Experimental study and zone modeling of smoke movement in a model atrium

A series of atrium model tests were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the smoke exhaust system in an atrium. The dimensions of the test compartment were 9 m × 6 m × 5.5 m height. The heat release rate ranged from 15 kW to 600 kW. The measured exhaust rate ranged from 1.94 to 5.13 kg/s. In this study, the experimental interface height between the smoke and cold layer is defined as the position with the maximum temperature or concentration gradient. Three sets of data, including the reduced interface height, smoke layer temperature, and CO2 concentration, are presented in this paper. The effects of some parameters on smoke conditions are analyzed. A two-zone smoke movement model is used to predict the interface height, smoke layer temperature, and CO2 concentration. This model is briefly described in this paper with the focus on the fluid flow model. It is shown that the model prediction compares favorably with experimental results, especially with smoke layer temperature. In addition, the effect of two plume models developed by McCaffrey and Heskestad on the interface height is investigated.