Experimental study based on large-scale smoke propagation fire tests through a horizontal opening connecting two mechanically ventilated compartments

This work describes an experimental study of the flow through a horizontal opening (also referred to as a vent), applicable to specific situations typically encountered in nuclear installations. The configuration consisted of two rooms, which were mechanically ventilated and connected to each other by a horizontal opening, the fire being located in the lower room. The flow was governed by buoyancy due to the heat release from the fire, inertia resulting from the mechanical ventilation, and local momentum from the ceiling jet. Two flow regimes (bi-directional and uni-directional) were encountered depending on the fire power and the ventilation set-up. This study presents 17 large-scale fire tests, investigating the behaviour of the flow at the horizontal opening according to several fire scenario parameters: the fire heat release rate, the fire location, the ventilation configuration and the ventilation flow rate. This range of parameters enabled us to focus on different flow regimes, from pure natural convection (bi-directional) to forced convection (uni-directional). The new set of data obtained, based on detailed flow measurements, offers new insights for understanding the flow and developing sub-models to be used in zone codes.