Willi, J.
, Madrzykowski, D.
and Weinschenk, C.
(2016),
Impact of Hose Streams on Air Flows inside a Structure, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1938
(Accessed April 24, 2024)
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Impact of Hose Streams on Air Flows inside a Structure
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Abstract
Fire suppression tactics using hose streams can affect ventilation in a structure and may impact the movement of smoke and heat through a structure. Seven series of experiments were conducted to study the impact of different hose stream and nozzle movement pattern combinations on air movement within residential scale structures. The experiments studied four different hose streams: a straight stream, narrow fog stream, and a wide fog stream from a combination nozzle and a solid stream from a smooth bore nozzle. The streams were applied from a static, or fixed, position; by moving the hoseline left-to-right across the room in a sweeping motion; and by rotating the hoseline in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Gas velocity was measured at different locations in the structure during the experiments. The wide fog stream caused the most air movement out of any of the tested streams, reaching a maximum velocity of 2.6 m/s (5.8 mph) and maximum air flow rate of approximately 4.2 m^3/s (9000 cfm), followed by the narrow fog stream, and then the straight stream and solid stream from the smooth bore nozzle, which both caused approximately the same amount of air movement through the structure. It was discovered that the straight stream only caused air movement through the structure when it was applied in a moving pattern. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences in the average measured air velocity between the clockwise and counterclockwise nozzle movement patterns. It was determined that the type of hose stream and manner in which it is applied dictates the extent to which a stream impacts the ventilation of a structure. To better quantify the impact of such air flows on the fire environment, additional experiments need to be conducted with structure fires in a controlled environment.Citation
Technical Note (NIST TN) - 1938
Report Number
1938
NIST Pub Series
Pub Type
NIST Pubs
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Citation
Created October 3, 2016, Updated November 10, 2018