Numerical Analysis of Natural Smoke Ventilation Design System under External Wind Effect in Factory Compartment

Abstract

This study applied the numerical simulator tool FDS (fire dynamics simulator), Version 5.53, and focused on the simulation of the natural smoke flow ventilation design system, an innovative ventilation design using the parallel processing technology MPI (message passing interface). The design was then compared with the exhaust efficiency of a typical natural smoke vent. The natural smoke flow ventilation design system was located at the top of the factory, where smoke streams effectively converged. Therefore, the source of fire was designed to be 2 MW, which has a better exhaust efficiency than typical natural smoke vent with same area. The simulation discovered that the exhaust efficiency of the natural smoke ventilation design systems is higher than that of typical natural smoke vent with 2 times the opening area and that was not affected by external wind speed. Instead, external wind speed can help to enhance the exhaust efficiency. Smoke exhaust of typical natural smoke vents was affected by external wind speed, even leading them to become air inlets which would disturb the flow of air indoors, leading to smoke accumulation within the factory.