NATURAL EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF THE SHIELDING CAPACITY OF SOLID WATER CURTAINS AGAINST THE PENETRATION OF THERMAL RADIATION FLOW AND SMOKE

Abstract

Analytical research of the current Ukrainian and foreign regulatory documentation and other available sources of information on the effectiveness of the using of water curtains to prevent (reduce) the effect of fire and its dangerous factors on people, industrial equipment, property and constructions of buildings and structures have been performed. Established, that Ukrainian regulatory documents which regulate requirements for the neccesery parameters of water curtains  don’t have requirements for indicators of the shielding ability of these curtains against the penetration of the flow of thermal radiation and smoke. Other problematic issues were identified and the relevance of further research on their solution was confirmed. Previously was conducted laboratory research on shielding ability of continuous water curtain against penetration of thermal radiation and smoke, in particular, with using of chemical additives to water, which improves the hydrodynamic characteristics of the water flow. Appropriate test equipment has been developed and created for conducting full-scale experimental research to determine the shielding parametrs against the penetration of heat radiation and smoke through the water curtain in the form of a continuous water stream falling under pressure from the drain device from top to bottom. A series of full-scale experimental research on the protection properties of a continuous water curtain, a drench and finely sprayed curtain in the opening of the wall of a building structure against the penetration of heat radiation and smoke flow through it was conducted, and results are given. The obtained results of field experimental research were used in the development of Recommendations of using of water curtains in fire protection systems of Ukraine. In the future Recommendation can be used  while developing the technical requirements for system which creates a water curtain in composition of regulatory and other documents (DSTU, DBN, technical conditions, design and project documentation, etc.), for the purpose of ensuring fire safety requirements at fire-hazardous facilities in accordance with the Fire Safety
Rules in Ukraine.