Fire Tests in a Large Hall, Using Manually Applied High- and Low-Pressure Water Sprays

Abstract

Large-scale fire fighting was investigated, including a comparison between high-pressure and low-pressure manual fire fighting systems and measurements of heat stress on fire fighters. Six tests were performed in a room measuring 14.0 × 7.7 m². The fuel in each test consisted of wooden pallets arranged in 6 stacks with 13 pallets in each stack. Weight loss, gas temperature, heat radiation and room pressure were measured. The nozzle pressures were 7 bar and 25 bar and the flow rates were 1.92, 3.83 and 5.75 kg/s. The tests showed that the ability to reach the burning fuel with water limits the capacity of the fire-fighting attack. The high-pressure system proved more efficient than the low-pressure system. It gave a faster response and required a lower flow to attain the same extinction effect as the low-pressure system.