The Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the release of a new report, “Validation of Modelling Tools for Detection Design in High Air Flow Environments” following a project in partnership with Hughes Associates and FM Global. The report validates a model that provides reliable analysis of smoke detection in data centres and guidance to the technical committees for NFPA 75 (Fire Protection of Informational Technology Equipment) and NFPA 76 (Fire Protection of Telecommunications Facilities).
In the past few years, the equipment in data centres has changed significantly, which has placed increased demands on HVAC systems. As a result, airflow containment solutions are being introduced to increase energy efficiency. From a fire safety design perspective, the use of airflow containment creates a high airflow environment that dilutes smoke, which poses challenges for adequate smoke detection, and affects the dispersion of fire suppression agents.
