Comparison of numerical simulations and compartment fire experiments with the ventilation supply positioned adjacent to the floor

Compartment fire experiments were carried out in a 20 m2 room and FDS-simulations were conducted on the same premises. The room was supplied with a ventilation system, without fire dampers, and with the ventilation supply positioned adjacent to the floor. The fire load and the ventilation conditions were varied. The fire tests showed that an operating ventilation system, in combination with supply vents close to the floor can significantly reduce or prevent the spread of toxic smoke in the ventilation system during the early high-pressure stage of a fire. The experimental results have now been compared with results from FDS-simulations to make a rough validation of the model’s predictive capabilities for scenarios as the described. Part of the experiments have been simulated in FDS, using the HVAC model, and compared to the experimental data. The presentation aim to highlight some of the challenges and solutions as well as the results obtained.