Enclosure Conditions Research Articles

Bold rats (Niviventer confucianus) are more effective in seed dispersal: evidence both under enclosure conditions and in the field.

Rodents are important seed dispersers of plants because they move seeds far away from the parent trees and hoard seeds in the soil, benefiting seed dispersal and regeneration. Traits of plant seeds and animals are associated with rodent-mediated seed dispersal, but animal personality, the consistent individual behavioral differences in time and environments, has not been fully considered. Here, we first measured the personality of 26 Niviventer confucianus in the laboratory, and 10 individuals in the field of one population, and then tested their behavior of seed consumption and hoarding both in semi-natural enclosures and the field. We tested the hypothesis that individuals with different personalities have different preferences for seed consumption and hoarding, which has different implications for seed dispersal and regeneration. Under the enclosure conditions, all parameters of personality are repeatable; bold individuals harvested fewer seeds but scatter-hoarded more seeds and dispersed farther than timid ones, whereas active individuals consumed more seeds, but left fewer seeds on the ground surface than inactive ones. In the field, boldness, activity, and exploration of the animals are repeatable; bold individuals scatter-hoarded more seeds to farther distances than timid ones, whereas active individuals harvested and consumed more seeds than inactive ones. These results suggest that bold rats tended to scatter hoard seeds and disperse them to a longer distance, implying they are more effective in seed dispersal. In the future, animal personality (e.g. boldness and activity) should be considered in seed dispersal studies and ecological-based manipulation in seed dispersal and regeneration of forests.

Hygrothermal Performance of Enclosures in a Storage Room and Energy Efficiency in Environmental Control

ABSTRACT This study aims to provide energy-efficient strategies for collections care in the face of financial and environmental challenges. Focusing on paper-based enclosures in storage rooms, the research proposes strategies to enhance energy efficiency by relaxing tight environmental controls. The five-stage process began with a standard test of hygrothermal properties and buffering capacity of the enclosures. In the second stage, a computer model was developed using the first stage results. This model was used in a series of specially designed tests simulating the transient heat, air, and moisture transfer between the room and enclosure to determine an acceptable room environment in which the enclosure conditions could meet collections care standards. The modelling results were used, in the third stage, to develop an AI model that predicted the enclosure conditions using room temperature and relative humidity (RH) inputs. In the final stage, a model for energy consumption of air-conditioning system operations was developed to predict across various control accuracies. Results indicate that the tight maintenance of room RH levels can be relaxed from 47–53% to 33–65%, with a corresponding reduction in energy consumption of approximately 16–18%. This relaxation, while maintaining enclosure conditions in line with conservation standards, was demonstrated through a simulation case at the National Library of Scotland. This study underscores the broader applicability of the developed procedure, asserting its relevance for cultural institutions seeking energy-saving potential through customized enclosure models.

Study on the Microclimatic Effects of Plant-Enclosure Conditions and Water–Green Space Ratio on Urban Waterfront Spaces in Summer

In the context of waterfront-space design, this study examines the impact of plant enclosures and the ratio of water bodies to green spaces on the microclimate, aiming to enhance the climate environment and mitigate urban heat. Utilizing Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University as a case study, the research selects the summer solstice as a representative weather condition, conducts field measurements and model validation for four types of waterfront vegetation, and creates 80 scenarios with varying plant enclosures and water to green space ratios using ENVI-met 5.0.2software. This comprehensive analysis seeks to identify the optimal water–green space ratio for waterfront areas. Key findings include: (1) The efficacy and applicability of ENVI-met software for microclimate studies are confirmed. (2) Waterfront plants have cooling and humidifying effects on the microclimate environment. The order of cooling and humidifying effects of different plant community structures was as follows: tree–shrub–grass > tree–grass > shrub–grass > grass. (3) The cooling, humidification, ventilation, and human comfort levels are influenced by the specific enclosure conditions and water to green space ratios; a ratio of 1.8:1 is the most effective for cooling and improving human comfort, while ratios of 4:1 and 1:4 are better for humidification and ventilation. These results offer valuable insights for designing waterfront spaces in hot and humid climates.

