Original scientific paper

A Real Time Experimental Set Up to Analyse Automatic Actuation of a Fire Sprinkler Using a Shape Memory Alloy (NiTinol)

Y. Ras Mathew ; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hindusthan College of Engineering & Technology, Coimbatore, India
B. Ganesh Babu ; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Roever College of Engineering & Technology, India

Abstract

A fire sprinkler system has to detect fire and actuate the sprinklers to discharge water automatically to put out the fire as soon as possible. Currently, when a fusible bulb fire sprinkler is exposed to fire, it opens and discharges water automatically but it is not able to stop the discharge of water when the fire is putout. This paper describes a newly designed Automatically Actuated Fire Sprinkler (AAFS) integrated with a NiTinol spring in which the Shape Memory Effect (SME) is utilized to actuate and de-actuate the fire sprinkler automatically. At ambient temperature, a small spring maintains the closed position of the AAFS. When the temperature rises above 88C, the NiTinol spring actuates the AAFS to discharge water. When the fire is extinguished, the austenite phase of the NiTinol spring changes to the martensite phase and the spring returns back to its initial position. Thus, it automatically stops the water discharge and minimizes the water consumption without any control systems.

Keywords

NiTinol spring; Phase transformation; Shape memory effect

Hrčak ID:

148553

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/148553

Publication date:

18.11.2015.

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