Glossary of hydraulics for fire protection

A to Z of commonly used terms in fire sprinkler protection.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

 

A

• Area of operation: The maximum area over which it is assumed that the sprinkler will operate and is sometimes called the "assumed maximum area of operation"

B

• Barometer: An instrument used for the measurement of atmospheric pressure
  
  
• Bar: Is a unit of pressure 1 bar = 10000 pascal (Pa).  The bar is used throughout Europe for the measurement of pressure in fire sprinkler systems.    

• Bernoulli's equation: A mathematical expression of the principle of conservation of energy.

• Booster pump: A fire pump used to boot the pressure of the existing water supply

• Bourdon gauge: The most common device used to measure system pressures.

 

C

•  Centrifugal pump: Modern industrial fire pumps are centrifugal pumps.  Pressure is added to the water by the centrifugal force created by a rotating wheel (impeller) or the rotating vanes of a turbine.

• Certified shop test valve: Before a pump is shipped by the manufacturer, it will be tested in the shop.  The results of this test will be plotted on graph paper.

• Circulation relief valve: A small relief valve that opens up and provides enough water flow into and out of the pump to prevent the pump from overheating when it is operating at churn against a closed system.

• Complex loop: A piping system that is sometimes called a "grid" and is characterised by one or more of the following:  more than one inflow point, more than one outflow point, and/ or more than two paths between inflow and outflow points.

• Controller:  The electric control panel is used to switch the pump on and off and to control its operation.

 

D

• Darcy-Weisbach:  Technique used to establish the pressure lost to friction in a piping system.
  
  
• Desing Density: The density of discharge is given as mm/min and is the minimum amount of water that is needed over the design area (or sprinkler head) for each minute of operation. The density of discard require of any risk is dependent on the occupancies, classification of goods and the design standard been applied. 
  
  
• Desing Point: A point in the distribution pipe of a precalculated installation from where the pipework is sized by hydraulic calculation

• Differential manometer: A device whose primary application is to reflect the differences in pressures between two points in a system.

 

F

• Flow hydrant: The hydrant from which the water is discharged during a hydrant flow test.

• Flow test:  Tests conducted to establish the capabilities of water supply systems and referred to as flow tests because they involve flowing fire hydrants.  The objective of a flow test is to establish quantity ( gallons per minute) and pressures available at a specific location on a particular water supply system.

• Fluid:  Any substance that can flow; a substance which has definite mass and volume at constant temperature and pressure, but no definite shape; and with the inability to sustain shear stresses.

• Fluid mechanics: In general terms of physics, force is that which causes motion.
  
  
• Force: In general terms of Physics, force is that which causes motion.

 

G

•  Gridded piping system:  See complex loop

 

H

• Hardy cross method: An interactive technique used for solving the complicated problems involving gridded water supply systems.

• Hazen-Williams formula: An empirical formula for calculating friction loss in water systems that is the fire protection industry standard.  To comply with the most nationally recognised standards, the Hazen-Williams formula must be used.

• Head: Pressure expressed in units of Metre of water.

• Horizontal split-case pump: A centrifugal pump with the impeller shaft installed horizontally and often referred to as a split-case pump.  This is because the case in which the shaft and impeller rotate is split in the middle and can be separated exposing the shaft, bearings and impeller.

• Hydraulics: The branch of fluid mechanics deals with the mechanical properties of liquids (in the text water) and the application of these properties in engineering.

• Hydrokinetics: A branch of hydraulics having to do with liquids (water) in motion, particularly in relation to forces created by or applied to the liquid in motion.

• Hydrostatics: A branch of hydraulics dealing with the properties of liquids (water) at rest, particularly in relation to pressures resulting from or applied to the static liquid.
  
