The Effect of Air Purifier on Smoke Detector Revealed by Fire Dynamics Simulation

Abstract

In the present study, the relevance of the airflow to the response time of the smoke detector has been investigated regarding the different air purifier locations by Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). Particular attention has been devoted to the impact on the smoke detector response with different device types, i.e., top-discharge and front-discharge air purifiers. Additionally, the response delay rate regarding the fire sizes (200 kW and 550 kW) was also evaluated with the top-discharge type purifier. The obscuration plots suggest that the response delay rate generally increases when the air purifier and the smoke detector are in a straight line. The change in the delay rate of the detector was distinct for the top-discharge type device due to the formation of a current barrier by the ceiling jet flow, and a nearby physical barrier (e.g., wall) can further suppress the flow diffusion during a fire event. The delay rate tends to decrease with the increment of the fire intensity.