Mist type fire protection devices, systems and methods

A mist system for fire protection of light and ordinary hazard occupancy defining a protection area being at least one of:

• (i) greater than 1024 sq. ft and (ii) beneath a ceiling having a maximum ceiling height of about 13 ft., the system comprising:
• a fluid supply;
• a plurality of nozzles coupled to the fluid supply to define a hydraulic demand of the system being the greater of:
• (i) five most hydraulically remote sprinklers or a 900 square foot area, the plurality of nozzles including:
• a first plurality of nozzles spaced about the occupancy to protect no more than 30% of the protection area at a nozzle to nozzle spacing ranging between about 6 ft×6 ft. to about 12 ft.×12 ft., the first plurality of nozzles being coupled to the fluid supply so as to provide the fluid to the first plurality of nozzles at an operating pressure in the range of about 102 psi. to about 250 psi.;
• a second plurality of nozzles spaced about the occupancy for the protection of a remainder of the protection area at a nozzle to nozzle spacing ranging between about 6 ft×6 ft. to about 16 ft.×16 ft., the second plurality of nozzles being coupled to the fluid supply so as to provide the fluid to the second plurality of nozzles at an operating pressure in the range of about 110 psi. to about 250 psi;
• wherein the first plurality of nozzles include at least one of:
• (a) a first mist device comprising:
• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2, the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• a diffuser assembly including:
• a load screw engaged with the lower body portion;
• and
• a diffuser element disposed atop the load screw so as to be located between the upper and lower portions of the body internally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffuser element including:
• an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface including a central cone portion extending proximally toward the outlet of the passageway;
• a plurality of through holes;
• and a plurality of channels formed along the upper surface and radially disposed about the cone so as to define converging adjacent channels and adjacent diverging channels, the adjacent converging channels having an overlapping portion such that the adjacent converging channels are in communication with one another, a through hole being centered between adjacent diverging channels;
• wherein the second plurality of nozzles include at least one of:
• (b) a second mist device comprising:
• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2., the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• and
• a diffuser element, the diffuser element being disposed about a distal end of the lower portion of the body externally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffusing element including:
• an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the upper surface, the upper surface defining a central region and an outer region each disposed substantially perpendicular to the device axis, the upper surface further defining an intermediate region extending at an angle to each of the central and peripheral regions to space the central and peripheral regions axially apart, the upper surface extending about the device axis so as to define a truncated cone about the device axis;
• and
• a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, each of the plurality of slots having a slot opening along the outer region and extending radially inward toward the device axis to define a slot length, an initial portion, an intermediate portion and a terminal portion, each of the plurality slots defining slot widths from the initial to the terminal portion.

A mist system for fire protection of a light and ordinary hazard occupancy defining a protection area of greater than 1024 sq. ft., the system comprising:

• a fluid supply;
• and
• a plurality of fluid distribution devices coupled to the fluid supply, the devices including:
• a plurality of sprinklers spaced about the occupancy to protect no more than 30% of the protection area at a sprinkler to sprinkler spacing ranging between about 6 ft×6 ft. to about 15 ft.×15 ft., the plurality of sprinklers being coupled to the fluid supply so as to define a hydraulic demand of the system being the greater of the five most remote sprinkler or a design area ranging between 900 sq. ft. to 1500 sq. ft., each of the plurality of sprinklers having a maximum operating pressure of 175 psi.;
• and
• a plurality of nozzles spaced about the occupancy for the protection of a remainder of the protection area at a nozzle to nozzle spacing ranging between about 6 ft×6 ft. to about 16 ft.×16 ft., the first plurality of nozzles being coupled to the fluid supply so as to provide the fluid to the first plurality of nozzles at an operating pressure in the range of about 110 psi. to about 250 psi;
• wherein the first plurality of nozzles include at least one of:
• (a) a mist device for the protection of at least one of a light hazard occupancy and a light and ordinary hazard occupancy, the device comprising:
• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2., the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• and
• a diffuser element, the diffuser element being disposed about a distal end of the lower portion of the body externally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffusing element including:
• an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the upper surface, the upper surface defining a central region and an outer region each disposed substantially perpendicular to the device axis, the upper surface further defining an intermediate region extending at an angle to each of the central and peripheral regions to space the central and peripheral regions axially apart, the upper surface extending about the device axis so as to define a truncated cone about the device axis;
• and
• a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, each of the plurality of slots having a slot opening along the outer region and extending radially inward toward the device axis to define a slot length, an initial portion, an intermediate portion and a terminal portion, each of the plurality slots defining slot widths from the initial to the terminal portion;
• (b) a second mist device comprising:
• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2, the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• and
• a diffuser element disposed axially from the outlet of the body to define a maximum coverage area of the device of 144 sq. ft. at maximum ceiling height of about 17 ft. for an operating fluid pressure at the inlet ranging between 110 psi. to 250 psi, the diffuser having a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes;
• wherein when the device is installed 78 inches above a collection area to determine a spray pattern distribution for the device given a fluid test pressure at the inlet of the device to generate a volume of flow from the device, the collection area having three zones:
• zone one, zone two and zone three, zone one being defined by a sixty degree span about a first plane intersecting the device axis and perpendicular to a second plane intersecting the device axis, the pair of frame arms being disposed in the second plane, zone three being defined by a sixty degree span centered about the second plane, and zone two being defined by a thirty degree span about a third plane intersecting the device axis and disposed between the first and second planes and extending forty-five degrees relative to each of the first and second planes, the spray pattern of the device providing:
• (i) wherein the test pressure is 100 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located fourteen feet (14 ft.) about the device axis with over 45% of the total volume being distributed in a region twelve to twenty feet about the device axis;
• (ii) wherein the test pressure is 175 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located eight feet (8 ft.) about the device axis with over 63% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis;
• and
• (iii) wherein the test pressure is 245 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located sixteen feet (16 ft.) about the device axis with over 33% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis.