  
• Hydraulically most favourable area: Area of operation for which the water flow is at its maximum for a specified pressure, measured at the main control valve or pump set
  
  
• hydraulically most unfavourable area: Area of operation for which the system pressure, when measured at the main control valve or pump set, is required to be at its maximum to achieve the specified design density

J

• Jockey pump: A jockey pump is a small capacity, high-pressure pump used to maintain constant pressures on the fire protection system.  A jockey pump is often used to prevent the main pump from starting unnecessarily.

 

K

• Kinematic viscosity:  The kinematic viscosity of a fluid is the ratio of its absolute viscosity (lb sec/ft²) to its mass density (lb sec²/ft⁴).

• Kinetic energy: The energy which a body possesses because of its motion.

 

L

• Laminar flow:  A fluid is in the state of laminar flow if its Reynolds number is 2,100 or less; laminar flow is related to very low liquid velocities.

• Liquid:  A fluid having a definite volume, unlike gases, which will expand to fill the vessel containing it.

 

M

• Maximum flow demand: The flow discharge from the sprinkler heads located at the hydraulically most favourable area when balanced to a fire pumps flow/pressure curve (QMAX point)

• Moody diagram: A Diagram used with the Darcy-Weisbach friction loss computation technique to relate the Reynolds number, pipe size, and roughness to a friction factor.

 

N

• Net pressure:  The net pressure is the pressure added to the system by the pump.

 

O

• Orifice plate meter:  An orifice plate meter is a device used for measuring water flow and is similar in principle to a Venturi meter.  The change of water velocity is accomplished by using a plate with an orifice that is smaller than the diameter of the pipe in which it is placed. 

 

P

•  Pascal's law:  Principle 1, known as Pascal's law, points out that pressure acts in all directions and not simply downward.

• Pascal: The SI unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa) which is equal to one Newton per square meter (N/m²).  For fire protection this measurement of pressure is small so the unit Bar or kPa is used in most part of the world.    

• Piezometer tube: This device uses the heights of liquid columns to illustrate the pressures existing in hydraulic systems.

• Pitot tube:  Common device used to measure velocity pressure and thus fluid velocity.  The pitot tube consists of a small diameter tube, usually about a one-sixteenth inch in internal diameter which is connected to a pressure gauge.

• Potential energy: Stored energy that has the ability to perform work once released. 

• Pressure: is the force per unit area (symbol P).

• Pressure head: Is a term used in fluid mechanics to represent the internal energy of a fluid due to the pressure exerted on its container. It may also be called static pressure head or simply static head.

• PSI: In fire protection, pressure is most often dealt in units of pounds per square inch (psi).

 

R

• Relief valve: The relief valve is provided to open up and discharge water to a drain should the pressure become excessive.  This valve is located between the pump and the discharge check valve and is required with pumps driven by variable speed drivers.

• Residual pressure:  The pressure at the test hydrant while water is flowing.  It represents the pressure remaining in the system while the test water is flowing.

• Reynolds number: is a dimensionless number that state if the flow is in a laminar or turbulent state (Symbol Re).

 

S

• Simple loop:  A loop in which there is exactly one inflow point and one outflow point, and exactly two paths between the inflow and outflow points.

• Specific gravity: The specific gravity (S_g) of a substance may be defined generally as the ratio of the weight density of the substance to the weight density of another substance, usually water.

• Static pressure:   The normal pressure existing on a system before the flow hydrant is opened.

 

T

• Total energy:  The total energy (TE) at any point in a system might be defined as the sum of the potential energy and kinetic energy at that point.

• Turbulent state:  Fluid flow is in the turbulent state higher velocities where there is no definite pattern to the direction of the water particles.  Turbulent flow is reflected by a calculated Reynolds number in excess of 2,100.

 

V

• Venturi meter:  When coupled with a differential manometer, a venture meter may be used to measure water velocity.  The device consists essentially of a piece of pipe in which the cross-sectional area has been constricted.

 

W

• Water hammer:  Stopping any flowing stream too rapidly can cause a phenomenon called water hammer.  Water hammer is a violent increase in pressure which can be large enough to rupture the piping.