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http://dx.doi.org/10.7731/KIFSE.2016.30.3.086

An Experimental Study on the Effects of the Shape of a Drencher Head on the Characteristics of a Water Curtain  

Lee, Seung-Chul (Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Daejeon University)
Kim, Bong-Jun (Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Daejeon University)
Lee, Jae-Ou (Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Daejeon University)
Park, Chung-Hwa (Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Daejeon University)
Hwang, Cheol-Hong (Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Daejeon University)
Publication Information
Fire Science and Engineering / v.30, no.3, 2016 , pp. 86-93 More about this Journal
Abstract
The effects of the shape of a drencher head on the flow characteristics and radiation attenuation of a water curtain, in order to prevent a fire spread, were experimentally studied. The distance (h) between the orifice exit and deflector and the diameter of deflector (D) were varied as the shape factors of the head, with the same orifice diameter (d). It was found that an increase in h leads to an increase in the water flow rate and spray angle. However, the change in the spray angle decreases with increasing D. Increasing D brings about a subtle increase in the water flow rate and a significant decrease in the spray angle. A larger value of D makes it possible to produce a flatter pattern of the water curtain, but reduces the uniformity of the droplets inside the spray angle. The mean droplet diameter decreases significantly as the operating pressure increases. However, the variation in the shape of the drencher head does not significantly affect the change in the mean diameter at the same operating pressure. Finally, it was found that the radiation attenuation afforded by the water curtain at the same operating pressure was affected by water flow rate and droplet uniformity, which were determined by h and D, respectively.
Keywords
Drencher head; Water curtain; Water screen; Radiation attenuation; Fire spread;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)
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