A mist system for fire protection of a light hazard only occupancy having a ceiling with a maximum ceiling height of about seventeen feet, the system comprising:

• a fluid supply;
• and
• a plurality of nozzles each having a K-factor of about 0.6 gpm/psi.1/2 spaced about the occupancy and coupled to the fluid supply so as to provide fluid to the nozzles at an operating pressure ranging from about 110 psi. to about 250 psi., the plurality of nozzles being spaced at a nozzle-to-nozzle spacing ranging from a minimum of 6 ft.×6 ft. to a maximum of 12 ft.×12 ft., the system having a hydraulic demand being a water duration of sixty minutes to a hydraulic design area of no more than 1500 sq. ft;
• wherein the first plurality of nozzles include at least one of:
• (a) a mist device for the protection of at least one of a light hazard occupancy and a light and ordinary hazard occupancy, the device comprising:
• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2., the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• and
• a diffuser element, the diffuser element being disposed about a distal end of the lower portion of the body externally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffusing element including:
• an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the upper surface, the upper surface defining a central region and an outer region each disposed substantially perpendicular to the device axis, the upper surface further defining an intermediate region extending at an angle to each of the central and peripheral regions to space the central and peripheral regions axially apart, the upper surface extending about the device axis so as to define a truncated cone about the device axis;
• and
• a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, each of the plurality of slots having a slot opening along the outer region and extending radially inward toward the device axis to define a slot length, an initial portion, an intermediate portion and a terminal portion, each of the plurality slots defining slot widths from the initial to the terminal portion;
• and
• (b) a second mist device comprising:
• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2, the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• and
• a diffuser element disposed axially from the outlet of the body to define a maximum coverage area of the device of 144 sq. ft. at maximum ceiling height of about 17 ft. for an operating fluid pressure at the inlet ranging between 110 psi. to 250 psi, the diffuser having a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes;
• and wherein when the device is installed 78 inches above a collection area to determine a spray pattern distribution for the device given a fluid test pressure at the inlet of the device to generate a volume of flow from the device, the collection area having three zones:
• zone one, zone two and zone three, zone one being defined by a sixty degree span about a first plane intersecting the device axis and perpendicular to a second plane intersecting the device axis, the pair of frame arms being disposed in the second plane, zone three being defined by a sixty degree span centered about the second plane, and zone two being defined by a thirty degree span about a third plane intersecting the device axis and disposed between the first and second planes and extending forty-five degrees relative to each of the first and second planes, the spray pattern of the device providing:
• (i) wherein the test pressure is 100 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located fourteen feet (14 ft.) about the device axis with over 45% of the total volume being distributed in a region twelve to twenty feet about the device axis;
• (ii) wherein the test pressure is 175 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located eight feet (8 ft.) about the device axis with over 63% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis;
• and
• (iii) wherein the test pressure is 245 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located sixteen feet (16 ft.) about the device axis with over 33% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis.