Composition of Species and Spatial Patterns of Phyllostachys edulis Mixed Forests in a Succession after Enclosure

This paper investigates the changes in species diversity and the spatial pattern of the population of a moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forest community in the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve in Fujian Province, China. Using the method of space–time substitution, the composition of species and changes in the spatial patterns of different communities were analyzed by taking Phyllostachys edulis mixed forests after 0, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 40 years of enclosure as the survey object. The results showed that as the number of years of enclosure extended, the important values of the Japanese bay tree (Machilus thunbergii Sieb. & Zucc.), chinquapin (Castanopsis faberi Hance), and Masson’s pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) increased continuously. These trees became the dominant species of mature forest after 40 years of enclosure. The species diversity of mature and young trees in the community generally increased in parallel with the years of enclosure, and the species diversity of the shrubs generally increased first and then decreased as the number of years of enclosure increased. With the extension of enclosure years, the average diameter at breast height of the mature trees tended to increase, indicating that there were increasing advantages of mature growth as the time of enclosure increased. With the extension of enclosure years, the pattern of spatial distribution of the mature trees in the forest community was generally an aggregated distribution. The Phyllostachys edulis forest community under the prolonged enclosure conditions responded in a positive direction and ultimately formed a more stable Phyllostachys edulis mixed forest community.

Longevity of Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) used as pollinator

• Crop growers reliant on insect pollination need additional pollinating species. • The longevity of Lucilia sericata as a pollinator was compared under different enclosure conditions. • Provisioning greenhouses with a sugar + water solution increased fly longevity. Pollinators play an important role in the production of many agricultural products. Honeybees, Apis mellifera L., are leading pollinators, but the number of honeybees in the world is declining. Finding alternatives is beginning to be important. In the present study, we compared the longevity of Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) , which is used as a pollinator, in cages in the laboratory and in a vinyl greenhouse under controlled feeding conditions. First, we showed that the longevity of the flies was significantly extended (c.a. 40 days) in the laboratory when water and sugar were supplied compared to the cases without sugar and/or water. Second, we found that the average longevity was 20 days with water and sugar in cages kept in a vinyl greenhouse during the summer. Finally, we released marked flies into a vinyl greenhouse where strawberries were cultivated without feeding water or sugar in the spring. As a result, fewer than 10% of the flies survived 10 days after release. Based on the result, we discuss the use of this species as a pollinator in the context of its survival rate.

Effect of environmental enrichment on Salvator merianae (Squamata: Teiidae) under captivity conditions.

Environmental enrichment seeks to improve the quality of care for animals in captivity through the constant generation of new sources of stimuli to simulate a complexand changing environment. Salvator merianae is a species of large lizard whose native distribution covers the subtropical and humid zones of southeastern South America.The study was carried out in the Experimental Lizard Hatchery belonging to the Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia from Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, UNT for its initials in Spanish. Two pens were used, a control group R1 (Enclosure 1) and an experimental group R2 (Enclosure 2), where data were taken ithout enrichment (R2 W/O-E) and with enrichment (R2 WE). An ethogram was used to record the different behaviors that were then grouped into eight categories to evaluate how animals spend their time. Behaviors were recorded on video, the applied technique was the focal animal sampling with instantaneous recording, the extracted data were ex-ported into individual spreadsheets. The Landau index was calculated to determine the existence of hierarchies. The data suggest that the modification of the enclosure conditions has the capacity to alter the behavioral profiles. Only a few behavioral categories showed significant differences. No significant differences were found, in the frequency of the behavioral categories, between males and females. There was a decrease in the frequency of reproductive behavior in males in R2. There was anon-linear hierarchy among the individuals. A ecrease in the chases was observedamong individuals in R2.

Asymmetric competition for seeds between two sympatric food hoarding rodents: implications for coexistence.

