The Explosion and Fire Laboratory (LIE) is situated at Cadarache, in the Bouches-du-Rhône (southern France). It is headed by Frédéric Cousin.
Context and research themes
The laboratory’s role is, on the one hand, to improve the understanding of fire and associated phenomena, particularly fires concerning nuclear facitilies, and on the other hand, to produce methods and associated tools to support the development and use of mathematical software.
One of the laboratory’s activities is the production, improvement and validation of mathematical fire simulation software, based on the interpretation of the results of experiments obtained mostly as part of the programmes conducted by the IRSN. In this respect, the LIE plays an important role in the specification and interpretation of experimental programmes. Two software simulating fire behaviour in installations consisting of several ventilated rooms are developed: Sylvia (simplified approach) and Isis (detailed 3-D modelling of physical phenomena).
Research axes
The LIE also supports the laboratories of the IRSN in terms of:
- Development of mathematical methods for solving partial derivative equations (PDE) related to the physics of transfers (mathematical fluid mechanics, incompressible or slightly compressible flows).
- Modelling of uncertainties.
- Sensitivity analysis (multivariate analysis, construction of response surfaces).
- Software engineering (object-oriented software design for scientific calculations).
- Data analysis (development of tools for processing experimental data and signals).
In this field, the LIE is developing the following softwares:
- the Pelicans library of software components for solving partial derivative equations
- the Sunset code for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.
Specialties and researchers
List of researchers and engineers:
Frédéric Cousin, head of laboratory
Fabrice Babik, research engineer
Sophie Bascou, energy/thermo-hydraulics researcher
Germain Boyer, engineer
Fabien Duval, engineer
Laura Gastaldo, engineer
Matthieu Jobelin, engineer
Jean-Paul Joret, engineer
François Lamare, engineer
Céline Lapuerta Blanc, engineer
William Plumecocq, engineer
Anthony Maire, engineer
Philippe Querre, engineer
Samuel Vaux, engineer
Bassam Gamal, PhD student (2018-2021)
Jianwei Shi, PhD student (2016-2019)
Facilities and techniques
The following tools are available at Limsi:
- Scientific calculation tools for simulating fires, developed in the laboratory itself: · Isis, Sylvia
- Scientific calculation programs developed to assist other IRSN laboratories in various research domains:
- near-field atmospheric dispersion: Artic,
- pollutant dispersion in rivers: Gabian,
- corium-concrete interaction: Promise and Topase.
- Software tools developed in the laboratory itself:
- Pelicans, Promise,
- Sunset.
Partnership and research networks
The LIE collaborates with organisation such as Ineris, Inria and various Universities (Universities of Aix Marseille, Poitiers, Edinburgh...).