Patent Grant
11065487
Automatic sprinkler systems are some of the most widely used devices for fire protection. These systems have sprinklers that are activated once the ambient temperature in an environment, such as a room or building exceeds a predetermined value. Once activated, the sprinklers distribute fire-extinguishing fluid, preferably water, in the room or building. A sprinkler system is considered effective if it extinguishes or prevents growth of a fire. The effectiveness of a sprinkler is dependent upon the sprinkler consistently delivering an expected flow rate of fluid from its outlet for a given pressure at its inlet. The discharge coefficient or K-factor of a sprinkler allows for an approximation of flow rate to be expected from an outlet of a sprinkler based on the square root of the pressure of fluid fed into the inlet of the sprinkler. As used herein, the K-factor is defined as a constant representing the sprinkler discharge coefficient, that is quantified by the flow of fluid in gallons per minute (GPM) from the sprinkler outlet divided by the square root of the pressure of the flow of fluid fed into the inlet of the sprinkler passageway in pounds per square inch (PSI). The K-factor is expressed as GPM/(PSI)1/2. Industry accepted standards, such as for example, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard entitled, “NFPA 13: Standards for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems” (2010 ed.) (“NFPA 13”) and its updated edition NFPA 13 (2013 ed.), which provide for a rated or nominal K-factor or rated discharge coefficient of a sprinkler as a mean value over a K-factor range. For example for a K-factor greater than 14, NFPA 13 provides the following nominal K-factors (with the K-factor range shown in parenthesis): (i) 16.8 (16.0-17.6) GPM/(PSI)1/2; (ii) 19.6 (18.6-20.6) GPM/(PSI)1/2; (iii) 22.4 (21.3-23.5) GPM/(PSI)1/2; (iv) 25.2 (23.9-26.5) GPM/(PSI)1/2; (v) 28.0 (26.6-29.4) GPM/(PSI)1/2 or higher.
The fluid supply for a sprinkler system may include, for example, an underground water main that enters the building to supply a vertical riser. At the top of a vertical riser, an array of pipes extends throughout the fire compartment in the building. In the piping distribution network atop the riser includes branch lines that carry the pressurized supply fluid to the sprinklers. A sprinkler may extend up from a branch line, placing the sprinkler relatively close to the ceiling, or a sprinkler can be pendent below the branch line. For use with concealed piping, a flush-mounted pendent sprinkler may extend only slightly below the ceiling.
Fluid for fighting a fire can be provided to the sprinklers in various configurations. In a wet-pipe system, for buildings having heated spaces for piping branch lines, all the system pipes contain water for immediate release through any sprinkler that is activated. In a dry-pipe system, branch lines and other distribution pipes may contain a dry gas (air or nitrogen) under pressure. Dry pipe systems may be used to protect unheated open areas, cold rooms, buildings in freezing climates, cold-storage room passageways, storage or other occupancies exposed to freezing temperatures. The gas pressure in the distribution pipes may be used to hold closed a dry pipe valve at the riser to control the flow of fire fighting liquid to the distribution piping. When heat from a fire activates a sprinkler, the gas escapes and the dry-pipe valve trips, water enters branch lines, and fire fighting begins as the sprinkler distributes the fluid.
Dry sprinklers may be used where the sprinklers may be exposed to freezing temperatures. NFPA 13 defines a dry sprinkler as a “sprinkler secured to an extension nipple that has a seal at the inlet end to prevent water from entering the nipple until the sprinkler operates.” Accordingly, a dry sprinkler may include an inlet containing a seal or closure assembly, some length of tubing connected to the inlet, and a fluid deflecting structure located at the other end of the tubing. There may also be a mechanism that connects a thermally responsive component to the closure assembly. The inlet is preferably secured to a branch line by one of a threaded coupling or a clamp coupling. Depending on the particular installation, the branch line may be filled with fluid (wet pipe system) or be filled with a gas (dry pipe system). In either installation, the medium within the branch line is generally excluded from the passageway of the extension nipple or tubing of the dry sprinkler via the closure assembly in an unactuated state of the dry sprinkler. Upon activation of the thermally responsive component, the dry sprinkler is actuated and the closure assembly is displaced to permit the flow of fluid through the sprinkler.
