Bushfire sprinkler systems: How can science guide our designs?

External water spray systems are used to protect many Australian homes from bushfire, but the design guidance currently available is inconsistent and generally lacks detail. As a result, the sophistication of systems in use varies widely—from garden hoses feeding irrigation sprinklers attached to gutters through to carefully engineered drencher systems. All of these systems would benefit from clearer design guidance. Existing scientific evidence can help in some areas, and new research currently underway is helping to fill several knowledge gaps.

This presentation will walk through the design process for a typical bushfire sprinkler system, stopping at each stage to consider scientific evidence that can guide the design process. Results from physical tests and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations at the University of Wollongong’s Sustainable Buildings Research Centre will be presented, together with data from the scientific literature spanning back to the 1970s. A clear design process will be outlined and limits of the current scientific understanding will be explained, to help attendees make evidence-based decisions when considering bushfire sprinkler systems.

Dr Alan Green

Senior Research Fellow at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC), University of Wollongong

Alan Green is a Senior Research Fellow at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC), University of Wollongong. His background in Mechanical Engineering and experience in engineering design began at BlueScope Steel where he was employed as a Cadet from 2006 to 2011. Since then, Alan has pursued his keen interest in the science of fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics, and his passion for environmental conservation and sustainability, through a range of roles. He was awarded a PhD in 2019 for his work on sprinkler systems to protect houses from bushfire, and has since worked at the SBRC investigating a range of topics in the field of Building Physics.

Alan specialises in the design and conduct of experiments to investigate processes such as air flows, heat transfer and condensation in building components, as well as the development of novel mathematical models to simulate these processes. The majority of Alan’s research has direct applications within industry, where it is providing a scientific basis for progress towards buildings that produce minimal emissions, are resilient to natural disasters, and provide safe, healthy indoor environments.

SESSIONS

Bushfire sprinkler systems: How can science guide our designs?

Dr Alan Green

Senior Research Fellow at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC), University of Wollongong

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