SYLVIA - a software to study ventilation network, fire, and airborne contamination

SYLVIA is a mature software package developed by IRSN used internally by IRSN to carry out fire safety studies. SYLVIA is currently the only software available which seamlessly couples using an implicit method the operation of a complete ventilation network and the effects of one or more fires in the premises of this network. Outside IRSN, this software is mainly used to simulate the operation of ventilation networks in existing installations in order to study incidental scenarios or interventions. The aim of this paper is to present the SYLVIA software and its objectives. It covers ventilation network modelling, fire modelling, and heat and mass exchange modelling. From the user’s point of view, a description of the scenario options and the GUIs available is also given. Finally, an application example based on a validation case is presented.