Scale Modeling on Natural Smoke Filling in an Atrium

Abstract

Scale-modeling on atrium smoke movement is presented in this paper. Experiments on natural smoke filling process with diesel pool fires were carried out at a full-scale atrium. This facility was built in China for studying atrium fires. A 1/26.5 scale model of this atrium was constructed for assessing the scaling law proposed in the literature. Experimental studies with scaling parameters preserved were carried out. Results are compared with 50 hot smoke tests performed in the full-size model. Froude modeling for studying smoke movement and expression for temperature proposed in the literature were evaluated. It is found that the scaling law for temperature requires further examination.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This project was previously funded by the President Endowment Account at the PolyU under account number 420/037. Thanks are also due to the staff at the State Key Laboratory of Fire Science of USTC, especially Professor R. Huo and Dr. Y. Z. Li.

The appointment of the second author, Henry Lo, was partly funded under the PolyU Area of Strategic Development in Construction: Construction Industry Development Studies and Research Centre, now relabeled as Area of Strength: Fire Safety Engineering through support by consultancies by the principal author.