An automatic sprinkler may be configured for addressing a fire in a particular mode such as for example, control mode or suppression mode. Fire suppression is defined by NFPA 13, Section 3.3.10 as “[s]harply reducing the heat release rate of a fire and preventing its regrowth by means of direct and sufficient application of water through the fire plume to the burning fuel surface.” A sprinkler that provides for fire suppression is a suppression mode sprinkler. A suppression mode sprinkler can be “listed” as a sprinkler that has been tested, verified and published in a list by an industry accepted organization, such as for example, FM Global (“FM”) and Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”) as a sprinkler being suitable for the specified purpose of fire suppression. UL and/or FM test and verify fire suppression performance of a sprinkler by at least installing and subjecting the sprinkler to their respective water distribution test standards: (i) UL Standard for Early-Suppression Fast-Response Sprinklers UL 1767 (2010) and (ii) FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008 (2006).
Accordingly, there are various ways of demonstrating or testing fire suppression capability of a sprinkler. For example, one way of determining the ability of a sprinkler to suppress fire in a stored commodity is by Actual Delivered Density (“ADD”) testing and comparison to Required-Delivered-Density (“RDD”) values. Briefly, ADD is defined as the amount of water flow over an area (gallons per minute over square feet or “GPM/ft2”), which is actually deposited by a particular sprinkler on top of a combustible package in order to achieve suppression and RDD is the minimum amount of water needed to suppress a particular fire. Suppression capability is believed to be quantifiable, in part, by the concepts of ADD and RDD, as developed by FM Global. Through further developments by FM Global, an ADD test can determine the ADD of a particular sprinkler configuration. The RDD value of a fire of a particular commodity tends to be fixed and therefore is presumed to be known. Under the test suppression criteria, the ADD of a particular sprinkler configuration should be higher than the RDD in order to effectively suppress a particular fire so that it does not spread beyond an initial ignition area.
Another standardized test available for demonstrating fire suppression performance is the water distribution test for Pendent ESFR Sprinklers having nominal K-factors of 14.0 and 16.8 provided under UL 1767 or FM Class Number 2008 (October 2006). Under such tests, a sprinkler can demonstrate suppression capability by delivering a water distribution density that meets or exceeds one or more of the minimum or minimum average fluid density (flow rate per area) criteria. For purposes herein, suppression performance can also be determined for sprinklers having K-factors not listed in the test standards by an appropriate equivalent requirement extrapolated from the available test standards. Suppression performance may be determined by other criteria in addition, or alternative, to the ESFR test standards, such as for example, by the hydraulic design criteria of the sprinkler and more specifically the hose stream demand criteria.
In yet another test, suppression performance of a sprinkler can be determined by actual fire testing, in which a grid of sprinklers are disposed above a storage arrangement in which a fire is ignited to actuate one or more sprinklers in the grid. Under the test criteria, suppression performance can be determined or demonstrated by the resulting number of actuated sprinklers, the maximum temperature of the storage rack over time, and/or progress of the fire in the storage arrangement, for example, containing the fire to the main array of the storage arrangement over the test duration. One or more of the above methods can be utilized to demonstrate that a sprinkler is capable of fire suppression.
Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) is defined under NFPA 13, Section 3.6.4.2 as a sprinkler having a thermal sensitivity, i.e., response time index (“RTI”) of 50 meter1/2second1/2 (“m1/2sec1/2”) or less and “listed” for its capability to provide fire suppression of specific high-challenge fire challenges. The “RTI” is a measure of thermal sensitivity and is related to the thermal inertia of a heat responsive element of a sprinkler. While ESFR sprinklers can be defined by the RTI of the sprinkler and its performance under the test standards, it should be understood that “suppression” mode sprinklers are not necessarily limited to ESFR sprinklers or sprinklers having an RTI of 50 or less. Accordingly, suppression mode sprinklers satisfying standardized test and/or other suppression criteria may have a thermally sensitive trigger having an RTI of ordinary or standard response sprinklers, i.e., RTI of 80 or greater.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0294138 shows and describes a dry sprinkler and in particular a dry ESFR sprinkler having a K-factor of 14 or greater. A known ESFR dry sprinkler is shown and described in Viking Technical Data Sheet, entitled “ESFR Dry Pendent Sprinkler VK501 (K14.0)” (Sep. 13, 2012).
A preferred dry sprinkler assembly includes a deflector to provide protection of a rack storage arrangement including cartoned unexpanded Group A plastic commodity having a nominal storage height of at least 20 feet beneath a ceiling with a maximum nominal 40 foot ceiling height. The preferred sprinkler includes an outer structure assembly having an inlet fitting defining an inlet end and an outlet frame defining a distal end, the outlet structure assembly having an internal passageway, an inner structure assembly disposed within the internal passageway, an outlet defining a sprinkler axis. The deflector distributes fluid delivered to the inlet fitting; and in one embodiment is preferably non-planar and in another preferred embodiment, defines a non-circular perimeter. The internal passageway and outlet preferably define a nominal K-factor of at least 16.8 GPM/PSI1/2. In one preferred aspect, the sprinkler is configured as a pendent sprinkler.
Another embodiment of the dry sprinkler assembly includes an inlet fitting, a casing, an outlet frame defining a nominal K-factor of 16.8 or greater, an inner structure assembly disposed in the casing; and a deflector coupled to the outlet frame, the deflector that provides for distribution of water fed to the inlet fitting to meet or exceed the minimum and minimum average density criteria for fluid distribution tests of UL Standard for Early-Suppression Fast-Response Sprinklers UL 1767 or FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008.
In yet another embodiment of the dry sprinkler assembly, the assembly has a deflector including a central portion centered about the sprinkler axis and a plurality of tines each extending radially from the central portion to a terminal portion. The plurality of tines preferably include a first pair of diametrically opposed T-shaped tines and a second pair of T-shaped tines disposed orthogonally to the first pair of T-shaped tines. The first pair of tines are preferably aligned in the plane of the pair of arms. In another preferred embodiment of the sprinkler assembly, the preferred deflector has a central portion centered about the sprinkler axis and a plurality of tines each extending radially from the central portion to a terminal portion. The terminal portion of at least two tines of the plurality of tines being angled relative to the central portion such that the terminal portion is axially further away from the outlet frame than the central portion. In an alternate preferred embodiment of the sprinkler assembly, a preferred deflector assembly includes a central portion centered about the sprinkler axis and a plurality of tines extending from the central portion, each tine having a base extending from the central portion, a body extending away from the base, a terminal portion extending from the body having a terminal edge, and a pair of lateral edges extending from the base to the terminal end. The plurality of tines are circumferentially spaced about the central portion to define a plurality of slots therebetween, the lateral edges of circumferentially adjacent tines converging to define an innermost portion of one of the plurality of slots. The innermost portion of each slot defines the shortest radial distance to the sprinkler axis of the radiused end. The outlet frame includes a pair of spaced apart arms preferably disposed about the outlet to define a first plane along which the pair of arms are aligned. The pair of arms define a second plane orthogonal to the first plane about which the pair of arms are disposed. The sprinkler axis is disposed along the intersection of the first and second planes, which dissect the deflector into four quadrants about the sprinkler axis. The innermost portion of each slot in one of the four quadrants define a different radial distance to the sprinkler axis than the other slots in the quadrant. Preferred embodiments of the sprinkler assembly provide a suppression mode sprinkler, and more preferably, an ESFR sprinkler.
