Spray nozzles and sprinklers are water distribution systems designed to control or suppress fires, especially in situations where firefighters may be limited in providing sufficient water flow for extinguishing. These systems are engineered to slow down the heat of a fire and achieve complete suppression before manual firefighting intervention is required.
You may wonder how spray nozzles and sprinklers actually work. A sprinkler is a water outlet connected to the building’s municipal plumbing system. Each sprinkler head is sealed by a heat-sensitive glass bulb or a two-part metal link with a fusible alloy, which controls the water flow. The glass bulb or pressure-retaining lens acts as a plug, preventing water discharge until the surrounding temperature reaches the bulb’s designed activation point.
In a standard sprinkler system, each sprinkler and spray nozzle operates independently once the predetermined temperature is reached. This means sprinklers and spray nozzles near the fire activate locally, extinguishing the exact area affected. As a result, water pressure is not wasted beyond the fire’s origin, reducing unnecessary water damage to the building.
What is the liquid inside a sprinkler bulb?
Inside the glass bulb of sprinklers, there are two phases: liquid and vapor. In most cases, alcohol is used as the liquid phase. The principle behind these sprinklers is the expansion of the liquid inside the bulb. As the liquid expands, the vapor phase becomes smaller compared to the liquid phase, which triggers the bulb to break and release water at the right temperature.
