Abstract:
A building model on a miniature scale is used for simulating the smoke propagation in case of fires in buildings. For cost-effective and graphic training, the building model has several chambers which are connected by means of closable doors with a central chamber. The central chamber has an access opening from the ventilator for generating pressure differences and/or air currents in the building model are provided. A transparent plate permits viewing the interior of the building model and the smoke propagation taking place in the course of the simulation.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a building model for simulating the propagation of smoke from fires in buildings. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When a fire actually breaks out in a building with a plurality of rooms, which are connected with each other via corridors or staircases, a very grave danger arises not only from the fire itself, but also from the smoke, which rapidly spreads through the building. In this case the propagation of the smoke for one is a function of the structure of the building, but also of further causes, for example open doors and windows, or the effect of ventilating installations. 
     In order to obtain the greatest possible fire protection, it is already required in the planning phase for buildings to take suitable counter-measures for restricting the smoke propagation. Tests performed in existing buildings are very expensive in time and costs, so that the experience used in planning of buildings mostly is the result of actual catastrophic fires. 
     With the deployment of the fire department in case of a fire it is also of extreme importance to have knowledge regarding the propagation of smoke, in particular as to the effects of measures which have been taken, for example the breaking of windows or the airing, or respectively ventilation of areas of the building. Here, too, the actions of the fire department are based on the experiences gathered in previous fires, since realistic training, for example in high-rise buildings, can hardly be performed. 
     Up to now, only training installations of actual room size are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,818 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,707. However, the immense expenses of such installations appear to make them unsuitable for training purposes on a broad basis. The building model known from CH 402 473 is only used for illustration and has no fire-specific functions at all. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention to create a building model by means of which it is possible to simulate the propagation of smoke in case of fires in buildings. 
     This object is attained in accordance with the invention in that the building model has several chambers, at least part of which are in contact with a central chamber by means of doors which can be closed, at least one steam-fog generator or smoke generator in a chamber, and at least one variably positionable miniature ventilator for generating pressure differences and air currents in the building model, wherein at least one lateral or the top cover plate of the model are transparent, and at least a portion of the chambers has windows, which can be closed. 
     It is possible with the aid of such a model to investigate the smoke propagation in a building under various effects, for example open windows and doors, as well as airing or draw-off measures. The doors and windows, as well as the arrangement of the miniature ventilator can also be affected during the simulation, for example for determining which course of action would make the most sense in fighting the fire. The transparent cover plate permits a view into the entire building from various perspectives, so that the building model is also suitable for the purpose of training large groups. 
     For example, it is possible with the aid of the building model in accordance with the invention to demonstrate that, in case of a source of fire in a room of a building (in the chamber of the building model), it would be advantageous to create an overpressure in the staircase, or respectively the corridor (central chamber) with the aid of a blower, instead of removing the air from there by suction. 
     In a first variation, the building model can be designed as a low building with a central chamber representing a corridor with chambers arranged around the latter. Preferably one ventilation flap is provided here in the upper cover plate in at least one chamber in order to simulate the ventilating properties of industrial flat-roofed buildings in particular. 
     For observing the smoke propagation in high-rise buildings, the central chamber can represent the model of a staircase, and the chambers can be arranged on several floors. Mixed shapes of the above mentioned alternatives of the invention are of course also possible, wherein several chambers of each “floor” are arranged around the central chamber representing the staircase. 
     Heat sources, for example electric heating devices or tea lights, are preferably arranged in the area of the fog, or respectively steam generators. With the aid of the heat sources it is possible to simulate the smoke propagation with even greater reality, since the fog and steam generators known from modeling operate at comparatively low temperatures, while in actuality smoke has a very high temperature and therefore rises, in contrast to cold smoke. The arrangement of heat sources in the vicinity of the fog, smoke or steam generators therefore permits the simulation of rising air currents. 
     If this is desired, it is possible to provide guide elements above the heat source for the specific deflection of the warm air current. 
     Since heat sources can destroy the generated fog or steam, the employment of ventilators is possible as an alternative, particularly in the area of the staircase, in order to be able to simulate the rising air currents without negatively affecting the quality of the steam, or respectively the fog. Moreover, the building model can have airing and ventilating installations, which simulate the air currents created in real buildings by air conditioning and ventilating installations. 
     In an advantageous further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the windows and doors can be actuated from the outside. It is possible to change the spatial conditions during the smoke generation with the aid of the actuating mechanisms, which for example are designed as a system of rods, in order to simulate an fire-fighting action by the fire department, for example, in which the doors are opened. In the spirit of the training of firemen close to actual conditions, it is also advantageous if the windows are made of an easily destroyed foil. In this case it is necessary to consider during a simulated operation whether a window is to be broken, or whether this should be avoided because of the creation of detrimental air currents. 
     A ventilator is advantageously arranged at the entry opening of the central chamber of the model. It is preferably reversible and provided with an aspirating tube on its suction side. By means of this it is possible to provide the removal of air from the central chamber by suction, as well as the buildup of an overpressure in the latter. Further ventilators can of course be arranged in the chambers of in the central chamber in order to be able to generate air currents close to actuality in areas of complex building models which are remote from the entry opening. The arrangement of oppositely acting ventilators next to each other for creating recirculating air currents is also conceivable. 
