Material Flammability Testing and Modeling Researcher

Material Flammability Testing and Modeling Researcher

PREP0004131

Project Description:

The fire modeling community is working to predict material flammability behavior quantitatively (e.g., ignition, burning rate, fire growth). State-of-the-art fire models require input parameters (material properties) that describe combustible solids' decomposition reaction mechanism (and associated kinetics and thermodynamics) and relevant heat/mass transport properties.

To address this need, the NIST Fire Research Division has been developing experimental and analytical tools to calibrate these material properties and validate their ability to predict flammability response across a range of configurations/scales (i.e., mg-scale thermal decomposition, g-scale gasification/burning, and flame spread over panels between 0.5 m and 2.5 m tall).

Working with the project leader, the researcher will develop and then lead the execution of experiments associated with the following tasks.

• Developing a material flammability database that maintains the tools (experimental and analytical), measurement data (for model calibration and validation), and material property sets necessary to quantitatively predict material flammability behavior (e.g., ignition, steady burning, and fire growth)
• Conduct and analyze the data from bench to full-scale thermal and fire property tests for fire model calibration and validation
• Produce and present publications on research findings

Key Responsibilities: 

• Assist in the development, implementation, and leadership of a research plan to quantify fire growth rate, flame structure, condensed-phase response, and mass loss & heat release rate of combustible solids burning at the intermediate scale (emphasis on materials that deform; e.g., due to melt flow or charring/smoldering)
• Apply and advance state-of-the-art techniques to quantify the mechanisms controlling material flammability; iterative development and implementation of analytical tools to process these results
• Development and execution of plans for transferring NIST research through meetings, workshops, and conferences; preparing and presenting measurement results (oral presentations and written reports)

Desired Qualifications: 

• U.S. Citizenship is preferred
• Ph.D. in Engineering (fire protection, materials science, mechanical), Chemistry, Physics, or a related field
• 2+ year(s) of relevant lab experience (i.e., experimental design and testing)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Proficiency in programming/data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, MATLAB, Python, R)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to learn new activities and skills
• Ability and enthusiasm to help lead early-career researchers as part of a research team

Other Details:

• Full-time: the participant is expected to work 40 hours a week
• Location: the participant will work at the NIST Gaithersburg Campus.
• Duration: this is expected to be a one and a half year position. Extensions are sometimes granted depending on the availability of funds.