A universal lookup table for determining sprinkler spray patterns

Abstract

Sprinkler systems are effectively used to protect people and reduce property loss during fire events. While historically their performance has been evaluated experimentally, recent progress in spray modelling open the door to new applications in increasingly popular performance-based design. In this context, we propose a new approach built upon the description of the spray through a lookup-table, useful for engineering applications such as Building Modelling Information. This approach considerably reduces the calculation time and provides unprecedented access to spray dispersion characteristics. An efficiently parameterized lookup table with detailed information of the spray, here referred to as Universal Table (UT), is proposed based on a discretization of the spray phase-space. The spray is mapped through evaluation of the UT, using high-fidelity measurements of the initial characteristics of the spray from the Spatially-resolved Spray Scanning System device. Quantitative view of the spray including spray patterns, drop size distribution and drop velocity in quiescent conditions are achieved at any location of interest in few seconds. The model is validated by comparing experimental and predicting spray patterns produced by a commercial sprinkler. A new methodology to predict spray discharge characteristics from pre-specified spray patterns is also presented and demonstrated in mono-dispersed and multi-dispersed spray.