ABSTRACT
In the engineering design of natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system (NSHEVS), the determination of the effective area of each NSHEV should be as accurate as possible based on the principle of reflecting the ability of smoke and heat exhaust equivalently. However, the definitions and determination methods of effective areas are quite different in different regions. In this study, the characteristics and differences of the determination methods from China, Japan, the UK, USA, Australia, and Europe are summarized and analyzed from the aspect of whether all the influence factors of smoke and heat exhaust ability are fully considered, namely geometric characteristic of the NSHEV, indoor fire environment, outdoor wind environment, and design conditions of NSHEVS. Some suggestions and future research directions are pointed out from the perspective of comprehensive assessment based on multiple influence factors.
