Measurement of Room Conditions and Response of Sprinklers and Smoke Detectors During a Simulated Two-Bed Hospital Patient Room Fire.
Measurement of Room Conditions and Response of
Sprinklers and Smoke Detectors During a Simulated
Two-Bed Hospital Patient Room Fire.
(6224 K)
Notarianni, K. A.
NISTIR 5240; 138 p. July 1993.
Sponsor:
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB94-213717
Keywords:
sprinklers; fire research; fire tests; sprinkler
response; smoke detectors; hospital fires; life safety;
quick response sprinklers; oxygen concentration;
sidewall sprinkler systems
Abstract:
A series of experiments are reported in which a wood
crib was burned within a simulated two bed hospital
patient room in order to measure the activation times of
various types of quick and standard response sprinklers
and ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors at
several locations in the room simulating multiple
options for protection of the space. Gas and surface
temperatures, heat flux, carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide, and oxygen concentrations were continuously
measured in order to access the tenability of the room.
Of the parameters measured, temperature was the best
indicator of the tenability of the space. Temperature
at time of activation of the quick response sprinklers
was at or below 77 deg C (171 deg F) at the five foot
level and at or below 40 deg C (118 deg F) at the three
foot level between the patient beds, in all tests with
the exception of the shielded fire scenario where
temperatures at the five and three foot levels reached
111 deg C (232 deg F), and 78 deg C (172 deg F)
respectively. An initial detector activation was
received between 232-277 seconds prior to activation of
the first sprinkler, and 552-722 seconds prior to
activation of the QR-EC sidewall sprinkler.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899