An insulating assembly is also provided for an insulated sprinkler installation for a sprinkler assembly penetrating between and interior and an exterior of an occupancy separated by a surface. The insulating assembly includes a split insulation ring, a housing defining a first slot for engaging a sprinkler casing; and an insert member including a second slot disposed between the insulation ring and the housing. The first and second slots are axially aligned with one another and the split is disposed orthogonally with respect to the first and second slots.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description and attachments given below, serve to explain the features of the invention.
A free end of the outlet frame 30 can include at least one frame arm 38 that is coupled to a fluid deflecting structure 40. Preferably, the outlet frame 30 and frame arm 38 are formed as a unitary member. The outlet frame 30, frame arm 38, and fluid deflecting structure 40 can be made from rough or fine casting, and, if desired, machined. Referring to
International PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US12/44704, filed Jun. 28, 2012, having International Patent Application Publication No. WO2013003626, entitled “Dry Sprinkler Assemblies” is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and provides further details regarding a preferred embodiment of a dry sprinkler sub-assembly. Other dry sprinkler sub-assemblies for use in a preferred dry sprinkler are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,516,800 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,376, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
The aforementioned and described sprinkler assemblies can be used with a preferred deflector having a non-planar surface. As illustrated in
The peripheral portion 104 of the deflector 100 is preferably defined by the plurality of tines 112 disposed about the central portion 102 of the deflector 100 with spacing between adjacent tines 112 to define the deflector slots 116. Each tine 112 preferably defines a base 118 extending from the central portion 102, a body 120 extending radially away from the base 118, and a terminal portion 122 extending from the body 120 that ultimately ends at the terminal end surface 124 of the tine.
A preferred outlet frame 30 and deflector 100 arrangement is provided for distribution of water for suppression performance, preferably ESFR (“Early Suppression Fast Response”) performance and more preferably ESFR performance which satisfies industry accepted ESFR fluid distribution standards as described in greater detail below and noted above. More specifically the tines are configured and arranged in a manner with respect to the frame arms to provide for the preferred water distribution performance. With reference to
In the preferred arrangement of the deflector 100, as illustrated in the plan view of the blank 101 of
Referring to
Again referring to
Further described herein below are features of the subject deflector which in combination provide for the preferred embodiments of the dry sprinkler and deflector arrangements described herein. Again referring to
The preferred tine pattern 126 includes two types of symmetrical tines 112a, 112b and two types of asymmetrical tines 112c, 112d that are repeated to provide the twelve tines 112 of the tine pattern 126. In a preferred embodiment, the two types of symmetrical tines 112a, 112b each have a “T-shaped” that presents a tine width 134 that has a first tine width 134a and a second tine width 134b at the tine base 118 or tine body 120, and a third tine width 134c at the tine terminal portion 122 that is greater than the first or second tine widths 134a, 134b. Referring to
In the preferred tine pattern 126, the two types of symmetrical tines 112a, 112b are small “T-shaped” tines 112a and large “T-shaped” tines 112b. Preferably, the small T-shaped tines 112a are disposed on the first plane 128 and the large T-shaped tines 112b are disposed on the second plane 130. Preferably, the small T-shaped tines 112a each have a tine body 120 with first and second tine widths 134a, 134b that are equal, and the large T-shaped tines 112b each have a tine body 120 with a second tine width 134b that is greater than a first tine width 134a. Also preferable are a small T-shaped tine 112a or a large T-shaped tine 112b that has a terminal portion 122 with a radial tine length disposed on the first or second plane 128, 130 that is approximately equal to the second tine width 134b of the tine body 120. Also preferable are a small T-shaped tine 112a terminal end surface 124 that is planar and orthogonal to the first plane 128 passing through the tine 112a.