     Preferably a lateral wall, or respectively the transparent cover plate of the building can be removed, flipped open or pushed out of the way for making rearrangements or repairs in the chambers of the building model easier. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be examined in detail in what follows by means of the attached drawings. Shown are in: 
     FIG. 1, a plan view of a building model with chambers arranged above each other; 
     FIG. 2, the building model of FIG. 1 with simulated smoke propagation; 
     FIG. 3, a plan view of a low building model with chambers arranged next to each other; 
     FIG. 4, the building model in FIG. 3 with simulated smoke propagation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 represents a building model  10  having several floors, arranged one above the other, with separate chambers  12  and a central chamber  14 , which extends over all floors and in the model represents the staircase of a building. The lateral exterior walls  16 , interior walls  18  and ceilings  20  of the building model  10  are made of wood or stamped-out sheet metal elements, while the front and rear walls consist of glass or plexiglass panels in order to permit a visual examination of the interior of the building model  10 . At least one front face of the building model  10  can be removed, tilted away or laterally pushed away. 
     The individual chambers  12  have window openings  24 , closeable toward the exterior, as well as doors  26 , actuable toward the central chamber  14 . Each of the doors  26  has an actuating rod  28 , which projects out of the building model  10  and therefore makes the actuation of the doors  26  possible when the cover plate is closed. The door  26  on the first floor of the model  10  is shown open in FIG.  1 . The central chamber  14  also has an actuable window  30  on each floor, which is movably seated in sliding guides  32 . 
     A steam generator  34  with a reservoir  36  is provided in the chamber  12  on the first floor. Such steam generators are known, for example, from modeling and are electrically operated. 
     A transformer  38  is provided in the chamber  12  of the “ground floor”, which can be connected to the conventional current supply of a household and supplies the electric consumers in the building model  10 . Besides the steam generator  34 , a miniature ventilator  40  is also connected to the transformer  38  via a switch  42 . By means of the ventilator it is possible to create air currents in the building model  10 , or overpressure in the central chamber  14  or in the individual chambers  12 . The ventilator  40  can be arranged at various locations inside the building  10 . In accordance with FIG. 1 it is arranged in such a way that it can blow air through an access opening  42  to the central chamber  14  and can thereby generate an overpressure in the central chamber  14 . 
     The transformer  38  can supply further electrical consumers in the building model  10 , for example lighting fixtures, electrical heating devices in the area of the steam generator  34  or photoelectric barriers, which act as smoke detectors. A heating device in the vicinity of the steam generator  34  makes it possible to generate warm air flows which closely resemble actual ones, and which cannot be created by means of the steam generator  34  alone, which is known from modeling and operates at low temperatures. 
     The building model  10  is represented in FIG. 2 with the steam generator  34  turned on and with the ventilator  40  operating. The steam, which is heated by a suitable heating device (not represented), from the steam generator  34  rises upward and reaches the central chamber  14  through the open connecting door of the chamber  12 , in which the steam generator  34  is arranged. The steam can escape through an open window  30  in the top floor. The ventilator  40  provides an air current from the bottom to the top in the central chamber  14 . It is possible to determine from such a test by means of the model that in actuality an action of the fire department could take place through the staircase since, because of the air currents, it is free of smoke on the ground floor and to the larger part also on the first floor. 
     The oil supply for the steam generator  34  from the reservoir can be provided with the aid of gravity, or of a pump with a metered feed amount or in that the steam generator sits in the oil. 
     It is of course easily conceivable to arrange several chambers on one floor, which are connected by means of separate doors with the central chamber  14 . Although basically all layouts known in actuality are conceivable, consideration should be given to the fact that clarity will suffer with an overly complex interior structure of the building model  10 . 
     The door openings of the interior doors  26  can be made of various widths, so that, for example in case of a simulation of a fire in an old building, large door openings are provided, and with a simulation of a fire in a modern high-rise building narrow door openings. 
     To come closer to actuality it is also possible for the chambers  12  to be lined with porous materials, which absorb smoke in the course of the smoke generation and subsequently slowly give it off again into the surroundings. 
     While the vertically extending building model in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 is very well suitable for training purposes, because it can be viewed from both sides and therefore makes simultaneous observation possible for many viewers, a building model similar to the building model  110  in accordance with FIGS. 3 and 4 would be provided for researching smoke propagation in low buildings. The building model  110  has several chambers  112 , which represent the rooms in a low building, and a central chamber  114 , which corresponds to a corridor, from which the rooms of a building are accessible. The exterior walls  116  and the interior walls  118  are made of plywood or other suitable materials. The building model is provided with a transparent cover plate  120 , which permits viewing the interior processes in the model. The chambers  112 ,  114  have closeable window openings  124 , and doors  126 , which can be closed from the outside, are provided between at least a part of the chambers. 
     A steam generator  134  with a reservoir  136  is provided in a chamber. The current supply of the building model  110  takes place by means of a transformer (not represented) in the same way as with the building model  10  represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. A ventilator  140  is arranged in the area of the access opening  142  to the central chamber  114 , by means of which either an over- or an underpressure can be generated in the central chamber  114 , depending on its orientation. 
     The smoke propagation in the building model  110  during a simulation is represented in FIG.  4 . In this case the connecting door  126  between the central chamber  114  and the chamber  112 , in which the smoke generator  134  is located, is open. A window  124  in this chamber is open. 
     The ventilator  140  generates an air current from the access opening  124  through the open door  126  to the open window  124 . In this case it would be possible for the fire department to reach the source of the fire without too great danger from the smoke. 
     It is conceivable in connection with both building models described to use several ventilators simultaneously, for example for increasing the air currents or to simulate recirculating air currents by means of ventilators, which are placed next to each other and operate in different directions.