A network model of simulating smoke movement in buildings

Fire model is a key element in the design and assessment of building fire safety with performance-based approach. There are at least three types of fire models: zone models, field models and air flow network models. Network model can examine the effects of a fire occurring at a particular location inside a building on the distribution of parameters in the whole building. However, the application of network models is mainly in mine shaft ventilation. It is increasingly popular to study fire smoke movement in high-rise buildings with the development of its technique.||In this paper, an air flow network model is developed for studying smoke movement in a building fire. This model mainly covers the analysis of fire smoke movement, the distribution of each room temperature and the calculation of heat transfer of structure. The mass balance equations, heat balance equations and heat transfer equations corresponding to every sub-model were described briefly. The calculation methods based on principles of graphics theory and their computer programs were also described. Results predicted by the model are compared with the experimental results.