A numerical study of the heat release rate of exhibition kiosks in a fire

In Taiwan, the current fire safety code is a prescriptive code. For some exhibition centers, it is very difficult to comply with the standard fire safety code. To solve this difficulty, it is necessary to apply the "performance-based" fire safety design method to ensure the goal of occupant safety. Thus, a fire dynamics simulator (FDS) developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was used in this study to simulate fire incidents ignited in an exhibition kiosk and to analyze changes in temperature distribution and heat release rate under various conditions. The parameters studied include the types of partition board material and the numbers and layout of kiosks. Simulation results indicated that incombustible material of partition boards and furniture can inhibit fire efficiently. However, having a main aisle around the exhibition, which causes the fire to spread in different directions and has a "multiplication effect", may lead to a faster expansion of fire.