Analytical and experimental studies of ventilation systems subjected to simulated tornado conditions: Verification of the TVENT computer code
Analytical and experimental studies of ventilation systems have been conducted to verify the Los Alamos National Laboratory TVENT accident analysis computer code for simulated tornado conditions. This code was developed to be a user-friendly analysis tool for designers and regulatory personnel and was designed to predict pressure and flow transients in arbitrary ventilation systems. The experimental studies used two relatively simple, yet sensitive, physical systems designed using similitude analysis. These physical models were instrumented end-to-end for pressure and volumetric flow rate and then subjected to the worst credible tornado conditions using a special blowdown apparatus. We verified TVENT by showing that it successfully predicted our experimental results. By comparing experimental results from both physical models with TVENT results, we showed that we have derived the proper similitude relations (governed by compressibility effects) for all sizes of ventilation systems. As a by-product of our studies, we determined the need for fan speed variation modeling in TVENT. This modification was made and resulted in a significant improvement in our comparisons of analytical and experimental results.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 5045221
- Report Number(s):
- LA-11252-MS; ON: DE88010482
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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