Drop Size Measurements in a Fire Sprinkler Using an Agricultural Testing Method.
Drop Size Measurements in a Fire Sprinkler Using an
Agricultural Testing Method.
(268 K)
Blevins, L. G.; Oliphant, J. C.
NISTIR 6242; October 1998.
National Institute of Standards and Technology. Annual
Conference on Fire Research: Book of Abstracts.
November 2-5, 1998, Gaithersburg, MD, Beall, K. A.,
Editor(s), 25-26 pp, 1998.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB99-102519
Keywords:
fire research; fire science; fire suppression;
sprinklers; drop sizes; test methods; size distribution;
computer models
Abstract:
The NIST Industrial Fire Simulation (IFS) computer model
is being adapted to predict the interaction between
sprinklers and fires at realistic scales. The new
formulation relies on a sprinkler submodel calibrated
with experimentally measured water drop size
distributions. Measuring drop sizes for large scale
fire sprinklers is challenging because the range of
diameters is large and instruments must be protected
from flowing water. Agricultural researchers experience
similar challenges in studying crop-irrigation
sprinklers. They are interested in measuring drop size
to optimize the uniformity of a sprinkler's ground
application rate, and have methods in place to perform
the measurements. Because many agricultural sprays are
similar in drop size and flow rate to those from large
fire sprinklers, NIST is exploring the possibility of
applying agricultural measurement methods to fire
sprinklers in support of the IFS effort. Initial
findings of the investigation are reported here.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899