The preferred two types of asymmetrical tines 112c, 112d are “small-T-facing” tines 112c and “large-T-facing” tines 112d so designated because an asymmetrical extending portion 140 of these tines 112c, 112d extends in an arcuate direction centered about the center point 108 towards either the small or large T-shaped tines 112a, 112b. For each asymmetrical tine 112c, 112d, this extending portion 140 is preferably defined by an edge 142 of the asymmetrical tine 112c, 112d that is non-planar in the radial direction from the center point 108. Preferably, the non-planar edge 142 defining the extending portion 140 is planar proximate to the tine base 118 and becomes non-planar radially away from the tine base 118. An opposing edge 144 on the other side of the asymmetrical tine 112c, 112d is preferably planar in that it presents a flat surface extending along the tine body 120 from the tine base 118 to the tine terminal portion 122. Preferably, one small-T-facing tine 112c and one large-T-facing tine 112d are disposed between two symmetrical tines 112a, 112b in a repeating tine pattern about the deflector center point 108. Alternatively, the tines may be small-T-facing, large-T-facing, or a combination thereof.
Referring to
It should be understood that the stated dimensional values and approximations thereof are preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the relative angles between tines may be varied so as to provide for the desired water distribution. For example, the angle 146 of the small-T-facing tine 112c can be approximately the same as the angle 146 of the large-T-facing tine 112d. The inventor believed that the preferred angles and/or the variability in angles from tine to tine facilitated water distribution so as to provide satisfactory performance under the industry-accepted standards, such as for example, the Actual Delivered Density tests of UL 1767 (2010) and the water distribution tests of FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008 (October 2006). Referring to
Referring to
The preferred sprinkler and deflector were subjected to water distribution testing conforming with the following industry-accepted standards: (i) the water distribution tests of Section 4.29 of FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008 (October 2006); (ii) the water distribution tests of Section 45 of UL 1767, entitled “Distribution Tests for Pendent ESFR Sprinklers Having a Nominal K-factor of 14.0 or 16.8”; and (iii) the Actual Delivered Density tests of UL 1767, Section 30, entitled “Actual Delivered Density (ADD) Test for Pendent ESFR Sprinklers Having a Nominal K-factor of 14.0 or 16.8” (2010). The dry sprinkler assembly with the preferred deflector 100 is suitable to satisfy each requirement of each of the FM sprinkler water distribution tests provided under Section 4.29 entitled “Water Distribution (ESFR K14.0 and K16.8 Pendent Sprinklers Only)”). As such, the dry sprinkler assembly with the preferred deflector 100 is also suitable to satisfy each requirement of the UL water distribution test requirements at Section 45 of UL 1767.
The preferred sprinkler 10 can provide a preferred water distribution; and in particular meet or exceed the water distribution requirements of one or more industry accepted standards. The water distribution performance of the preferred sprinkler is determined by disposing or more samples of the preferred sprinkler is disposed over a water collection system from which the density of the water distribution can be determined as measured in gpm/ft2. Shown in
To determine the water distribution performance of the preferred sprinkler 10, one or more of the sprinklers are disposed and preferably centered above the water collection system 800 and beneath a ceiling in an actuated or open state (without the thermal trigger 80) to define either a ceiling-to-collection pan clearance distance or sprinkler deflector-to-collection pan clearance distance. For the test of multiple sprinklers, i.e., two or four tested over the collection system, the sprinklers 10 define a desired sprinkler spacing. Water is supplied to each of the sprinklers 10 to provide a preferred discharge pressure from the open sprinklers 10. Preferably, the system 800 includes a piping manifold for selectively feeding each sprinkler 10 from two directions (double feed) along a branch line or one direction (single feed). For the test of multiple sprinklers, i.e. two or four sprinklers over the water collection system 800, disposed on separate piping branches, the piping is spaced at a desired distance. The piping and manifold are preferably constructed with nominal two inch diameter pipe. Water is discharged from the open sprinklers for a defined duration under the test and density distribution over one or more of the collection pans 802, 804 is determined. Satisfaction of the water distribution tests under FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008 or UL 1767 standards is established by the determined densities meeting or exceeding the average and minimum discharge density criteria under the test standards.
