Using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) program to develop fire prevention of the improvement scheme for the ALA nightclub fire accident

• Main Authors: Yu-Zhang Xu, 許育彰
• Other Authors: Jen-Hao Chi
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/86105542799725593254

碩士 === 吳鳳科技大學 === 消防研究所 === 103 === As global commerce develops and drives urban development, many nightclubs are becoming venues that provide consumers different experiences. However, building public safety is often overlooked during the development of these nightclubs. As a result, the narrow corridors, dark interior, combustible interior decoration, inadequate firefighting equipment, and insufficiently wide exits often cause major loss of life in the event of a fire. Thus, the fire dynamics simulator (FDS) developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was used in this study to rebuild the events of the Taichung ALA nightclub fire and to analyze changes in fire flow, smoke flow, temperature distribution, carbon monoxide concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, oxygen concentration, and other fire factors in the nightclub fire. Six fire prevention improvement plans were proposed and the FDS program was used to validate the effectiveness of these plans. Results of this study show that interior decoration materials and fire management regulations should be comprehensively reexamined for nightclubs. In addition to improving fire safety management and building public safety inspections, fire management system must be realistically implemented for entertainment venues to ensure safety of consumers’ life and property. Furthermore, the FDS program results show that fire site temperature and visibility are key factors that affect personnel evacuation and escape. Although automatic sprinkler systems can effectively control heat release at the fire site, reduce fire site temperature, and prevent flashover, high fire temperature in the building can vaporize water into steam and significantly decrease visibility (along with smoke). Mechanical ventilation equipment can effectively delay smoke accumulation on the first floor, interaction between air intake and exhaust port can cause air turbulence in the fire site. Large amounts of smoke would still accumulated up to the second floor ceiling and only a small amount of smoke would be vented. Conversely, natural venting facilities cannot immediately eliminate smoke and other hazard factors in the fire site, but they can effectively delay smoke accumulation and prevent flashover. This will enable the nightclub to meet escape time threshold and allow personnel to successfully evacuate the fire site. The results of this study are expected to serve as a reference for improving nightclub fire safety by relevant safety units, which can decrease loss of life and property in the event of a nightclubs fire.