https://fsri.org/research-update/fsri-releases-report-residential-flashover-prevention-reduced-water-flow-phase-1

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Madrzykowski ◽  
◽  
Nick Down

This study was designed to be an initial step to investigate the potential of low flow nozzles as part of a retrofit flashover prevention system in residential homes with limited water supplies. Not all homes have water supplies that can meet the needs of a residential sprinkler system. Current alter- natives, such as including a supplemental tank and pump, increase the cost of the system. These homes could benefit from an effective fire safety system with lower water supply requirements. The experiments in this study were conducted in a steel test structure which consisted of a fire room attached to a hallway in an L-shaped configuration. Three types of experiments were conducted to evaluate nozzles at different flow rates and under different fire conditions. The performance of the nozzles was compared to the performance of a commercially available residential sprinkler. The first set of experiments measured the distribution of the water spray from each of the nozzles and the sprinkler. The water spray measurements were made without the presence of a fire. The other two sets of experiments were fire experiments. The first set of fire experiments were designed to measure the ability of a water spray to cool a hot gas layer generated by a gas burner fire. The fire source was a propane burner which provided a steady and repeatable flow of heat into the test structure. Two water spray locations were examined, in the fire room and in the middle of the hallway. In each position, the burner was shielded from the water spray. The results showed that for equivalent conditions, the nozzle provided greater gas cooling than the sprinkler. The tests were conducted with a fire size of approximately 110 kW, and water flow rates in the range of 11 lpm (3 gpm) and 19 lpm (5 gpm). The second set of fire experiments used an upholstered sofa as the initial source of the fire with the water spray located in the same room. As a result of the compartment size and water spray distribution, the nozzle flowing water at 23 lpm (6 gpm) provided more effective suppression of the fire than the sprinkler flowing 34 lpm (9 gpm) did. The nozzle was similarly effective with the ignition location moved 1.0 m (3.2 ft) further away. However, the nozzle failed to suppress the fire with a reduced water flow rate of 11 lpm (3 gpm). The results of this limited study demonstrate the potential of low flow nozzles, directly flowing water on to the fuel surface, with the goal of preventing flashover. Additional research is needed to examine larger room sizes, fully furnished rooms, and shielded fires to determine the feasibility of a reduced water flow flashover prevention system.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Dow ◽  
◽  
Daniel Madrzykowski

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a residential flashover prevention system with reduced water flow requirements relative to a residential sprinkler system designed to meet NFPA~13D requirements. The flashover prevention system would be designed for retrofit applications where water supplies are limited. In addition to examining the water spray's impact on fire growth, this study utilized thermal tenability criteria as defined in UL 199, Standard for Automatic Sprinklers for Fire-Protection Service. The strategy investigated was to use full cone spray nozzles that would discharge water low in the fire room and directly onto burning surfaces of the contents in the room. Where as current sprinkler design discharges water in a manner that cools the hot gas layer, wets the walls and wets the surface of the contents in the fire room. A series of eight full-scale, compartment fire experiments with residential furnishings were conducted with low flow nozzles. While the 23~lpm (6~gpm) of water was the same between experiments, the discharge density or water flux around the area of ignition varied between 0.3~mm/min (0.008~gpm/ft**2) and 1.8~mm/min (0.044~gpm/ft**2). Three of the experiments prevented flashover. Five of the experiments resulted in the regrowth of the fire while the water was flowing. Regrowth of the fire led to untenable conditions, per UL 199 criteria, in the fire room. At approximately the same time as the untenability criteria were reached, the second sprinkler in the hallway activated. In a completed system, the activation of the second sprinkler would reduce the water flow to the fire room, which would potentially lead to flashover. The variations in the burning behavior of the sofa resulted in shielded fires which led to the loss of effectiveness of the reduced flow solid cone water sprays. As a result of these variations, a correlation between discharge density at the area of ignition and fire suppression performance could not be determined given the limited number of experiments. An additional experiment using an NFPA~13D sprinkler system, flowing 30~lpm (8 gpm), demonstrated more effective suppression than any of the experiments with a nozzle. The success of the sprinkler compared with the unreliable suppression performance of the lower flow nozzles supports the minimum discharge density requirements of 2~mm/min (0.05~gpm/ft**2) from NFPA~13D. The low flow nozzle system tested in this study reliably delayed fire growth, but would not reliably prevent flashover.


