- Author
- Notarianni, K. A.
- Title
- Measurement of Room Conditions and Response of Sprinklers and Smoke Detectors During a Simulated Two-Bed Hospital Patient Room Fire.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
- Report
- NISTIR 5240, July 1993, 138 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- 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.