21. Performance of Ventilation and Smoke Exhaust Systems in Case of Fire in Underground Parking Lots: Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse a ventilation system with impulse fans, which acts to ensure optimal air parameters and to evacuate smoke in case of fire in an underground car park. Given the number of parameters to be taken into account in the spread of smoke, there is a high chance of introducing calculation errors if only conventional methods are used. In this study, CFD simulations were used to compare the various stages of operation of the ventilation system, as well as their effectiveness in the proposed scenarios. In the case of the ventilation scenario, the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) reached maximum values of 360 PPM, exceeding the maximum allowed value of 100 PPM, this endangering the users of the underground car park. In the second phase, we analysed the operation of the ventilation system simultaneously with that of the impulse fans for the two targeted functions and in this case the maximum concentration reached was 60 PPM, which indicates that this system configuration fulfils the function for which it was designed. The results showed, in the case of the scenarios, that the addition of impulse fans as complementary elements to the ventilation system substantially improved the reduction in the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) and increased fire visibility in the parking lot.