A mist device for the protection of at least one of a light hazard occupancy and a light and ordinary hazard occupancy having a ceiling with a maximum ceiling height of about 10 ft., the device comprising:

• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2, the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• a diffuser assembly including:
• a load screw engaged with the lower body portion;
• and
• a diffuser element disposed atop the load screw so as to be located between the upper and lower portions of the body internally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffuser element including:
• an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface including a central cone portion extending proximally toward the outlet of the passageway;
• a plurality of through holes;
• and
• a plurality of channels formed along the upper surface and radially disposed about the cone so as to define converging adjacent channels and adjacent diverging channels, the adjacent converging channels having an overlapping portion such that the adjacent converging channels are in communication with one another, a through hole being centered between adjacent diverging channels.

A mist device for the protection of at least one of a light hazard occupancy and a light and ordinary hazard occupancy, the device comprising:

• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2., the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• and
• a diffuser element, the diffuser element being disposed about a distal end of the lower portion of the body externally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffusing element including:
• an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the upper surface, the upper surface defining a central region and an outer region each disposed substantially perpendicular to the device axis, the upper surface further defining an intermediate region extending at an angle to each of the central and peripheral regions to space the central and peripheral regions axially apart, the upper surface extending about the device axis so as to define a truncated cone about the device axis;
• and
• a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, each of the plurality of slots having a slot opening along the outer region and extending radially inward toward the device axis to define a slot length, an initial portion, an intermediate portion and a terminal portion, each of the plurality slots defining slot widths from the initial to the terminal portion.

A mist device comprising:

• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2, the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• a diffuser element axially spaced from the outlet to define a coverage area of the device of maximum of 256 sq. ft. at a maximum ceiling height of about ten feet for an operating fluid pressure at the inlet ranging between 140 psi. to 250 psi, the diffuser element having a plurality of through holes and a plurality of channels;
• wherein when the device is installed 78 inches above a collection area to determine a spray pattern distribution for the device given a fluid test pressure at the inlet of the device to generate a volume of flow from the device, the collection area having three zones:
• zone one, zone two and zone three, zone one being defined by a sixty degree span about a first plane intersecting the device axis and perpendicular to a second plane intersecting the device axis, the pair of frame arms being disposed in the second plane, zone three being defined by a sixty degree span centered about the second plane, and the zone two being defined by a thirty degree span about a third plane intersecting the device axis and disposed between the first and second planes and extending forty-five degrees relative to each of the first and second planes, the spray pattern of the device providing:
• (i) wherein the test pressure is 100 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having a two foot radial width with its outer edge located six feet (6 ft.) about the device axis with over 58% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis;
• (ii) wherein the test pressure is 175 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having a two foot radial width with its outer edge located six feet (6 ft.) about the device axis with over 50% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis;
• and
• (iii) wherein the test pressure is 245 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having a two foot radial width with its outer edge located six feet (6 ft.) about the device axis with over 33% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis.

A mist device comprising:

• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi1/2, the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
• a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
• a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
• and
• a diffuser element disposed axially from the outlet of the body to define a maximum coverage area of the device of 144 sq. ft. at maximum ceiling height of about 17 ft. for an operating fluid pressure at the inlet ranging between 110 psi. to 250 psi, the diffuser having a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes;
• wherein when the device is installed 78 inches above a collection area to determine a spray pattern distribution for the device given a fluid test pressure at the inlet of the device to generate a volume of flow from the device, the collection area having three zones:
• zone one, zone two and zone three, zone one being defined by a sixty degree span about a first plane intersecting the device axis and perpendicular to a second plane intersecting the device axis, the pair of frame arms being disposed in the second plane, zone three being defined by a sixty degree span centered about the second plane, and zone two being defined by a thirty degree span about a third plane intersecting the device axis and disposed between the first and second planes and extending forty-five degrees relative to each of the first and second planes, the spray pattern of the device providing:
• (i) wherein the test pressure is 100 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located fourteen feet (14 ft.) about the device axis with over 45% of the total volume being distributed in a region twelve to twenty feet about the device axis;
• (ii) wherein the test pressure is 175 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located eight feet (8 ft.) about the device axis with over 63% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis;
• and
• (iii) wherein the test pressure is 245 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having an inner edge and outer edge with a one foot radial distance between the inner and outer edge, the outer edge located sixteen feet (16 ft.) about the device axis with over 33% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis.