A study of optimal vent mode for the smoke control of subway station fire

The aim of this study is to find the optimal emergency mode to operate the comprehensive smoke vent system. Both numerical simulations and scale model experiments are carried out. An CFD modeling tool, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is used for the simulation. Three different vent modes are made and performances are compared with each other to find better operation of vents at both the platform and the trackway in case of fire. In the experiments, visualization of smoke movement at the trackway and the platform is made with an Ar-ion laser and a PIV. From this study, an optimal mode of vent operation is suggested for the effective smoke and heat removal from the platform area. The result from this study will be a useful guideline to make a disaster prevention plan for the underground station fire. (A) This paper was presented at Safety in the underground space - Proceedings of the ITA-AITES 2006 World Tunnel Congress and the 32nd ITA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, 22-27 April 2006. For the covering abstract see ITRD E129148. "Reprinted with permission from Elsevier".