This study aims to investigate air curtains as an effective thermal and aerosol barrier against high gradient of flow parameters generated by a typical fire incident. The numerical investigations are conducted by solving Navier-Stokes equations in Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). A clothing store of 12 m 2 floor area with a fire of 1528 kW/m 2 heat release rate per unit area (HRRPUA), at the furthest corner from the door, is considered as the source of high thermal and pressure gradients inside the store. The only means of ventilation for the current study, is an air curtain of 0.91 m length placed at the door at 2.13 m height from the floor. The air curtain's injection velocity, injection angle, flow rate and cross-sectional area of the flow channel are systematically varied for optimum sealing performance. The change in temperature profile and aerosol particle concentration with and without air curtain, and air curtain effectiveness E, are measured. Result suggests, the injection velocity and injection angle are the key parameters in preventing the heat and mass transfer across air curtains. The twin jet design, a commercially available feature for air curtains, is found to be less effective up to pitch ratio of 4 compared to that of a single jet design for restraining heat and mass transfer.
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