Home Sprinkler Research
In two studies for the United States Fire Administration, researchers at Battelle’s Columbus Laboratories are designing prototype sensors and actuators—one using the nickel-titanium alloy Nitinol as the primary fire sensing and sprinkler-activating element, the other using low-cost electronic circuitry, in an effort to improve residential sprinklers.
According to Battelle’s Jeremy M. Harris and Stan E. Kleszczelski, who head the 18-month studies, the technology may also revolutionize the commercial market. Their aim is to develop a “fire sprinkler system that is inexpensive, reliable, and sensitive, yet sturdy enough to stand up to rough handling … and a head that can automatically deactivate once the fire is under control.”
In explaining the properties of nickel-titanium, Harris said, “when a conditioned Nitinol spring is heated to its shape-critical temperature, it will unwind; then upon cooling, it will return to its original shape at room temperature. This characteristic creates a potential for producing a heat-sensor component that would automatically turn a sprinkler on and off at prespecified temperatures.”
During the study, researchers will design mechanical linkages to amplify the forces generated when the Nitinol component changes shape. In addition, they will identify the composition and fabrication practices to produce Nitinol components with the necessary shape-recovery temperature range, the goal being to adapt sprinkler heads to incorporate the Nitinol sensors. The experimental devices will be field demonstrated by a recognized fire testing laboratory.
In another study, researchers are examining the use of low-cost electronic circuitry as a sensor and actuator for sprinkler heads.
According to Kleszczilski, the sensor will activate a sprinkler when either of two firerelated changes are detected. One occurs when the room temperature exceeds a prespecified threshold of 135°F, and the other when the room temperature increases at a rate faster than 15°F per minute.
