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Effect of different air settings over fire-induced condition in a stairwell

Aristides Lopes da Silva (School of Computer Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China, and Department of Science and Technology, Universidade de Cabo Verde, Praia, Cabo Verde)
Shengwu Xiong (School of Computer Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China)
Hussain Aamir (School of Computer Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China)

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering

ISSN: 2040-2317

Article publication date: 22 September 2017

Issue publication date: 22 September 2017

144

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation of China (Grants #61170202, #41371420, #61202287, #61170135), Wuhan Municipal Key Scientific and Technological Projects Funding (Grant #201210121029), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant #2014-YB-016) and also by Department of Investigation of the University of Cape Verde. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

Citation

da Silva, A.L., Xiong, S. and Aamir, H. (2017), "Effect of different air settings over fire-induced condition in a stairwell", Journal of Structural Fire Engineering, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 440-458. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSFE-08-2017-0038

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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