Experimental study of the downward displacement of fire-induced smoke by water sprays

A set of experiments is presented on the effect of a water spray on a fire-induced smoke layer. The downward smoke layer displacement as a result of the interaction with the water droplets is quantified for a wide range of settings, including variable fire conditions, smoke layer temperature, smoke layer thickness and water spray operation pressure. The experiments include temperature measurements. The importance of entrainment processes is highlighted. In addition to the merit of the phenomenological observations, the experimental data set can be useful for model testing purposes.

► The downward smoke induced by spray is quantified experimentally in a wide range. ► The smoke temperature distributions inside and outside spray region are discussed. ► Water pressure, smoke temperature and thickness are key factors on smoke logging. ► Entrainment is identified as a crucial phenomenon in the experiments.