Under FM Approval Standard Class NO. 2008, fifteen distribution tests are conducted in which one, two or four sprinklers are disposed above the water collection system. The tops of the collection pans 802, 804 are disposed at a minimum 3.3 ft. (1 m.) above the solid floor surface. For each water distribution test, water is discharged from the sprinkler 10 for a test duration of 5 minutes. Summarized in the Table 4.29 of FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008 below are the test parameters and the minimum and minimum average density criteria over the non-flue collection pans 802, flue collection pans 804 and all twenty collection pans of the collection system 800 for a particular sprinkler spacing, pipe spacing and the ceiling-to-collection clearance distance. Additional details regarding the FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008, Section 4.29 water distribution tests are shown and described in the attachments of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/789,182.
Under the UL 1767 four distribution tests are conducted in which one, two or four sprinklers are disposed above the water collection system. The tests are conducted three times with different sprinklers for each test. For each water distribution test, water is discharged from the sprinkler 10 for a test duration of 5 minutes. Summarized in the Table 45.1 of UL 1767 below are the test parameters and the minimum and minimum average density criteria over the non-flue collection pans 802, flue collection pans 804 and all twenty collection pans of the collection system 800 for a particular sprinkler spacing, pipe spacing and the ceiling-to-collection clearance distance. Additional details regarding the UL 1767 water distribution tests are shown and described in the attachments of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/789,182.
The preferred dry sprinkler assembly 10 having a preferred K-factor of 16.8 and deflector 100 was subject to each of the water distribution tests under FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008 or UL 1767. The preferred sprinkler 10 is believed to be suitable to satisfy each of the minimum and minimum average water distribution criteria for at least four sprinklers disposed above the water collection system 800 and more preferably suitable to satisfy each of the minimum and minimum average water distribution criteria for one, two and four sprinklers disposed above the water collection system 800 as summarized in Table 4.29 of FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008 below. In addition to the water distribution tests, embodiments of the preferred sprinkler 10 were subject to each of the ten Actual Delivered Density (“ADD”) tests under Section 30 of UL 1767, details of which are shown and described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/789,182. Summarized in the table below are parameters of the UL 1767 ADD test with the test pressures to which the sprinkler was subjected indicated in the “Pressure (psi)” column. Results of the sprinkler testing are also provided in the summary table. The subject sprinkler satisfied the test by meeting or exceeding each of the required ADD average criteria values. With regard to the “Flue Space Avg” test, the dry sprinkler satisfied each of the two required tests, i.e. Test 1 and Test 2. For each of the remaining eight UL tests, the subject sprinkler provided an average ADD such that the total of the ADD averages exceed the required average total, i.e., 4.6 gpm/sq. ft.
