Use of computer fire models for analyzing thermal detector spacing

✍ Scribed by David W. Stroup; David D. Evans

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 945 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0379-7112
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-7112(88)90043-4

✦ Synopsis

This paper presents a methodology for evaluating heat detection systems installed in buildings. Previous work for use primarily in designing new thermal fire detection systems was used as a starting point. The previous work was enhanced and supplemented to make it more useful for evaluating existing systems. The resulting equations were programmed into a user-interactive computer program. This program is available in both BASIC and FORTRAN and will run on mainframes as well as personal computers. A modified version of the FORTRAN program was used to develop an extensive set of tables listing detector activation times for given building geometries, detector characteristics, and fire growth rates. These tables are useful for quick evaluation of alternative heat detector installations. Practical examples are used to illustrate the utility of the concepts presented in the tables and computer programs.