Water Curtain System

Water Curtain System is one of the active fire suppression systems (Active fire suppression system means it becomes active only when there is fire). As the name itself defines. It forms a curtain to prevent the spread of smoke/heat/flame from fire captured area to no fire area.
In the aspect of fire & life safety, the compartmentation of the building plays an important role. Compartmentation means providing barriers in a large area so that fire/heat/smoke cannot propagate. The barrier can be a fire-rated wall (or any assembly) or fire curtains or water curtain. Since the question is about the water curtain system, I will explain what is it and how does it work.

Water curtain System consists of –

• Reserved water
• Dedicated pump
• Valves (Isolation valve, Non-return valve, Deluge valve etc)
• Pipes & Fittings,
• Water curtain nozzle
• Fire detection device etc.,

Water Curtain Pump is connected to the water curtain nozzle through the deluge valve. From pump to deluge valve, the pipelines are normally flooded (flooded here means the pipeline contains water pressurized). From deluge valve to water curtain nozzle, the pipelines are dry (no water).

When the fire or smoke is detected in one compartment, the corresponding fire detection device located in the premise will send a signal to the deluge valve to open and subsequently will switch on the pump. Water will be gushing into the water curtain system and reach those nozzles. These nozzles have special properties of forming a curtain from water preventing smoke/flame/fire/heat to propagate.