Table 4.29 of FM Approval Standard Class No. 2008
Table 45.1 of UL 1767
Table of UL 1767 ADD Criteria and Results
With reference to
Referring to
With reference to the perspective view of
In the assembly 500a, 500b, the housing 506 is disposed over the insert member 504 and the insulation ring 502. The housing 506 is preferably disc or cylindrical in shape having a planar top or cap 506a and an annular wall 506b. Preferably formed in the cap 506a is a housing slot 507 to engage or locate the housing 506 about the dry sprinkler casing 22. The housing slot 507 extends radially inward from the annular wall 506b to define an aperture in the annular wall. Accordingly, as seen in the assembled view of insulating assembly 500b in
In the preferred assembly, 500a, 500b, the slit 503 of the insulation ring 502 and the slots 505, 507 and voids 509 of the insert member 504 and housing 506 are preferably oriented with respect to one another to facilitate the installation of the assembly and eliminate or otherwise minimize pinching of the insulation ring 502. In the preferred installation, the insulation ring is wrapped about the casing 22 of the dry sprinkler 10 and engaged or disposed against the interior/exterior surface of the ceiling C. The insert member 504 is disposed atop the insulation ring 502 such that the slot 505 is located offset relative to the split 503 of the insulation ring 502 and more preferably located such that the slit 503 is radially aligned between the slot 505 and one of the voids 509 of the insert member 504. The housing 506 is preferably disposed or located over the insert member 504 and insulation ring 502 such that the first housing slot 507 and the aperture formed in the annular wall 506b are offset and more preferably about 180 degrees offset from the second slot 505 of the insert member 504. The insert member 504, disposed between the housing 506 and the insulation ring 502, provides protection over the insulation ring 502 where there is a gap in the cap 506a defined by the housing slot 507; and the aperture formed in the annular wall 506b preferably leaves the side of the insulation ring 502 visible from the side of the assembly. The through holes 510 of the housing 506 are preferably axially aligned over the voids 509 of the insert member 504 and the surface of the insulating ring 502 exposed by the voids 509. To secure the insulation sealing assembly 500 to the ceiling C, securing means 508, such as for example, self-threading screws, nails or other types of mechanical fasteners, extend through the through holes 510 and preferably penetrate the insulation ring 502 at the portions exposed by the voids 509 of the insulating member. The securing means 508 preferably anchor to the ceiling C to secure the insulation sealing assembly 500a, 500b to the ceiling C.
The dry sprinkler of the preferred embodiments have demonstrated the capability to satisfactorily address a fire for protection of a particular hazard, occupancy and/or commodity. More specifically, preferred embodiments of the dry sprinkler have demonstrated a capability to suppress large-scale fires for particular storage arrangements and commodity types by compliance with specific fire test requirements. These actual fire tests prove the performance of the preferred embodiments to provide the a fire protection with a sprinkler that suppresses a fire with a dry sprinkler, in which the sprinkler has a nominal k-factor of 16.8 or greater. Thus, alone or in combination with the referenced distribution tests, the preferred embodiments are believed to provide the first known dry sprinkler with K-factors greater than 14 that provided protection for particular high challenge commodities, such as, for example, at least one of Class I-IV and Cartoned Unexpanded Group A Plastics commodity as defined by NFPA 13 (2013 Edition).
Shown in
In one particular preferred test arrangement and fire test, a storage arrangement 700 included a main array 702 of double row rack Group A plastic commodity disposed between two single row target arrays 704 having a central portion 704a of standard cartoned Group A plastic commodity between two end portions 704b of Class II commodity. The stored commodity 700 was stored to a preferred nominal storage height StrH of 20ft. beneath the ceiling C having a preferred nominal ceiling height CH of 40 ft. to define a preferred storage-to-ceiling clearance height ClrH of 20 ft. A test group 710 or sample of forty-two of the preferred dry sprinkler 10 were installed in the preferred grid arrangement at a preferred sprinkler-to-sprinkler spacing (x×y) of 10 ft.×10 ft. to define a nominal storage-to-sprinkler deflector clearance DeflCH of 20 ft. and ceiling-to-deflector distance d of 14 inches. Water was supplied to each of the sprinklers 10 to provide a preferred nominal discharge pressure of 52 psi. The installed sprinklers 10 preferably include a thermal trigger 80 having thermal rating of 165° F. A fire was ignited and located in the main array 702 at the preferred location 706 between two sprinklers. In response to the fire, a single sprinkler operated and discharged resulting in a maximum average gas temperature at the ceiling above the ignition location of about 75° F. The test was permitted to run for approximately thirty minutes. Fire did not spread across the aisle from the main array 702 to either of the target arrays. The was no sustained combustion observed at either the outer edges of the target array no at the ends of the main array.
