Influence of the Positive Pressure Ventilator Setting Distance in Front of the Doorway on the Effectiveness of Tactical Mechanical Ventilation in a Multistory Building

Abstract

Proper positioning of the positive pressure ventilator is an important aspect of conducting rescue operations. The purpose of this article was to determine the effect of the parameter of the distance of setting up a mobile fan (distance from 1 to 7 m) on the efficiency of implemented ventilation in a multistory building. The volumetric airflow rate was determined by measuring the flow velocity at 120 measurement points on the surface of the window opening (which served as the measurement plane) of a four-story building. Two positive pressure ventilators were tested (one was a conventional fan and the second a turbo type). The obtained volumetric airflow values ranged from 8591 to 15,656 m3/h, depending on the type of unit and positioning distance, respectively. The analysis performed in the article showed that the general guidelines for the distance of mobile fan positioning that are present in the literature may be inaccurate and outdated.

Keywords

• positive pressure ventilation (PPV)
• mobile fan (positive pressure ventilator)
• full-scale experiment
• fire protection units
• fan
• fire equipment