- Author
- Walton, W. D.
- Title
- Quick Response Sprinklers in Chemical Laboratories: Fire Test Results.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
- Report
- NISTIR 89-4200, December 1989, 55 p.
- Keywords
- automatic sprinklers | burning rate | compartment fires | fire growth | fire tests | heat release rate | laboratories | oxygen consumption | calorimetry | quick response sprinklers | room fires | toxicity | sidewall sprinkler systems | automatic sprinkler systems
- Abstract
- A series of fire tests in typical chemical laboratories was conducted in order to address the use of quick response sprinkler technology. For each test, the performance of an automatic sprinkler system in extinguishing a fire originating in an acetone spill was evaluated. The test parameters included 1) standard sprinklers with exposed steel piping, 2) quick response sprinklers with exposed steel piping, 3) quick response sprinklers with exposed plastic piping, 4) quick response sidewall sprinklers and 5) no sprinklers. Measurements of air temperature and the concentration of oxygen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were taken. A free burn test was conducted to characterize the heat release rate of the initial items ignited.