In another fire test arrangement, the storage arrangement 700 included a main array 702 of double row rack standard cartoned Group A plastic commodity disposed between two single row target arrays 704 having a central portion 704a of Group A plastic commodity between two end portions 704b of Class II commodity. The stored commodity 700 was stored to a preferred nominal storage height StrH of 25 ft. beneath the ceiling C having a preferred nominal ceiling height CH of 30 ft. to define a preferred storage-to-ceiling clearance height ClrH of 5 ft. A test group 710 of forty-two of the preferred dry sprinkler 10 were installed in the preferred grid arrangement at a preferred sprinkler-to-sprinkler spacing (x×y) of 8 ft.×12 ft. to define a nominal storage-to-sprinkler deflector clearance DeflCH of 5 ft. and ceiling-to-deflector distance d of 14 inches. Water was supplied to each of the sprinklers 10 to provide a preferred nominal discharge pressure of 35 psi. The installed sprinklers 10 preferably include a thermal trigger 80 having a thermal rating of 165° F. A fire was ignited and located in the main array 702 at the preferred location 706 between two sprinklers. In response to the fire, a total of five sprinklers operated and discharged. Fire did not spread across the aisle from the main array 702 to either of the target arrays.
In another fire test arrangement, the storage arrangement 700 included a main array 702 of double row rack standard cartoned Group A plastic commodity disposed between two single row target arrays 704 having a central portion 704a of Group A plastic commodity between two end portions 704b of Class II commodity. The stored commodity 700 was stored to a preferred nominal storage height StrH of 20 ft. beneath the ceiling C having a preferred nominal ceiling height CH of 30 ft. to define a preferred storage-to-ceiling clearance height ClrH of 10 ft. A test group 710 of forty-nine of the preferred dry sprinkler 10 were installed in the preferred grid arrangement at a preferred sprinkler-to-sprinkler spacing (x×y) of 8 ft.×8 ft. to define a nominal storage-to-sprinkler deflector clearance DeflCH of 10 ft. and ceiling-to-deflector distance d of 14 inches. Water was supplied to each of the sprinklers 10 to provide a preferred nominal discharge pressure of 35 psi. The installed sprinklers 10 preferably include a thermal trigger 80 having a thermal rating of 165° F. A fire was ignited and located in the main array 702 at the preferred location 706 beneath one sprinkler. In response to the fire, a total of one sprinkler operated and discharged. Fire did not spread across the aisle from the main array 702 to either of the target arrays.
Based on the performance of the preferred sprinkler 10 in each of the test arrangements, the preferred sprinkler 10 is capable of suppressing large-scale fires to protect rack storage arrangements that include standard cartoned unexpanded Group A plastic commodity. Moreover, the preferred sprinkler demonstrated compliance with pendent ESFR test requirements under UL 1767 to demonstrate the capability to suppress large-scale fires that include rack storage of unexpanded cartoned Group A plastic commodity. UL 1767 pendent ESFR test requirements require for sprinklers having a nominal K-factor of 16.8 or greater subject to the previously described test fires to operate no more than nine (9) sprinklers, when the storage-to-ceiling clearance ClrH is 20 ft. and no more than six (6) sprinklers when the clearance ClrH is 5 ft. In addition, the test fire must result in a one minute average steel temperature that does not exceed 1000° F. The test results must also demonstrate that there was no regrowth of the fire at the end of the fire test, which would otherwise be evidenced by significantly increasing steel or gas temperatures at the ceiling C. Additionally, the test must demonstrate the satisfactory suppression of fire spread as evidenced by the absence of sustained combustion at the end of the main array 702 and none at the outer edges of the target arrays 704. Additional details of the tests and the results are shown and described in U.S. Provisonal Application 61/789,182.
While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to certain embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language of the following Features of the Invention, and equivalents thereof.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/395,036 filed Oct. 16, 2014, which is a National Stage Application of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2013/037482 filed Apr. 19, 2013, which claims the benefit of: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/789,182 filed Mar. 15, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/636,633 filed Apr. 21, 2012 and; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/636,556 filed Apr. 20, 2012, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20190046823 A1 | Feb 2019 | US |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14395036 | US | |
| Child | 16159156 | US |