MAPAN ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-209
Author(s):  
Christopher David ◽  
Pierre Claudel

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 696
Author(s):  
Christoph Immerz ◽  
Boris Bensmann ◽  
Richard Hanke-Rauschenbach

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis cells are typically operated with high water flow rates in order to guarantee the feed supply for the reaction, the hydration of the ionomer phase and to homogenize the temperature distribution. However, the influence of low flow rates on the cell behavior and the cell performance cannot be fully explained. In this work, we developed a simple 1+1-dimensional mathematical model to analyze the cell polarization, current density distribution and the water flow paths inside a cell under low stoichiometry condition. The model analysis is in strong context to previous experimental findings on low water stoichiometry operations. The presented analysis shows that the low water stoichiometry can lead to dry-out at the outlet region of the anode channel, while a water splitting reaction is also present there. The simulation results show that the supply with water in this region is achieved by a net water transport from the cathode to the anode catalyst layer resulting in higher local proton resistances in the membrane and the anode catalyst layer.


Author(s):  
Sammed Kothale

Due to A hydraulic ram (or water ram) pump is a simple, motorless device for pumping water at low flow rates. It uses the energy of flowing water to lift water from a stream, pond, or spring to an elevated storage tank or to a discharge point. It is suitable for use where small quantities of water are required and power supplies are limited, such as for household, garden, or livestock water supply. A hydraulic ram pump is useful where the water source flows constantly and the usable fall from the water source to the pump location is at least 3 feet.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 68-69
Author(s):  
Hannah E Miller ◽  
Jorge Y Perez-Palencia ◽  
Crystal L Levesque ◽  
Robert C Thaler

Abstract A survey of South Dakota pork producers in 2019 demonstrated that water flow rate for nipple drinkers was highly variable among barns. Sixty-eight percent had water flow rates above the recommended rate of 500–1,000 mL/min (NSNG, 2010). The objective of this study was to determine the impact of water flow rate on finishing pig performance during the summer months. A total of 396 mixed-sex pigs, in two groups, were utilized in a 77-day trial (34.55 to103.8 kg BW) with 6 pigs/pen. Pens were assigned to one of three water flow rates (high, medium, low) based on the 3-hole diameters of the commercial water nipples used in the facility (2.0, 1.0, 0.80 mm; n = 22 pens/treatment). Daily water usage was recorded for each treatment along with room temperature, outside temperature, and relative humidity. Individual pen water flow rate was recorded every two weeks. At every diet phase change (26± 2.6 days), feed disappearance and individual pig body weight were recorded. Water flow rates averaged 1846±188, 906±214, 508±100 mL/min for high, medium, and low flow rates, respectively. Daily water disappearance for high, medium, and low treatments were 6.8, 2.3, 1.7±3.2 liters/pig, respectively. Final body weight (BW; 103.8±7.4 kg) did not differ. Daily gain (ADG) from 34.5±4.5 to 55.5±4.6 kg BW was greatest (P < 0.05) for high treatment. Daily intake (ADFI) and gain:feed (G:F) from 55.5±4.6 to 79.1±5.3 kg BW were greatest (P < 0.05) for high treatment. Cumulative ADFI was 2.27, 2.18, 2.16±0.16 kg (P < 0.05) in high, medium, and low flow ranges, respectively. There was no differences in cumulative ADG or G:F. Water flow rate had a significant impact on ADFI although there was minimal impact on gain and G:F. Water nipples should be regularly checked as part of normal barn maintenance to ensure adequate, but not excessive, water is available.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7601
Author(s):  
Bin Bao ◽  
Quan Wang ◽  
Yufei Wu ◽  
Pengda Li