Asymmetric competition occurs when some species have distinct advantages over their competitors and is common in animals with overlapping habitats and diet. However, the mechanism allowing coexistence between asymmetric competitors is not fully clear. Chinese white-bellied rats (Niviventer confucianus, CWR) and Korean field mice (Apodemus peninsulae, KFM) are common asymmetric competitors in shrublands and forests west of Beijing city. They share similar diet (e.g. plant seeds) and activity (nocturnal), but differ in body size (CWR are bigger than KFM), food hoarding habit (CWR: mainly larder hoarding; KFM: both larder and scatter hoarding), and ability to protect cached food (CWR are more aggressive than KFM). Here, we tested seed competition in 15 CWR-KFM pairs over a 10-day period under semi-natural enclosure conditions to uncover the differences in food hoarding, cache pilferage, and food protection between the 2 rodents, and discuss the implication for coexistence. Prior to pilferage, CWR harvested and ate more seeds than KFM. CWR tended to larder hoard seeds, whereas KFM preferred to scatter hoard seeds. Following pilferage, CWR increased consumption, decreased intensity of hoarding, and pilfered more caches from KFM than they lost, while KFM increased consumption more than they hoarded, and they preferred to hoard seeds in low and medium competition areas. Accordingly, both of the 2 rodent species increased their total energy consumption and hoarding following pilferage. Both rodent species tended to harvest seeds from the source, rather than pilfer caches from each other to compensate for cache loss via pilferage. Compared to CWR, KFM consumed fewer seeds when considering seed number, but hoarded more seeds when considering the seeds' relative energy (energy of hoarded seeds/rodent body mass2/3 ) at the end of the trials. These results suggest that asymmetric competition for food exists between CWR and KFM, but differentiation in hoarding behavior could help the subordinate species (i.e. KFM) hoard more energy than the dominant species (i.e. CWR), and may contribute to their coexistence in the field.

Gut microbiota reflect the crowding stress of space shortage, physical and non-physical contact in Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii)

Density-dependence plays a critical role in behavior and population regulation of small mammals, which is likely mediated by hormones and gut microbiota. High density-induced crowding effects often cause a combination of various social stresses including space shortage, physical contact and non-physical contact, but their distinct effects on gut microbiota in animals have not been investigated. In this study, we examined the crowding effects of space shortage and physical or non-physical contact stress on serum corticosterone and gut microbiota of Brandt’s voles in both laboratory and field conditions. Our results demonstrated that the space shortage stress showed a more predominant impact on serum corticosterone and gut microbiota of voles than physical or non-physical contact stress; the crowding effects of non-physical contact stress became stronger in high density conditions, while physical contact stress was stronger in a larger group without density effects. High density or group size treatments under both laboratory and semi-natural enclosure conditions significantly increased the relative abundance of key differential taxa, including Bacteroidetes, TM7, S24_7, Streptococcus, and Lactobacillus; while high density or group size treatments decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Staphylococcaceae, Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, and Adlercreutzia. Our study suggests that high density-induced space shortage and physical contact or non-physical contact stress may play a significant role in behavior and population regulation through altering gut microbiota in small mammals. Our results may also have significant implications in rodent control or health management for livestock.

On the measurement of the mean radiant temperature by means of globes: An experimental investigation under black enclosure conditions

Mean radiant temperature is one of the four physical quantities required for the objective assessment of thermal environments. Due to its simplicity and relatively good accuracy, the most common measurement method is the black globe thermometer. Most studies have investigated the effects of diameter on the response time, of globe materials on its accuracy and the heat transfer modelling. Unfortunately, results seem to be inconsistent due to the difficulty of calibrating and metrologically characterizing globe thermometers under uniform black enclosure conditions. Besides, few studies have been focused on the accuracy of small globes that could result in a wrong assessment of the thermal environment. To answer to these open issues, this study will be focused on a metrological analysis of a wide sample of globes (metallic-made and plastic-made with different diameters) carried out in a testing apparatus specifically designed to reproduce a black uniform enclosure whose temperature can be strictly controlled. Obtained results revealed high errors of the mean radiant temperature measurement by tennis-table globes (up to 6 °C) which require a specific reformulation of convective heat transfer modelling, and lower response time (3–4 min) of table-tennis globes if compared with large ones (6–9 min).

Influence of environmental enrichment on the behavior of captive Ateles paniscus (Primates: Atelidae) in the Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental tornam o ambiente cativo mais interessante e agradável para os animais, aumentando o bem-estar e prevenindo o desenvolvimento de comportamentos anormais. Nesta pesquisa, avaliamos a influência de diferentes técnicas de enriquecimento no comportamento de dois indivíduos de Ateles paniscus mantidos cativos no Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas, Salvador, Brasil. O estudo foi dividido em cinco fases: controle; enriquecimento sensorial; enriquecimento social; enriquecimento alimentar e pós-enriquecimento. O método animal-focal com registro instantâneo foi utilizado para registrar os atos comportamentais exibidos nas diferentes fases de enriquecimento e estes foram comparados, quanto à sua frequência, com os exibidos na fase controle. Também foi comparada a frequência de uso dos artefatos introduzidos no recinto durante as fases sensorial e alimentar. De modo geral, não houve diferenças entre os atos comportamentais exibidos nas diferentes fases de enriquecimento, exceto durante a fase de enriquecimento alimentar do macho. Também não houve diferenças quanto ao uso dos artefatos. Contudo, os resultados evidenciam a influência de um ambiente enriquecido sobre a frequência de ocorrência dos comportamentos dos indivíduos. É possível que as condições do recinto e a presença dos visitantes exerçam influências negativas no comportamento dos indivíduos, de modo a não favorecer a redução efetiva dos comportamentos anormais observado.

