Watermist and Sprinklers – the Options

Louise Jackmanjackmanl@bre.co.uk

Building a better world…Research, innovation, consultancy, testing, certification, training

Working in the built environment, but also transport, manufacturing, electronics, agriculture…

Fire and SecurityApprovals

Brands

Construction andEnvironmental

Approvals

Fire, security andelectronics testing,research, specialistadvice, investigation

and training

Environmental assessments, standards and

ratings for buildings

Overview

• Sprinklers• Commercial• Residential and domestic sprinklers

• Watermist• Commercial• Residential and domestic sprinklers

• System selection

Sprinklers

Why install sprinklers?

• Life Safety:- To protect people and to maintain a

safe means of escape from the building.

• Fire engineering:– As part of designed engineering

solutions to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations

• Property Protection:– To protect premises, stock, plant

and machinery from the effects of fire

1:00

Smoke alarmactivates

Growth of a Fire

Fire Starts

F.B. notified

3:00

F.B.arrives

8:00

1st Water on fire

10mins

Sprinkler operates

Fire is out or controlled

FBstarts

10minsExample of how sprinklers can help to extinguish or control a fire

5 mins 5 mins

Tenable LevelTenable Level

Time MinsTime Mins0 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 102 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Applications

Commercial and industrial risks• Light hazard• Ordinary hazard• High hazard:

• Process risks• Storage risks

Residential risks:• Domestic• Residential

Description

A commercial sprinkler system consists of:• Water supply• Pump & valves• An alarm valve and a stop valve• Pipework• Sprinkler heads

Description

A residential & domestic sprinkler system consists of:

• Water supply• Valves• An alarm valve and a

stop valve• Pipework• Sprinkler heads

Body and yoke arms

Deflector

Sprinkler operation

Glass “frangible” bulb filled with a blend of thermally expansive liquids

Seating

Research

• Commercial (1920’s to now)– Rubber – full scale testing– Wood crib tests– High bay warehouse – full scale testing– ADD – full scale testing

• Domestic and residential (1970’s to now)– Residential fire testing (FM)– Effectiveness study - full scale testing and cost benefit– Concealed and recessed – full scale testing

Example of commodity fire test

• Single sprinkler• Exceeded test limits• Terminated test

Residential fire research

• Residential sprinklers• Real fire loads• Stylized fire loads

Testing of ‘out-of-standard’ applications

Heritage of commercialsprinkler standards for design & installation• 1884 – FOC published the first FOC sprinkler Rules

• 1968 - 29th Edition FOC “Sprinkler Rules”

• 1985 - The insurers submitted the 29th Edition

Rules to BSI to use as the base document for BS

5306; Part 2, published in 1990• 1990 - LPC rules/BS5306:Part2• 2003 - LPC rules/BSEN12845• 2009 – BS EN12845 revised

• FOC’s approved equipment list• LPCB’s “Red Book” the “List of

Approved Fire and Security Products and Services”

• FOC requirements become “ Loss Prevention Standards”

Heritage of commercialsprinkler standards for components

• 2000 - DD251 – design & install• 2002 - DD252 - components• 2005 - BS 9251 – design & install• 2011 - BS 9252 – components

(due to be published)

Domestic & residentialsprinkler standards

Test slots available at BREfor BS 9252 (due out)• Formally BS DD 252• Residential & domestic

Approvals

• Commercial– Components, LPS 1039+– Design and installation, LPS 1048

• Residential & domestic– Components (in development)– Design and installation, LPS 1301

Now available for order

• Independent• Public domain• Guidance

Watermist systems

Why install watermist?

• Property Protection:– To protect industrial plant and

machinery and to protect premises from the effects of fire.

– Applications limited by tests.• Life Safety:

– To protect people by suppressing and controlling a fire.

How watermist systems workHeat removed

from flameSpray penetrates flame

Oxygen reduced by steam andfire

Surface wetting of fuel

Critical parameters

• Increase surface area, increase efficiency

• Decrease drop size, increases influence by other flows

Applications

Commercial and industrial risks• Low hazard occupancies• High hazard

• Process/equipment risks

Residential risks:• Domestic• Residential

Description

• An active system to extinguish, suppress and/or control fire

• Local application or total compartment

• Bespoke systems (detector, actuation, pipe, pump, tank, pressure)

• Installed to manufacturer’s design manuals (no standard designs)

Nozzles and pump

Research

• Commercial (1990’s to now)– MOD ships – full scale testing– CAA aircraft – full scale testing– Computer cabinets – droplet sizing and modelling– Tunnels – modelling– Prisons cells – full scale testing– Office work stations - full scale testing

• Residential & Domestic– Desktop exercise in relations to residential & domestic sprinkler

Development of office protocol test

• BRE developed and characterised office scenario

• Stylised fuel, highly repeatable, easily obtained, cost effective.

• Fuel loading representative of OH1, medium fire growth rate, with target items.

• Tests under an open 6 x 6 m ceiling at 5 m height

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 160

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000Manually

extinguished CEN office BRE office 2

Hea

t Rel

ease

Rat

e (k

W)

Time (minutes from ignition)

Findings – office tests

• Low pressure watermist test

• Scenario in the centre of 4 heads on a 6.25 m2 spacing (5 mm/min) at ~13 bar

• Flaming above the table was effectively suppressed

• Wood cribs under the table burnt freely for the duration

• Effective fire suppression for the tested scenario

Findings – office tests

• High pressure watermist test

• Scenario in the centre of 4 heads on a 9 m2 spacing (2.8 mm/min) at ~100 bar

• Reduced temperatures within the office scenario fire set-up

• No effective fire suppression for the tested scenario

Now available for order

• Independent• Public domain• Parameter assessment• System testing• Test data• Test protocol

Water mist standards and approvals

• Historically– Ship-board standards– Application specific testing– Case-by-case assessments

• Government survey & guide, 2006

• 2010/11– Land-based BS DD standards

Water mist standards

• Commercial– British Standards, DD 8489

• Design and installation• Fire test protocols• Components (in development)

• Residential & domestic– British Standards, DD 8458

• Design and installation• Fire test protocols• Components (to be developed)

Test slots available at BREfor BS DD 8489 part 7• Category 1• Category 2

• Category 3

Test slots available at BRE

• BS DD 8489• Local applications• Combustion turbines &

machine spaces <80m3

• Industrial oil fryers

• BS DD 8458• Residential

& domestic

Water mist approvals

• Commercial– LPCB approvals (in preparation)

• Components, systems, LPS xxxx• Installers, LPS yyyy

• Residential & domestic– LPCB approvals (in development)

• Components, systems• Installers

Selection criteria

• Risks (occupants, property, business interruption) • Hazards analysis (fire load, building, ventilation,

compensatory features, sensitivities)• System performance (control, suppress, extinguish)• System costs (size, time, finance, lifetime)• System reliability (evidence, tests, approvals)

For more information, please contact

Louise Jackman

Principal Consultant,Suppression and Fire Safety

BRE Global Limited,Bucknalls Lane, Watford,Hertfordshire, WD25 9XX

T: +44 (0)1923 664948E: jackmanl@bre.co.uk

Sarah Colwell

Business Group Manager, Fire Suppression

BRE Global Limited,Bucknalls Lane, Watford,Hertfordshire, WD25 9XX

T: +44 (0)1923 664942E: colwells@bre.co.uk