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Computational Analysis of Choices in the Design of Smoke Extraction Duct Systems (SEDS) for Compartment Fires

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Abstract

Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of smoke extraction duct system (SEDS) in single compartments of different volumes (i.e., 128 m\(^3\), 512 m\(^3\) and 2400 m\(^3\)) with FDS 6.5.3 are presented. The required grid resolution for accurate flow inside the duct systems is discussed and the influence of different SEDS design parameters (i.e., shape and position of duct system, number and position of extraction openings) on the smoke extraction efficiency of the system is analysed. The extraction rates applied to the SEDS are determined a-priori based on simplified calculations with these estimates compared against the predicted CFD results (i.e., in terms of predicted smoke free heights inside the compartments). Overall, the numerical predictions are satisfactory (i.e., within less than 5\(\%\) errors) in most of the scenarios considered, apart from the 2400 m\(^3\) compartments, where the smoke free heights are 20\(\%\) lower than expected. The analysis of the numerical simulation results reveals some important aspects, including that the use of multiple extraction openings is not efficient, in terms of smoke extraction, in the same duct of the same compartment and that the local velocities, at the level of the extraction openings, can potentially exceed the maximum allowed design values. Among the SEDS design parameters, the position and shape of the duct (i.e., rectangular or flat) as well as the position of the extraction opening(s) do not have a significant influence in terms of predicted smoke free heights.

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Code Availability

Software application. The FDS 6.5.3 code used in the paper is open-source and freely available through https://github.com/firemodels/fds.

Materials Availability

Not applicable.

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Funding

This research was funded by Flanders Government, Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (VLAIO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Ghent University, St. Pietersnieuwstraat 41, Ghent, 9000, Belgium

    Georgios Maragkos, Emmanuel Annerel & Bart Merci

  2. Etex Innovation and Technology Centre, Bormstraat 24, Tisselt, 2830, Belgium

    Karim Van Maele, Wilfried Piontkowski & Emmanuel Annerel

Authors
  1. Georgios Maragkos
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  2. Karim Van Maele
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  3. Wilfried Piontkowski
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  4. Emmanuel Annerel
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  5. Bart Merci
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Contributions

Conceptualization: GM, KVM, EA, BM; Methodology: GM; Formal analysis and investigation: GM; Writing—original draft preparation: GM; Writing—review and editing: KVM, WP, EA, BM; Funding acquisition: EA, BM; Supervision: EA, BM.

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Correspondence to Georgios Maragkos.

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Maragkos, G., Van Maele, K., Piontkowski, W. et al. Computational Analysis of Choices in the Design of Smoke Extraction Duct Systems (SEDS) for Compartment Fires. Fire Technol 58, 2189–2212 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-022-01248-9

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