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Author
Notarianni, K. A.
Title
Predicting the Response of Sprinklers and Detectors in Large Spaces.
Coporate
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Sponsor
General Services Administration, Washington, DC
Book or Conf
Society of Fire Protection Engineers. Large Fires: Causes and Consequences. Extended Abstracts. SFPE Engineering Seminars. November 16-18, 1992, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Boston, MA, Dallas, TX, 23-28 p., 1992
Keywords
sprinklers | aircraft hangars | fire tests | temperature measurements | fire models
Identifiers
FPETOOL; DETACT-QS; LAVENT
Abstract
Measurements made during fire tests conducted in an aircraft hanger with a ceiling height of 30.4 m are presented. Fire gas temperatures and disk temperatures were measured above the fire and along the ceiling in locations corresponding to the expected location of sprinklers or detectors. Measurements were designed utilizing the computer fire models FPETOOL, DETACT-QS, and LAVENT. The results of the fire experiments were then compared to the predictions from the computer models in order to determine the limits of applicability of the models and to develop recommendations for use in large spaces. In the analysis conducted, computer fire models underpredicted the ceiling jet temperatures and thus would be conservative in their activation predictions. For large spaces, a model should be developed that includes hot gas transport time and fire plume dynamics.