Stack effect is the movement of air into and out of buildings, chimneys, flue gas stacks, or other containers, and is driven by buoyancy. Buoyancy occurs due to a difference in indoor-to-outdoor air density resulting from temperature and moisture differences. The result is either a positive or negative buoyancy force. The greater the thermal difference and the height of the structure, the greater the buoyancy force, and thus the stack effect. The stack effect is also referred to as the "chimney effect", and it helps drive natural ventilation, infiltration and fires. (see Kaprun disaster and King's Cross fire)
Read more about Stack Effect: Stack Effect in Buildings, Stack Effect in Flue Gas Stacks and Chimneys, The Driving Force For The Stack Effect, The Flow Induced By The Stack Effect
Famous quotes containing the words stack and/or effect:
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)