Citation

Cooper LY. Fire Safety J. 1990; 16(2): 137-163.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The physical basis and associated mathematical model for estimating the fire-generated environment and the response of sprinkler links in well-ventilated compartment fires with draft curtains and fusible link-actuated ceiling vents is developed. Complete equations and assumptions are presented. Phenomena taken into account include: the flow dynamics of the upward-driven, buoyant fire plume; growth of the elevated-temperature smoke layer in the curtained compartment; the flow of smoke from the layer to the outside through open ceiling vents; the flow of smoke below curtain partitions to building spaces adjacent to the curtained space of fire origin; continuation of the fire plume in the upper layer; heat transfer to the ceiling surface and the thermal response of the ceiling as a function of radial distance from the point of plume-ceiling impingement; the velocity and temperature distribution of plume-driven near-ceiling flows and the response of near-ceiling-deployed fusible links as functions of distance below the ceiling and distance from plume-ceiling impingement.The theory presented here is the basis of a user-friendly computer program, LAVENT, which is supported by a user guide and which can be used to study parametrically a wide range of relevant fire scenarios.