The Qiqi structure design can automatically upset and spill its content once it arrives at limit capacity under vertical water flow excitation. Considering this function, the Qiqi structure has been utilized for small hydroelectric energy harvesting lately. To investigate the tradeoff between the Qiqi structure and the turbine structure for small hydroelectric energy harvesting, an energy harvester based on a hybrid Qiqi and turbine structure is proposed for vertical water flow hydroelectric applications. The hybrid structure is composed of a rectangular Qiqi structure, with two blades inserted on both sides. Self-tipping function of the hybrid Qiqi structure and working principle of the structure is investigated in detail. The proposed structure has both the advantages of low flow velocity energy harvesting of the Qiqi structure and high flow velocity energy harvesting of the turbine structure. A hydroelectric energy harvesting application using the hybrid structure is given to demonstrate that the hybrid structure had a higher rotational speed than the Qiqi structure under vertical low water flow excitation and was able to work at relatively high flow rates. Thus, the investigated hybrid structure can help small rotational hydropower achieve better energy harvesting performance and work at wide-range flow rates under vertical ultra-low water flow applications. At 600 mL/min, 902 μJ of electrical energy was charged by the investigated structure, which is six times higher than that using the Qiqi structure alone.


Weed Science ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 544-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Davidson ◽  
P. W. Santelmann

Solutions containing 3-(m-trifluromethylphenyl)-l,l-di-methylurea (fluometuron) or 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron) were displaced through saturated 250-μ glass beads or through Norge loam soil at two water flow rates. The procedure used allowed uniform application of herbicide solutions to the soil surface and subsequent displacement of the herbicide through soil or glass bead columns at a constant water flow rate. Fluometuron was as mobile as the chloride ion at both high and low flow rates. The shape of the fluometuron distribution curves obtained at the two flow rates were distinctly different. The volume of water required to displace fluometuron through a material that adsorbed the herbicide was greater than that necessary to displace the fluometuron through materials giving a smaller amount of adsorption. More diuron was adsorbed by the glass bead system than fluometuron.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nairoby Albarran ◽  
Tiziana Missana ◽  
Ursula Alonso ◽  
Miguel Garcia-Gutierrez ◽  
Manuel Mingarro ◽  
...  

AbstractColloids generated from the engineered barriers of a high level radioactive waste repository (HLWR) emplaced in crystalline rock could play a significant role in radionuclide transport and they are of concern for the safety assessment of these repositories.The main objectives of this study are: a) to analyze the transport properties of colloids in a crystalline fractured rock under hydrodynamic conditions as similar as possible to those expected in a repository (i.e. low flow rates) and b) to discuss the effects of their presence on the transport of radionuclides.Transport experiments with bentonite and latex colloids in a fractured granite column from the Grimsel Test Site (Switzerland) were carried out, under geochemical conditions ensuring colloid stability (alkaline and low ionic strength water). Transport experiments were also carried out with 85Sr and 233U and the results with and without the presence of bentonite colloids were compared.Colloid filtration in the fracture was always observed, even when colloids presented high stability and the conditions were unfavorable to colloid attachment to rock surfaces, being both the colloids and the rock negatively charged and the fracture surface smooth. The retention in the fracture depended on the water flow rate, increasing the retention as the water flow decreased.This work illustrates as both the mobile and retained fraction of colloids, which strongly depend on the hydrodynamic conditions, are of importance in the overall radionuclide mobility.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 973-979 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.K. Luz ◽  
J.C.E. Santos ◽  
M.M. Pedreira ◽  
E.A. Teixeira

The effects of different water flow rates and feed training on the production of "pacamã" Lophiosilurus alexandri juveniles were evaluated. In the first experiment, nine day post-hatch larvae (n= 2,400) were stocked at a density of 5 larvae/L. Different water flow (F) rates were tested: F1 = 180; F2 = 600; F3 = 1,300; and F4 = 2,600mL/min. Artemia nauplii were offered as food during the first 15 days of active feeding. In the second experiment for feed training, 720 juveniles (total length of 22.2mm) were stocked at a density of 1.5 juveniles/L. A water flow rate similar to F1 was used. The use of extruded dry diet was tested, and feed training was done with and without other enhanced flavors (Artemia nauplii or Scott emulsion). The water flow rates did not influence the survival or growth of L. alexandri. Cannibalism occurred during feed training. The worst survival, specific growth rate and high mortality were found with the use of extruded dry diet, while similar values were registered with the different feed training diets used. Reduced water flow rate can be used to lower water consumption during larviculture and feed training of L. alexandri.


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