Forensic Engineers and Consultants

Tag Archive: CFEI

  1. Know a Fire Sprinkler, Like a Boss – Part 2

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    In Part 1, we looked at the basic parts of a fire sprinkler and took a closer look at other parts including heat responsive elements, wrench bosses, and kick springs. In this part, we’ll look at k-factors and deflectors.

    K-Factor and Orifice Size

    K-factor is a characteristic that relates water pressure to flow rate from the sprinkler, represented as k in the equation Q = k√P, where Q is flow (gpm) and P is pressure (psi).

    If we supply water at 50 psi to a k-factor 5.6 sprinkler, the flow rate is 40 gpm. If we supply 50 psi water to a K25 sprinkler, the flow rate is 177 gpm. There are now sprinklers as large as K33.6, which would flow 238 gpm given 50 psi – big difference from the K5.6!

    The most common k-factors are 5.6, 8.0, 11.2, 14, 16.8, 22.4 and 25.  There are smaller and larger k-factors than these.  For reference, K5.6 and possibly K8.0 are most often found in (more…)

  2. Know a Fire Sprinkler, Like a Boss – Part 1

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    In this blog we’ll take a look at the basic and some of the less-known parts of fire sprinklers, with more to come in a later post.

    Here are the basic parts of the fire sprinkler, shown on a pendent glass bulb sprinkler and an upright solder element (“fusible link”) sprinkler:

     

    Let’s take a closer look to learn about some of the less known parts, and also look at two types of sprinklers disassembled. Included in parentheses are some of the different names for some of these parts. (more…)

  3. GREASE Is The Word…Ensuring Proper Functioning of Wet Chemical Fire Protection Systems in Commercial Cooking Operations

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    Cooking equipment is the leading cause and is responsible for over half of fires in eating and drinking establishments (see Warren expert Chad Jones’ 2020 blog, Structure Fires in Eating and Drinking Establishments, for further reading on fire causes and NFPA 96 on duct inspection and cleaning). Fire extinguishing systems are also routinely provided over GREASE-producing cooking appliances. So why are some of these fires still so bad? GREASE is the word. (more…)

  4. Electrical Engineer Joins Warren

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    Warren is pleased to announce the addition of Tom Kelly, MSEE, PE, CFEI, as Senior Consulting Engineer specializing in electrical equipment failures, electrocution and electric shock accidents, fires and explosions, industrial electrical accidents, lightning strike analysis, and scope of damage/estimate of repair. Tom also has experience in robotics and automation systems and high energy laser design. (more…)

  5. Evaluating the Potential for “Victim” Holes Not Caused By Lightning in CSST

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    One area that we have found particularly interesting are fires involving Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST). CSST is a material used to plumb fuel gas inside structures.  It is used as an alternative to traditional black steel pipe or copper tubing. The stainless steel tube of CSST, in certain circumstances, will perforate when subjected to electrical arcing, including that due to local lightning strikes.  The escaping fuel gas from these perforations has obvious implications as to causing fires. (more…)

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