Physical characteristics of residential sprinklers' water spray

Abstract

Abstract Purpose / Context - With the development of urban economy, the number of tall and supertall buildings is increasing because of high population density, high land prices and getting iconic buildings. Small residential units of less than 30 m2 with an open kitchen are constructed in tall residential buildings. Apart from open kitchen, glass partition is also common because of the constraint from architectural design. Fire hazards in such tall residential buildings have raised public concern. In order to provide better protection of lives and properties in case of fire, provision of residential sprinkler system should be considered as it is not a mandatory requirement for residential premises in many countries. This paper presents the results of experimental tests about the physical characteristics of some residential sprinklers. By conducting a series of tests, including the tests in wind tunnel, tests of spray patterns and tests under controlled fires, valuable information and data were recorded for analysis. Methodology / Approach - Small propanol pool fires were used in the fire tests to evaluate whether the residential sprinkler was able to control the fire. Results - Physical characteristics of residential sprinkler under different pressures and flow rates have been studied and the findings were presented in this paper. Thermal sensitivity and the activation time of sprinkler heads have been measured and the spray pattern of the sprinkler and resultant water density distribution were discussed in relation to the fire development. Water characteristic tests were found useful in determining the operating pressure and flow rate. Key Findings / Implications - It demonstrated that the installation of residential sprinklers could effectively control the fire size and lower the overall fire temperature as well as the heat release rate. Originality - The residential sprinkler certainly reduces the probability of having fatalities and injuries in domestic fires. Keywords - Residential sprinkler, tall buildings, fire hazards