I-Corps: An Advanced Methodology for Evaluating Fire Suppression System Performance

在马里兰州大学进行的尖端喷雾特性研究加深了对消防喷头喷雾生成的理解。这种研究和见解已扩展到消防自动喷水灭火系统的设计过程中，导致潜在的破坏性设计工具。该设计工具基于该领域过去十年研究开发的喷头喷雾的先进测量。该消防喷头喷雾研究表明，基于激光的Shadowography/PTV测量技术与基函数数据压缩方法相结合，有效地表征了喷头喷雾的复杂随机行为。这种有效的方法提供了一个紧凑的，计算成本低，基于物理的表示的喷头喷雾之前不可能的。这种高保真的喷头喷雾描述非常适合用于拟议的基于计算机的模拟。商用消防喷头的设备数据库将使用这种方法创建，并包含在软件包中，使用户能够方便地评估各种类型的喷头，以应对现代灭火系统设计的挑战，而无需了解复杂的喷雾物理学的细节。消防喷头行业仅在美国就有超过400亿美元的市场。这些自动喷水灭火系统是普遍存在的和有效的。缺乏用于评估自动喷水灭火系统性能的分析工具会导致不必要的施工费用、水损害造成的过度损失，甚至更糟的是，由于防火失败造成的不必要的生命和财产损失。目前的规范性设计方法利用NFPA消防规范进行自动喷水灭火系统设计。虽然简单，但这种计算机前的方法是资源密集型的，并且几乎没有机会满足现代基础设施的设计挑战。所提出的方法结合了创新的基于激光的诊断;分析方法;现代软件工具;以及新颖的工程实践，所有这些都被捆绑到一个尖端的工程设计产品中。这种基于性能的消防喷头设计工具提供了一种创新的计算方法，它解决了规定的设计方法的缺点。所提出的设计工具提供了一个强大而方便的设计循环，促进前所未有的系统优化。喷头润湿性能的视觉表示允许用户在NFPA规范合规性的范围内评估喷头系统在保护标准和非常规空间方面的性能。该软件有可能被销售给咨询和保险领域的广泛工程师。

Cutting edge spray characterization research conducted at the University of Maryland has deepened the current state of understanding of fire sprinkler spray generation. This research and insight has been extended to the fire sprinkler system design process resulting in a potentially disruptive design tool. The design tool is based on advanced measurements of sprinkler sprays developed over the past ten years of research in this area. This fire sprinkler spray research has demonstrated that laser based Shadowgraphy/PTV measurement techniques paired with a basis function data compression approach effectively characterizes the complex stochastic behavior of sprinkler sprays. This efficient approach provides a compact, computationally-inexpensive, physics-based representation of the sprinkler spray not before possible. This high-fidelity sprinkler spray description is well suited for use in the proposed computer based simulation. A device database for commercially available fire sprinklers will be created using this methodology and included into the software package allowing the user to conveniently assess various types of sprinklers for the modern fire suppression system design challenge of interest without needing to know the details of the complex spray physics.The fire sprinkler industry represents over a $40B market in the United States alone. These fire sprinkler systems are ubiquitous and effective. The absence of analytical tools for evaluating sprinkler system performance can result in unnecessary construction expenses, excessive losses due to water damage, or even worse, needless loss of life and property due to failed fire protection. The current prescriptive design approach utilizes the NFPA fire code for the sprinkler system design. Although straightforward, this pre-computer approach is resource intensive and offers little opportunity to meet the design challenges of modern infrastructure. The proposed approach combines innovative laser-based diagnostics; analytical methods; modern software tools; and novel engineering practices all bundled into a cutting-edge engineering design product. This fire sprinkler performance based design tool offers an innovative computational approach, which addresses the shortcomings of the prescriptive design method. The proposed design tool provides a powerful and convenient design loop facilitating unprecedented system optimization. The visual representation of the sprinkler wetting performance allows users to evaluate the performance of sprinkler systems in protecting standard and unconventional spaces, within the context of NFPA code compliance. This software has the potential to be marketed to a wide range of engineers in the consulting and insurance fields.