Partial Discharge Measurements in a High Voltage Gas Insulated Transmission Line Insulated with CO2

This paper uses practical experimentation to analyse the effect of replacing SF6 with pure CO2 in conventional gas insulated transmission line sections by studying partial discharge measurements taken with applied voltages up to 242 kV (rms). The results can also help in understanding the properties of new alternative gas mixtures which can be utilised with a ratio of up to and over 95% CO2. The experiments undertaken involved filling a gas insulated line demonstrator with 3 bars of CO2 and applying voltages up to 242 kV in both clean conditions and particle-contaminated enclosure conditions. The results demonstrate that CO2 can be used to insulate gas equipment without breakdown at high voltage, however, a higher gas-filling pressure may be needed to reduce the partial discharge found in the tests presented in this paper. Another aspect of the work showed that partial discharge (PD) measurements from internal ultra-high frequency (UHF) sensors compared with a direct measurement from a capacitive divider both clearly showed the effect of contaminating particles in CO2. However, the PD divider measurements also showed considerable external PD on the outside of the gas compartment, leading to the conclusion that UHF sensors are still regarded as having the highest sensitivity and noise immunity for gas insulated switchgear (GIS) or gas insulated transmission line (GIL) systems including when the equipment is insulated with CO2.

Context-dependent responses of food-hoarding to competitors in Apodemus peninsulae: implications for coexistence among asymmetrical species.

Superior species may have distinct advantages over subordinates within asymmetrical interactions among sympatric animals. However, exactly how the subordinate species coexists with superior species is unknown. In the forests west of Beijing City, intense asymmetrical interactions of food competition exist among granivorous rodents (e.g. Apodemus peninsulae, Niviventer confucianus, Sciurotamias davidianus and Tscherskia triton) that have broadly overlapping habitats and diets but have varied body size (range 15–300 g), hoarding habits (scatter vs larder) and/or daily rhythm (diurnal vs nocturnal). The smallest rodent, A. peninsulae, which typically faces high competitive pressure from larger rodents, is an ideal model to explore how subordinate species coexist with superior species. Under semi‐natural enclosure conditions, we tested responses of seed‐hoarding behavior in A. peninsulae to intraspecific and interspecific competitors in the situations of pre‐competition (without competitor), competition (with competitor) and post‐competition (competitor removed). The results showed that for A. peninsulae, the intensity of larder‐hoarding increased and the intensity of scatter‐hoarding declined in the presence of intraspecifics and S. davidianus, whereas A. peninsulae ceased foraging and hoarding in the presence of N. confucianus and T. triton. A. peninsulae reduced intensity of hoarding outside the nest and moved more seeds into the nest for larder‐hoarding under competition from intraspecific individuals and S. davidianus. In most cases, the experimental animals could recover to their original state of pre‐competition when competitors were removed. These results suggest that subordinate species contextually regulate their food‐hoarding strategies according to different competitors, promoting species coexistence among sympatric animals that have asymmetrical food competition.

Probiotics and animal feed in primates feeding

This paper presents the results of experiments on primates feeding. In diet structures that were used animal feed, of which fish flour is the most valuable, as found, for monkeys, due to its unique chemical composition. And the effect of the probiotic complex “Bactistatin” on the digestibility of feed in the diet of rhesus monkeys was studied. This preparation belongs to the new generation of probiotics. It is a biological product with immobilized probiotic strains and their metabolites. The study was conducted on a large population of male rhesus macaques in enclosure conditions. Feeding diets, their nutritional value as a result of the inclusion of fish flour in the amount of 18% were studied. And also, the effect of “Bactistatin” in the amount of 3 g/head, on the formation of symbiotic microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, was studied in order to improve the absorption of nutrients in complete feed. Changes in homeostasis during the experiment were controlled by hematological and biochemical parameters of the blood of both experimental and control primates. At the end of the experiment, the cost of feed, nutrients, and exchange energy per head was calculated. The experimental data obtained were analyzed and mathematically processed.

