The Impact of Cross-Flow Ventilation on Sprinkler Performance
Wes Baker, FM Global
Benjamin Ditch, FM Global

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Climate control is a necessity in many warehouse storage facilities, often relying on high velocity ventilation systems incorporating large fans or blowers. The impact of the resulting air velocity, which can exceed 30 ft/s, on the performance of a ceiling sprinkler system is not known. This session discusses a reduced-scale methodology designed to quantify the effects of horizontal airflow on the ceiling gas layer from a fire, and thus the potential for delay of sprinkler operations above a fire. The evaluation was based on the magnitude and location of ceiling gas temperatures with and without external ventilation airflow, using a series of representative rack storage fire scenarios.