Smoke separation with Air curtains analysed using CFD-simulations

Cfd-calculations were performed to test whether it is possible to separate a non-smoking zone from a smoking zone using an air curtain. The cfd-calculations resulted in the following conclusions: 1. A larger exhaust flow is best. 2. An air curtain with a low air curtain velocity and an air intake from the smoke zone (as opposed to an air intake from the non-smoking zone) has the lowest smoke concentration in the non-smoking zone. 3. For a maximum of 40 smokers and a ventilation flow compatible with the Dutch building law (1500 m3/h for this smoke area) an air curtain velocity of 0.75 m/s is the best solution for the smoke zone in the hall of the faculty of Architecture in Delft. 4. With higher air curtain velocities, the air curtain will become a smoke curtain if the exhaust flow is not large enough.