Research on smoke control for an underground mall fire, based on smoke barrier and mechanical smoke exhaust system

This study examines smoke spread in an underground mall fire under the composite smoke control mode of a smoke barrier and a mechanical smoke exhaust system. The objective is to optimize the selection of smoke containment and exhaust methods in an underground mall in Fuxin City, China. A Fire Dynamics Simulator was used for numerical simulation to investigate the effects of the sagging height and spacing of smoke barriers on smoke containment, as well as the effects of size, number, and arrangement of smoke vents in the mechanical smoke exhaust system on the effectiveness of smoke exhaust. The results indicated that a smoke barrier with a sagging height of 1 m and a spacing of 5 m was effective in preventing the spread of high-temperature smoke. When the sagging height of the smoke barrier increased to 1.2 m, the smoke barrier effect was comparable to that of a 1 m height barrier. Regarding the mechanical smoke exhaust system, the size of the opening area of the smoke vent had no significant effect on the smoke exhaust effect. The best smoke exhaust effect was achieved when the number of smoke vents was 12. Additionally, the double-row setting of smoke vents was more efficient than the single-row setting. Combining a smoke barrier and a mechanical smoke exhaust system can provide a more effective smoke control compared to either system alone. Comprehensively, considering the effectiveness and economy of smoke containment and exhaust, the optimal combination of smoke containment and exhaust was determined to be a smoke barrier with a sagging height of 1 m and spacing of 5 m, and a mechanical smoke exhaust system with 12 smoke vents in a double-row arrangement.