026 - Field report from IWMA conference in Warsaw

Thanks to the courtesy of the International Water Mist Association I have been invited to the recent conference held in Warsaw. The conference was a two-day event focused on water mist technology. In fact, it was the 20th meeting of this kind, and in a way special, as it was the first at which the new European standard EN 14972-1, which is a cornerstone for the future growth of this technology. You can learn more about the standard here.It was a huge pleasure to participate in the conference, and I must say I have learnt a lot about water mist technology. Out of all talks, the one I have enjoyed the most was probably the talk by Arnstein Fedøy on sprinkler reliability. You will hear more about this in the podcast episode and you can also check Arnstein's book on sprinkler reliability. For me, the runner up was Max Lakkonen who discussed the use of numerical modelling in the water mist world, but I admit, I am biased. The CFD is my world and I love hearing a different perspective from a different industry. It was refreshing to hear Max's balanced stance on what can and what cannot be done. I regret not interviewing him, but at least I have discussed the matter with Alex Palle - one of the leaders of the water mist industry from VID Fire Kill. Alex told me what's all the fuzz with the EN standard, and why it is such an important step for the community. I wish I could cover every talk that was given, as their technical level was really good, and I have enjoyed all of them. Hopefully, some of these resources will be made publically available, and if not, keep your eyes open for the next IWMA conference in 2022 (I've heard it will be in Madrid). In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about water mist technology, the IWMA website is full of great resources, which I highly recommend exploring. Starting with How does the watermist work? by Bettina McDowell and other seminar papers shared on the site. You should also check their position papers on the water mist technology.----The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.