Abstract-To understand the fire behavior depending on the structure of the building, it is extremely important, not only to analyze and interpret the ventilation systems, but also to understand the forms of support for smoke control and analyze the best strategy evacuation in case of emergency of zones of high flow of occupants.With the evolution of hardware and software, the technique of numerical simulation has been widely applied in the simulation of reconstruction of fire and ventilation studies, making it a useful tool in analyzing the design features, ultimately improving the visibility of evacuation of occupants.In this article is proposed a model that examines design issues related to mechanical ventilation systems, particularly associated with pressurization systems of stairwells, and also analyses a potential alternative approach, namely, a model that involves the supply and exhaust of high rates of air streams, providing clean air into the stairwell and thus the possibility of maximum dilution of any fumes that may be present. In order to introduce the study based on continuous model FDS, some examples of fire simulation scenarios in one of the stairwells of a building are presented. Also, natural ventilation, pressurization and dilution, are simulated as tested, with the aim of obtaining the optimal solution. Furthermore, the results are analyzed and compared. Finally, it is also addressing continuation studies.
Purpose
This work aims to report the effect of different inlet air velocity settings, and the position of the inlet areas under fire-induced conditions in stairwells.
Design/methodology/approach
The results are evaluated both experimentally and numerically. In sequence, the study also describes the results of three tests under different ventilation conditions, which were performed by simulating a fire of 0.9 m diameter in a stairwell access door. Detailed transient measurements of air temperature in the walls, air velocity settings at the ventilation outlet, smoke temperature through the fans and pressure through the exhaust fans were recorded for the study.
Findings
These data could be used as benchmark for future numerical validation studies. Based on computational fluid dynamics, the tests were performed using fire dynamics simulator codes, to compare the results of tests and simulations.
Originality/value
The numerical study was performed in confined floors close to the test areas of a typical stairwell, with different vents and a source of fire. The results show that the lack of symmetry in the air vents settings has greater influence on the plume than the total area of the air inlet.
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