Experimental and Numerical Study on the Influence of Mechanical Ventilation on the Survival Conditions in a Room Set on Fire

Statistics show that most fires occur in civil residential buildings. Most casualties are caused by the inhalation of hot air loaded with smoke, leading to intoxication with substances harmful to the human body. This research aims to determine the physical and chemical parameters essential for the survival of persons in the early stages of a fire in different ventilation situations: with and without a mechanical ventilation system for the extraction of hot air.

These essential parameters are indoor air temperature, visibility, oxygen concentration, and carbon dioxide concentration. Three full-scale experiments were carried out to study the burning behaviour. The experiments were used to calibrate and validate a numerical model with respect to the temperature variation at a specific control point inside the experimental stand. The model was further employed in order to understand the influence of the operations of the ventilation system on other active firefighting systems, fire evolution, and people evacuation. We found the ventilation system has mixed influences; we present here a detailed conclusion on its influence.