RESULTS OF LABORATORY RESEARCH OF SHIELDING ABILITY OF WATER CURTAIN FROM PENETRATION OF DANGEROUS FACTORS OF FIRE

Abstract

Abstract. These materials are a continuation of previously published in the Scientific Bulletin «Civil Protection and Fire Safety» № 2 (10) (2020) materials on water curtain research. This article presented materials of searching and analyzing the latest available publications on this subject, which showed, that research in the creation of effective fire protection systems, in particular, water curtains, are continued in Ukraine and abroad to date, which confirms their relevance and importance. It has been established that despite the wide range of practical applications of water curtains, in the normative documents of Ukraine the issues of necessity and possibility of their installation, technical requirements and peculiarities of their design, including regarding the duration of work, substantiation of cost characteristics, methods of their testing are insufficiently reflected and require additions and clarifications. Presented bench equipment for laboratory researches of shielding ability of water curtains from penetration: heat radiation flow, smoke, dangerous gaseous combustion products: carbon monoxide (II) - CO and carbon monoxide (IV) - CO₂ has a design at the level of leading analogs and modern metrological support, which, together with the developed research methods, allows to conduct experimental researches at a high scientific and technical level with reliable results. The obtained results of experimental laboratory researches  showed high efficiency of curtains in terms of shielding ability from penetration: heat fluxes in the infrared range of radiation wavelengths (heat fluxes were created by a radiation gas panel) - shielding coefficient from 87% to 96%, with calculated (theoretical) thickness of curtains from 0.22 mm to 0.57 mm; and moderate efficiency in terms of shielding ability from smoke penetration (created by smoke bombs), CO and CO₂ (supplied in a gaseous state) - shielding coefficient from 10% to 33%, with the calculated (theoretical) thickness of the water curtain from 0.50 mm to 2.00 mm. The results of laboratory experimental researches will be used in conducting field researches of water curtains. The final results of laboratory and field researches will be the basis for the development of recommendations for using water curtains in fire protection systems.