilation is used in the scenario, it is recommended that the size of the object on which the ventilation is located is not less than the size of the mesh in the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the size of the object with the ventilation may become zero, and the object will not be transferred. As a result, when modeling the dynamics of fire development, ventilation may not be taken into account, which will lead to unreliable simulation results. If during this check the size of such object is smaller than the mesh size, the program displays the following warning: “The ventilation is located on an object whose size is smaller than the mesh size of the calculation area.” You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to eliminate the warning. To do this, reduce the current mesh size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with a smaller mesh size in the location of the object with the ventilation valve.
Size of fire source — the size of the fire source (maximum burning area) should not be less than the size of the mesh of the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the size of the fire source may become zero, and as a result, the fire source will not be transferred. If during this check the dimensions of the fire source are smaller than the mesh size, the program will display the following warning: “The fire source is smaller than the mesh size of the calculation area.” You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to eliminate the warning. To do this, reduce the current mesh size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with a smaller mesh size at the fire source location.
Size of object on which fire source is located — the size of the object on which the fire source is located (maximum burning area) should not be less than the mesh size of the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the dimensions of the object with the fire source may become zero. If during this check the dimensions of the object are smaller than the mesh size, the program will display the following warning: “The fire source is located on an object whose size is smaller than the mesh size of the calculation area.” You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to eliminate the warning. To do this, reduce the current mesh size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with a smaller mesh size at the location of the object with the fire source.
Checks that relate to the evacuation simulation
There is an exit — there must be an exit to simulate the evacuation of people in a scenario. An exit in a program is an area where people can be evacuated. When performing this check, the program checks for an exit in the scenario. If there is no exit, then modeling is impossible, because people have nowhere to be evacuated. In this case, the program displays the following warning: “No exits”. To resolve this warning, add an exit to the scenario.
There are people — there must be at least one person in a scenario to simulate the evacuation of people. When performing this check, the program checks for people in the scenario. If people are absent, then modeling is impossible, since there is no one to evacuate. In this case, the program displays the following warning: “No people”. To resolve this warning, people must be added to the scenario.
Intersection of an exit with other objects — for people to be able to evacuate through exits, exits should not intersect with other objects on the scene. If any object is located in the exit circuit, then such an object will be an obstacle during evacuation, which may increase the evacuation time or lead to the impossibility of evacuating people through this exit. If during this check the program detects the intersection of the exit with other objects, the following warning is displayed: “An object is located above the exit that could interfere with the evacuation of people.” You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to eliminate the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, delete the object at a certain distance from the exit.
Door width — for people to be able to evacuate through doors, the width of the doors in the scenario should not be less than the minimum allowable width of escape routes, which is set in the program settings (Evacuation Simulation, Parameters, Routes). If the door is too narrow, this can increase the evacuation time or make it impossible to evacuate people through such a door. If during this check the width of any door is less than the minimum allowable width of the escape routes, the program displays the following warning: “The width of the door located on the wall is less than the minimum allowable width of the escape routes”. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, before starting the simulation, it is recommended to check whether you made a mistake when specifying the parameters of the door and whether the value you entered really corresponds to the actual width of the door on the object.
Stairway/ramp width — for people to be able to evacuate through stairways/ramps, the width of the stairways/ramps in the scenario should not be less than the minimum allowable width of escape routes, which is set in the program settings (Evacuation Simulation, Parameters, Routes). If the stairway/ramp is too narrow, this can increase the evacuation time or make it impossible to evacuate people through such a stairway/ramp. If during this check the width of any stairway/ramp is less than the minimum allowable width of the escape routes, the program displays the following warning: “The width of the stairway/ramp is less than the minimum allowable width of the escape routes”. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, before starting the simulation, it is recommended to check whether you made a mistake when specifying the parameters of the stairway/ramp and whether the value you entered really corresponds to the actual width of the stairway/ramp on the object.
Door height — as a rule, the height of the doors in the scenario should not be less than the minimum permissible height of the escape routes, which is set in the program settings (Evacuation Simulation, Parameters, Routes). If the door is too low, people will not be able to evacuate through it. If during this check the height of any door is less than the minimum permissible height of the escape routes, the program displays the following warning: “The height of the door located on the wall is less than the minimum allowable height of the escape routes”. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, before starting the simulation, it is recommended to check whether you made a mistake when specifying the parameters of the door and whether the value you entered really corresponds to the actual height of the door on the object.
Stairway/ramp level — for people to be able to evacuate from the horizontal section of the route to the stairway and vice versa, the upper and lower edges of the stairway/ramp should be at the level of the horizontal section of the escape route, that is, should be located on level with the floor, landing or flooring. When performing this check, the program checks this condition. If the edges of the stairway/ramp are not at the level of the horizontal section of the escape route, then modeling cannot be performed, because due to the difference in levels, people will not be able to evacuate through such a stairway/ramp. The program displays the following warning: “The upper/lower edge of the stairway/ramp is not on the horizontal section of the escape route.” To eliminate this warning, the upper/lower edge of the stairway shall be aligned with the upper level of the escape route section.
Blocked doorways — for people to be able to evacuate through the doors, all doorways on the scene shall be accessible for passage, and no other objects should be in them. If there is an object in the doorway, then such an object will serve as an obstacle that can increase the time of evacuation or make it impossible for people to evacuate through this doorway. If during this check the program detects an object in the doorway, the following warning is displayed: “There is an object in the doorway”. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to eliminate the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, remove the object from the doorway.
Two or more stairways are located too close to each other — for people to be able to evacuate from stairways/ramps to horizontal sections of the route, as well as from horizontal sections of the route to stairways/ramps, the upper/lower edges of several stairways/ramps should not be in the same area, i.e., the distance between them should not be less than the minimum to the permissible height of the escape routes. If the edges of several stairways/ramps are in the same area (or at one point), then this indicates a topology error. People will not be able to evacuate through such stairways/ramps. If, during this check, the program detects that the distance between the upper/lower edges of several stairways/ramps is less than the minimum permissible height of the escape routes, the following warning is displayed: “The upper/lower edge of the stairway 1 and stairway 2 are in the same area." You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to eliminate the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, increase the distance between the edges of these stairways/ramps.
There are two or more stairways in the same place — for people to be able to evacuate from stairways/ramps to horizontal sections of the route, as well as from horizontal sections of the route to stairways/ramps, no other objects should be located before the upper/lower edges of the stairways/ramps. If an object is located in front of the upper/lower edge of the stairway/ramp, then such an object will serve as an obstacle that can increase the evacuation time or make it impossible to evacuate people through this stairway/ramp. If during this check the program detects an object in front of the upper/lower edge of the stairway/ramp, the following warning is displayed: “There is an object in front of the upper/lower edge of the stairway.” You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to eliminate the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, remove the object at a distance from the edge of the stairway/ramp.
People are located too close to other objects — people should not be located inside other objects or very close to other objects on the scene. If a person is located inside or very close to another object, then such an object will serve as an obstacle that can increase the time of evacuation or lead to the impossibility of evacuation of this person. If the program detects that a person is located inside another object or very close to another object, the following warning is displayed: “A person is located inside or very close to the object." You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to eliminate the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, remove the person at a certain distance from the object.