Efficiency of the screening capacity of sprayed water during a fire

In this paper, the screening capacity of water droplets supplied from the sprinkler automatic fire-fighting systems are considered. The description of experimental setup, which allows to investigate dispersion and screening capacity of sprayed water, is given. The results of the study on the particle size distribution of sprayed water at various pressures of water flow in the sprinklers are presented. The effect of sprayed water on the density of heat flux emitted from the model fire source is studied. It is shown that the method of water supply (top or bottom) has a significant impact on the efficiency of fire extinguishing. It is established that the flow of sprayed water supplied from the top may lead to an increase in the combustion intensity due to the air flow involved into the fire during supply. An effective prevention of fire from spreading is a sprayed water supply from the sprinklers located at the floor level ducting the water from the bottom upwards. An alternative method of fire protection is proposed.