INTRODUKSI IPTEKS PADA PETERNAKAN SAPI DI KELOMPOK TANI RAWANG SAIYO DAN KELOMPOK TANI TUAH SEPAKAT

Kegiatan pengabdian bagi kelompok tani Rawang Saiyo dan kelompok tani Tuah Sepakat di Kabupaten Solok dan Kabupaten Solok Selatan Provinsi Sumatera Barat dengan target luaran menumbuhkan swadaya masyarakat dalam usaha peternakan sapi potong dan pemanfaatan lahan untuk kebun rumput atau pastura; mencoba mengatasi permasalahan kondisi kandang yang belum memadai, kekurangan stok air akibat penampung air yang bocor dan sumber air yang jauh, lamanya proses pengolahan kotoran akibat kurang memadainya tempat pengolahan kotoran, kekurangan hijauan yang terjadi saat musim kemarau karena banyak tanaman hijauan yang mati. Program ini dilakukan dengan metode penyuluhan, diskusi terfokus, percontohan dan pelatihan. Metode pelaksanaan ipteks dilakukan dengan menerapkan sejumlah teknologi sesuai permasalahan yang ada yaitu perbaikan kandang, perbaikan tempat pengolahan kotoran dan penampung air serta peningkatan produksi pastura alam dengan introduksi leguminosa cover crop, usaha pengadaan air ke kelompok tani sehingga dapat menjamin kelangsungan usaha peternakan sapi. Pemanfaatan jerami padi yang merupakan by product dari sawah yang berada dekat kelompok tani melalui teknologi amoniasi jerami sehingga dapat digunakan sebagai alternatif pengganti hijauan.

Influence of Enclosure Conditions and Visitors on the Behavior of Captive Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus): Implications for Ex Situ Management and Conservation

The population of Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus) in the wild is experiencing a radical decline mainly due to habitat destruction throughout their regions. Therefore, as an initiative measure to sustain the population, ex-situ conservation was established. However, the ability of captive management to maintain and breed endangered species has been proved challenging. In this study, we investigated how the behavior of Malayan tapirs in captivity is affected by enclosure conditions; type (semi-natural versus zoo enclosures/artificial) and weather (temperature and humidity), and visitors. Behaviors (categorized as resting, locomotion, ingestion, swimming, investigative) were observed using instantaneous sampling over 20 minute periods with intervals of 30 seconds, and analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects model, glmer. Enclosure type had a significant effect on feeding behavior where tapirs in semi-natural enclosures fed more frequently than tapirs in artificial environments, mirroring natural feeding activity. Significant adverse effects from background noises and visitors caused tapirs in artificial enclosure to be more alarmed and increased their investigative behaviors. High number of visitors overall lowered the activity of tapirs, while low humidity caused tapirs to suffer from dryness, and thus resulted in frequent ingestion (drinking) and locomotion behavior which indicative of thermal stress. Overall from this study, it is concluded that unsuitable enclosure conditions of extreme dryness and number of visitors are prone to be potential stressors that lower the activity pattern which possibly alter the natural behaviors of Malayan tapir in captivity. Therefore, further evaluation on exhibit design and management practices are encouraged to identify variables that could increase the well-being of captive Malayan tapirs.

Effect of ambient air flow on resistivity uniformity of transparent Ga-doped ZnO film deposited by atmospheric pressure plasma jet

Transparent gallium-doped zinc oxide films were deposited on large area (117 mm × 185 mm) glass substrates by atmospheric pressure plasma jet method, using two different enclosure conditions—with and without side opening boundary. The opening allows gas exchange between the growth ambient and outside atmosphere. The spatial resistivity distribution was apparently influenced by the air flow field. The case with side opening has higher overall non-uniformity, and the film near the opening has the highest resistivity, caused by considerable reduction in carrier concentration (−32%) and mobility (−15%). Computer fluid dynamics simulations show that air was drawn in, through the side opening, from outside atmosphere, resulting in a much higher oxygen mass fraction (+50%) near the opening. As such, the film near the opening was deposited in O-rich conditions. The degradation of electrical conductivity in O-rich conditions cannot be explained by oxygen vacancies. We suggest that it is due to the formation of dopant-defect complex GaZn−VZn (the lowest formation energy) and reduction of hydrogen impurity (reduced hydrogen partial pressure) in O-rich conditions. Therefore, the tool enclosure, gas flow field, and scanning trajectory must be carefully designed to achieve minimum resistivity non-uniformity on large-area substrates.

