This article will focus on the practical results of the studies. The results will be listed with the title of the report they came from and the Web link if you want to download and review it for further information.

http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire05/PDF/f05018.pdf 36 Inch Industrial Exhaust Fan

In this series of experiments the fans increased the pressure sufficiently to reduce temperatures throughout the hallways even up to the fire room as shown in Figure 8. The PPV fans would provide occupants a more survivable environment and increase firefighter safety, limit smoke spread, keep additional parts of the structure safe for occupants and undamaged and reduce the scale of the emergency for the firefighters, and increase visibility.

Poultry Fan (8) The thermal gradient from the ceiling to the floor, in the hallway just outside the open classroom doorway is shown. As the fire develops the hot gas layer in the hallway develops and reaches a steady state at approximately 400 seconds. This is followed by the fire department opening a remote door to the hallway and then starting the PPV fans with using the remote doorway as an outlet vent. That had very little effect on the temperature. It did not make conditions worse, but close to the fire room it did not improve them. After 800 seconds, the window to the classroom was vented. The remote door was closed and the PPV fans were turned on first one then another was added. The impact on the fans on the temperature in the hall is clear.