Field Modeling: Simulating the Effects of HVAC Induced Air Flow From Various Diffusers and Returns on Detector Response. International Fire Detection Research Project. Year 4 Report/Data

Published

January 1, 1998

Author(s)

J H. Klote, William D. Davis, Glenn P. Forney, Richard W. Bukowski

Abstract

Rapid activation of fire protection systems in response to a growing fire is one of the important factors required to provide for life safety and property protection. Airflow due to the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system can significantly modify the flow of smoke along the ceiling and must be taken into consideration when a particular system is designed. At present, the standards used to guide the design of systems contain very little quantitative information concerning the impact of airflow produced by HVAC systems. This project is part of a multi year, International Fire Detection Research Project sponsored by the National Fire Protection Research Foundation (NFPFR), and it describes the results of the fourth year of the project during which numerical simulations of smoke movement in response to HVAC flows resulting from ceiling mounted slot diffusers, wall mounted slot diffusers, high sidewall diffusers, and ceiling diffusers from which airflow drops to the floor. The computer model calculated smoke detector activation using a mass density simulation which was consistent with a 13 deg C temperature correlation used during the first two years of the project.

Citation

Technical Note (NIST TN) -

NIST Pub Series

Technical Note (NIST TN)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

air conditioning, fire models, heating, smoke detectors, ventilation

Citation

Klote, J. , Davis, W. , Forney, G. and Bukowski, R. (1998), Field Modeling: Simulating the Effects of HVAC Induced Air Flow From Various Diffusers and Returns on Detector Response. International Fire Detection Research Project. Year 4 Report/Data, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=912648 (Accessed October 20, 2025)