Effect of Mechanical Smoke Exhaust System on Personnel Evacuation in Underground Powerhouse of Hydropower Station based on Numerical Simulation
To study the effect of mechanical smoke exhaust on personnel evacuation under fire conditions in underground powerhouse,a three-dimensional model of underground powerhouse is established using computational fluid dynamics software FDS(Fire Dynamics Sim-ulator).The spread law of fire smoke under various conditions and the influence of smoke height and visibility on the personnel evacua-tion are studied based on numerical simulations.The results show that the smoke height is the key factor affecting the personnel evacua-tion,and the relationship between smoke height and time is a linear equation.The bridge crane is the key part of personnel evacuation,and the evacuation control time is 216 s under extreme dangerous conditions.Mechanical smoke exhaust effectively controls the total a-mount of smoke,extended the maximum evacuation control time of 214 s,increased the available evacuation time about 54%,and ensure the personnel evacuation in each location within the available evacuation time.The study results provide a scientific basis for the fire per-formance-based design,safety evaluation and the emergency plan for underground powerhouse of hydropower station.