Lei Jiang, Davood Zeinali, Kemal Sarp Arsava, Dag Olav Snersrud
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study aims to experimentally investigate the combustion products of fires suppressed/extinguished by two water-based fire suppression systems, namely, sprinklers and water mist systems. A total of thirteen experiments were conducted with various suppression system configurations, i.e., with a sprinkler, a low-pressure (LP) water mist, and a high-pressure (HP) water mist, at operating pressures ranging from 2 to 60 bar and water flow rate ranging from 10 to 206 L/min. Each experiment was conducted twice, except for the baseline experiment with no suppression. The fuel was a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pallet placed on two wood pallets. During all the stages of fire development, suppression with water, and post-suppression, the combustion products were sampled through Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) using a gas analyzer capable of operating in high humidity. The main combustion products identified were CO2, CO, and H2O. In addition, NOx (nitrogen oxides), CxHy (light-weight hydrocarbons), and HCN were present in relatively high concentrations. All the tested fire suppression systems were effective in reducing the fire size and cooling down the gases. However, when the fire could not be immediately extinguished, the NOx, CxHy, and HCN concentrations were higher than those in the baseline experiment. Moreover, it is observed that the HP water mist system was more effective than the sprinkler and low-pressure water mist systems in reducing the amount of combustion gases during suppression, resulting in lower Fractional Effective Doses (FED). It was observed that the combustion products returned to ambient conditions after five minutes of deactivation. The results from this study provide much-needed validation data for the effectiveness of water-based suppression systems, not only in reducing the fire size but also in reducing the production of acute toxic gases, which is important for considerations regarding evacuation, firefighting, and post-extinguishment conditions.
期刊介绍：
Fire Technology publishes original contributions, both theoretical and empirical, that contribute to the solution of problems in fire safety science and engineering. It is the leading journal in the field, publishing applied research dealing with the full range of actual and potential fire hazards facing humans and the environment. It covers the entire domain of fire safety science and engineering problems relevant in industrial, operational, cultural, and environmental applications, including modeling, testing, detection, suppression, human behavior, wildfires, structures, and risk analysis.
The aim of Fire Technology is to push forward the frontiers of knowledge and technology by encouraging interdisciplinary communication of significant technical developments in fire protection and subjects of scientific interest to the fire protection community at large.
It is published in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). The mission of NFPA is to help save lives and reduce loss with information, knowledge, and passion. The mission of SFPE is advancing the science and practice of fire protection engineering internationally.
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