Technology
How High-Pressure Water Mist Suppresses Fire
Water mist does not work like a sprinkler with smaller holes. At 100–140 bar, a nozzle shatters water into a cloud of droplets under 200 microns — fine enough to behave like a gas for heat transfer purposes, while still carrying water’s full cooling capacity. Three mechanisms act together in every discharge.
Mechanism 1
Cooling
Fine droplets present enormously more surface area per litre than a coarse sprinkler spray, so they absorb heat and flash to vapour far faster. That vapour transition removes energy from the fire plume at a rate coarse droplets cannot match.
Mechanism 2
Local oxygen displacement
As droplets flash to vapour near the seat of the fire, the expanding steam displaces oxygen in that local zone — starving combustion without flooding the wider space the way a total-flood gaseous system would.
Mechanism 3
Radiant heat attenuation
The droplet cloud itself blocks radiant heat transfer between the fire and surrounding fuel, slowing fire spread and protecting escape routes, structural elements and adjacent equipment even before the fire is fully extinguished.
Specification
System specifications
| Operating pressure | 100–140 bar |
|---|---|
| Droplet size (Dv0.9) | < 200 µm |
| Nozzle K-factor range | [PLACEHOLDER: K-factors] |
| Pump unit capacity | [PLACEHOLDER: pump capacity] l/min |
| Tunnel zone length | 25–30 m |
| Distribution pipework | SS 316 stainless steel |
| Activation | Zoned deluge — open nozzles, section valves |
Comparison
High pressure vs low pressure vs sprinkler
| Criterion | High-pressure mist | Low-pressure mist | Sprinkler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Droplet size (Dv0.9) | < 200 µm | 300–1,000 µm | ≈ 1,000–5,000 µm |
| Water demand | Up to 80% less than sprinkler | 40–60% less than sprinkler | Baseline — high |
| Heat absorption per litre | Highest — ~100× surface area of a sprinkler droplet | Moderate | Lowest |
| Pipe diameter | Small bore (DN12–DN38) — light, retrofit-friendly | Medium bore | Large bore (DN50+) |
| Collateral water damage | Minimal — assets and electronics survive discharge | Moderate | Severe — flooding typical |
| Tank and pump footprint | Compact | Larger tanks | Largest tanks and mains |
Why it matters
Non-conductive, people-safe, water-efficient
Water mist is electrically non-conductive at the point of discharge, safe for occupied spaces, and — because it uses a fraction of the water a sprinkler or deluge system demands — dramatically reduces the size of the tank, pump and pipework a project must accommodate.