Husbandry of wild-caught song sparrows (Melospiza melodia).

Conservation and research efforts occasionally rely upon bringing wild animals into human care to establish breeding programs and to understand their biology. Wild-caught birds may have husbandry requirements that differ from captive-reared animals due, in part, to their social development in the wild and potential exposure to novel pathogens. We developed husbandry techniques to minimize stress and monitor health in a population of wild-caught song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). We describe enclosure conditions, diet and enrichment, and best practices for stress reduction. In addition, we describe several health monitoring strategies, including assessing feces quality, body condition scores, and specific signs of infection. These techniques led to successful housing of song sparrows during formal behavioral and developmental studies. This information will be useful for guiding the husbandry of wild-caught passerine birds in the future.

Characteristics Air Flow in Room Chamber Test Refrigerator Household Energy Consumption with Inlet Flow Variation

Room Chamber is the most important in making a good Testing Laboratory. In this study, the 2-D modeling conducted to assess the effect placed the inlet on designing a test chamber room energy consumption of household refrigerators. Where the geometry room chamber is rectangular and approaching the enclosure conditions. Inlet varied over the side parallel to the outlet and compared to the inlet where the bottom is made. The purpose of this study was to determine and define the characteristics of the airflow in the room chamber using CFD simulation. CFD method is used to obtain flow characteristics in detail, in the form of vector flow velocity and temperature distribution inside the chamber room. The result found that the position of the inlet parallel to the outlet causes air flow cannot move freely to the side of the floor, even flow of air moves up toward the outlet. While by making the inlet is below, the air can move freely from the bottom up to the side of the chamber room wall as well as to help uniform flow.

EFFECTIVITY OF THREE BOTANICAL CRUDE EXTRACTS ON IMMATURE OF WHITEFLY (BEMISIA TABACI GENN.) UNDER ENCLOSURE CONDITIONS

Pest management of habanero chili (Capsicum chinense Jacq., Solanaceae) the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Hemyptera: Aleyrodidae) is a key plague insect as a virus-vector, capable of causing serious economic loss. Their control is broadly based on Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoids product. B. tabaci have resistance to imidacloprid now. Some plants extracts are suggest in the literature how insect repellent properties over whiteflies, including allspice [Pimenta dioca (L.) Merrill, (Myrtaceae)], sweet basil [Ocimun basilicum L. (Lamiaceae)] and wild feverfew [Parthenium hysterophorus L.(Asteraceae)]. The preliminary screening under controlled conditions for evaluating the repellent effect of crude aqueous extracts, in a 1:1 ratio based on mass weight foliage moisture; was evaluate for each one of above-mentioned plants, against nymphs and eggs of whitefly. Results show that basil and feverfew extracts was significantly effective in preventing oviposition by adult whiteflies on habanero chili foliage, with allspice showing the lowest effect. Fields studies have to be carried out in this regards.

Froude Modelling of Fire Phenomena: Observation of Fire-induced Smoke Movement in Basement Structure for Firefighting Purpose

Serious consideration of fire phenomena has become mandatory as many strict requirements in fire safety have been implemented in design, construction, management of building, and firefighting strategy. One of the most important features of building nowadays is basement which in fire condition imposes severe threat as smoke and heat movement tend to move upside going through means of egress. Aside from threat to the tenant and building structure, fire – induced smoke is also extremely dangerous to the firefighter during fire fighting operation involving enclosure conditions such as a building fire or even a basement fire situations. One way to study smoke movement and design effective measures in mitigating fire hazard is to conduct experimental fire test by using smaller geometry represent actual real building. This paper study fire – induced smoke movement in 1:8 scale of basement structure represent actual basement facility used for firefighter training. By assuming that smoke movement and temperature distribution is mainly caused by buoyant force from combustion of fire source, Froude number is maintained in the non – dimensional analysis for scaling purpose to hold temperature constant while leaving Reynold number differs from the real scale phenomena. This approach is considered sufficient and acceptable as long as the flow in the small scale model is turbulent enough. Further, result from the fire test in this study was compared with result from fire simulation built using Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) of NIST. Thus, aside from assessing fire phenomena by using Froude modeling and planning effective firefighting strategy in basement fire, this study can also be used as validation study of FDS which is widely used by fire safety engineering community.