Effect of Ventilation System on Smoke and Fire Spread in a Public Transport Interchange

In this report, a large eddy simulation (LES) model is used to investigate the conventional types of ventilation system design in the context of a public transport interchange. Various airflow patterns based on two of the most popular ventilation designs (mixing and displacement) are simulated to determine their effect on the fire. The simulation program chosen is the fire dynamics simulator (FDS) published by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is found that increased airflow causes the fire temperature to increase by as much as 500 K. Extraction of smoke mixture by fans (exhaust only system) significantly decreases the spread of smoke and fire. Ventilation inlets located at the ground level help to increase the smoke and fire intensity in the occupied zone. Displacement ventilation increases fire intensity and current.

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