A study on smoke movement in room fires with various pool fire location

Abstract

In order to investigate the fire-induced smoke movement in a three-dimensional room with an open door, numerical and experimental study was performed. The center, wall, and corner fire plumes for various sized Fires were studied experimentally in a rectangular pool fire using methanol as a fuel. The numerical results from a self-developed SMEP (Smoke Movement Estimating Program) field model were compared with experimental results obtained in this and from literature. Comparisons of SMEP and experimental results have shown reasonable agreement. As the fire strength became larger for the center fires, the air mass flow rate in the door, average hot layer temperature, flame angle and mean flame height were observed to increase but the doorway-neutral-planeheight and the steady-state time were observed to decrease. Also as the wall effect became larger in room fires, the hot layer temperature, mean flame height, doorway-neutral-planeheight and steady-state time were observed to increase. In the egress point of view considering the smoke filling time and the early spread of plume in the room space, the results of the center fire appeared to be more dangerous as compared with the wall and the corner fire. Thus it is necessary to consider the wall effect as an important factor in designing efficient fire protection systems.