Sprinkler, Smoke and Heat Vent, Draft Curtain Interaction: Large Scale Experiments and Model Development. International Fire Sprinkler-Smoke and Heat Vent-Draft Curtain Fire Test Project.
Sprinkler, Smoke and Heat Vent, Draft Curtain
Interaction: Large Scale Experiments and Model
Development. International Fire Sprinkler-Smoke and
Heat Vent-Draft Curtain Fire Test Project.
(16628 K)
McGrattan, K. B.; Hamins, A.; Stroup, D. W.
NISTIR 6196-1; 158 p. September 1998.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161.
Telephone:
1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000;
Fax: 703-605-6900.
Website: http://www.ntis.gov
Order number: PB99-144297
Keywords:
sprinklers; smoke; vents; draft curtains; large scale
fire tests; experiments; computational fluid dynamics;
field models; numerical models
Abstract:
The International Sprinkler, Smoke and Heat Vent, Draft
Curtain Fire Test Project organized by the National Fire
Protection Research Coundation (NFPRF) has brought
together a group of industrial sponsors to study the
interaction of sprinklers with roof vents and draft
curtains of the type typically found in large
warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and warehouse-like
retail stores. The Technical Advisory Committee
consisting of representatives of the sponsoring
organizations and other interested parties planned and
conducted thirty-nine large scale fire tests in the
Large Scale Fire Test Facility at Underwriters
Laboratories in Northbrook, Illinois. Thirty-four
experiments were performed with a heptane spray burner,
five were performed with racks of Group A Plastic
commodity. The test parameters were chosen to address
relatively large, open-area buildings with flat
ceilings, adequate sprinkler systems and roof venting.
In parallel with the large scale fire tests, a program
was conducted at the National Institute of Standards and
Technolgoy to develop a numerical field model
incorporating the physical phenomena of the experiments.
Bench scale experiments were performed to provide inputs
for the Industrial Fire Simulator 2 (IFS2) model in
terms of the thermal properties of the sprinklers and
vent links, spray distribution, and commodity burn rate.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899