Parameters affecting fire plumes

This paper presents a study on the impact of various parameters on fire plumes. The characteristics of these plumes play a major role in the effectiveness of atrium smoke exhaust systems. An increase of the air entrainment rates in fire plumes can render an atrium exhaust system ineffective and endanger building occupants. There are a number of parameters that may cause such an increase. In this study, a CFD model was used to evaluate the impact of a number of parameters on the fire plume and the smoke layer interface. Parameters considered include the wind velocity and its impact on flame tilt angle, position of make-up air opening, and area of the fire. The results show that these parameters affect plume characteristics and the interface height.