CFD-Based Investigation of Smoke Evacuation Efficiency in a Hotel Fire Scenario: Antalya Case Study

Smoke generated during a fire consists of toxic gases and fine particles that pose significant risks to human health and safety. Effective smoke evacuation is therefore critical to ensure safe evacuation and minimize health hazards. In this study, a comprehensive engineering design and CFD-based performance evaluation of a smoke evacuation system was carried out for a five-star hotel conference hall in Antalya, Türkiye. The system was designed in compliance with NFPA 92 guidelines, including the calculation of air flow rates, duct sizing, and component selection. The physical configuration was modeled using AutoCAD, and detailed CFD simulations were performed using Simcenter STAR-CCM+ software. The 90-second fire scenario was simulated in 10-second intervals to capture the transient behavior of smoke dispersion and ventilation efficiency. The CFD model incorporated boundary conditions based on calculated fire heat release rates and ventilation velocities. Results show that the ventilation system effectively reduced smoke accumulation, maintained critical visibility levels at evacuation height, and controlled temperature rise. Although experimental validation through cold smoke tests could not be conducted, the simulation results align with international literature benchmarks. This study contributes to the development of high-fidelity, time-dependent CFD analysis methods for smoke management systems and provides practical insights for fire safety engineers and building designers.