Abstract: A method of evaluating fire hazards of materials in standard tests is provided which comprises measuring heat flux distribution in test fires at the moment when sprinklers would have sensed the fire and be activated, and determining the rate of sprinkler water delivery rate that will absorb the heat flux, thus controlling spread of the fire.

Abstract: In a sprinkler system for warehouse freezers or other cold environments, a sprinkler system piping connected to a water supply through a check valve and extends through a freezing cold environment to sprinkler heads positioned to discharge extinguishant. The sprinkler system piping within the cold environment is filled with a solution of potassium lactate. When a fire occurs causing one or more of the sprinkler heads to be activated, the sprinkler heads will discharge the potassium lactate onto the fire. This action will reduce the pressure in the sprinkler system piping bellow that of the water supply so that water flows from the water supply through the sprinkler system piping through the activated sprinkler heads to be discharged upon the fire.

Abstract: In a sprinkler effectiveness testing system, a fire plume to simulate a burning warehouse commodity storage array is generated. The sprinkler system to be tested is suspended from an adjustable ceiling. Thermocouples measure the temperature of the fire gases under and adjacent to the ceiling. Collection pans are positioned to collect sprinkler water passing through the plume and to separately collect the sprinkler water passing around the plume.

Abstract: In a fire extinguishment system, aspiration type fine water spray nozzles are distributed under the ceiling of a structure to be protected. The nozzles contain venturi housings to draw combustion gases from under the ceiling and to discharge combustion gases along with steam and mist downwardly from the nozzles. The discharge from the lower end of the venturi housing is delayed by twirlers sufficiently for the water droplets sprayed within the housing to be converted to steam. The steam and combustion products provide a localized flooding effect to extinguish the fire. The water is supplied to the nozzles in a dry pipe system wherein the discharge of water in the nozzles over a fire is delayed sufficiently for at least one to two rows of nozzles (4 to 12) around the fire to be actuated.

Abstract: A single-ply roof cover fatigue tester includes an adjustable platen to which a roof cover sample is attached. Movement of the platen relative to a support frame adjusts the angle at which a tension force is applied to the sample by fluid pressure cylinders. The platen is long enough to accommodate the roof cover sample and three associated fasteners in a straight line at a spacing commonly used in actual roof cover installations. A control system controls the flow of pressure fluid to fluid pressure cylinders on opposite sides of the sample to alternately increase the tension on one side and then the other, while maintaining a minimum tension on the opposite side. A counter is provided to indicate the number of times the increasing tension alternates from one side to the other.

Abstract: Fires caused by the leakage of lubricating oil spraying under pressure from lubricating oil conduits feeding bearings are controlled by stopping the flow of the lubricating oil in response to greater than normal flow of the oil through the conduit and simultaneously shutting down the machine having the bearing to which the oil is fed. A valve mounted in each conduit includes a valve element movable in response to the greater than normal flow through the conduit from a first position, to which it is biased and in which it is spaced from a valve seat, to a second position in which it engages the valve seat. A magnet mounted on the valve element actuates a magnetically operated switch connected in a circuit for shutting down the machine when the valve element moves at least part way from the first position to the second position. An alarm is activated as the machine is being shut down.

Abstract: In a method for testing steam turbine rotors for embrittlement to determine which rotors to retire and which rotors to continue in operation, a varying magnetic field is applied to the rotor in a waveform to produce a detectable Barkhausen effect in the flux density developed in the rotor. The resulting Barkhausen burst of pulses is detected and is displayed on an oscilloscope. In addition, the pulse amplitude distribution of the pulses in the burst is plotted. The oscilloscope display and the pulse height distribution curve are compared with corresponding representations of the Barkhausen effect produced from a test sample known not to be embrittled, or from the rotor itself at a previous time, to make a determination of whether the rotor has become embrittled and whether to continue operation of the rotor.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for determining the fuel of a fire, an ionization detector is positioned to detect the ionization level in the fire gases. The natural logarithm of the ratio of the ambient ionization current when there is no fire to the change in ionization current from the ambient level is multiplied times a second characteristic, which may be the optical density, the change in carbon monoxide concentration from ambient, or the change in carbon dioxide concentration from ambient. The resulting product of this multiplication will be a value indicating the fuel being consumed in the fire. A chart recorder is connected to record the product of the multiplication.

Abstract: A bench-scale apparatus for measuring the heat-release rate of pyrolysis vapors of a material sample includes an oven having a heated chamber for receiving the sample, a flue and at least one entry port, a radiometer having a radiation sensor disposed in relation to the flue of the oven such that an area into which burning pyrolysis vapors are directed from the flue is adjacent to the radiation sensor, a fuel-gas control valve in communication with the entry port of the oven, and an electronic flow meter for measuring the amount of fuel-gas passing through the control valve, wherein signals from the radiometer operate the fuel-gas control valve to provide an amount of fuel-gas sufficient to maintain a flame of the vapors at a predetermined height, and wherein the meter measures the amount of fuel-gas such that the measurement of the meter is used to indicate the heat-release rate of the pyrolysis vapors.

Abstract: In a steam power plant, a system is provided for early detection of a rupture or extensive leak from the feedwater tubing in the feedwater heaters. The system senses the temperature and pressure in the steam space of each feedwater heater. A pressure rise followed by a temperature drop in the steam space of a feedwater heater is recognized as being caused by a rupture or extensive leak in the feedwater heater and in response to such occurrance, an alarm is activated and a power assisted check valve is closed in the extraction line feeding extraction steam from the turbine to the feedwater heater.

Abstract: A system for controlling the water level in a boiler, including a liquid level adjuster, conduits connecting the liquid level adjuster to the boiler through housings mounted on the boiler and membranes positioned between the boiler and the conduits to transmit fluid pressure from the boiler to the liquid level adjuster while preventing fluid communication between the boiler and the liquid level control system. Valved bypass ducts extend from the housings to the top of the boiler so that expansion of the water in the liquid level control system due to the firing of the boiler is accommodated by overflow into the top of the boiler rather than by rupture of the membranes. Graduated water columns are provided to permit calibration of the liquid level adjuster, and valves are included in the liquid level control system adjacent to the liquid level adjuster so that the liquid level adjuster may be isolated from the rest of the system and checked for proper operation at any time.

Abstract: Dual overlapping fire protection systems include a liquid supply means for supplying liquid under pressure, first and second branch lines connected to the liquid supply means, a plurality of liquid distribution outlets connected to each of the branch lines and located to provide fire protection to a predetermined area, the outlets connected to each branch being located to provide fire protection to the same predetermined area, activating means for automatically activating at least one of the outlets in each branch when a predetermined temperature is sensed, valve means for selectively disconnecting the liquid supply means from the outlets in each branch. The valve is designed to automatically activate the disconnected branch when one of the outlets in the other branch is activated.

Abstract: A pressure responsive discharge head wherein an expellable plug is disposed in the outlet of a body member having an inlet adapted for connection to a source of extinguishant with the plug being connected relative to the body member by means of a pair of fulcrummed levers. A fusible link maintains the levers in the plug retaining position and is responsive to a predetermined temperature for releasing the levers. An additional member is provided which maintains the levers in a plug retaining position and which is adapted to release the levers in response to a predetermined fluid pressure in the body member, or in response to an additional predetermined temperature.