Fire safety in buildings is about protecting people, but also limiting economic losses and damage to the building. Preventing the spread of fire through material and fire dampers is key to this, and early detection of not just temperature rise, but smoke, is crucial to doing this effectively.
This article explains the basic principle of air movement; how creating a pressure differential is the key to creating a flow of air; and how we can measure pressure – the first step in selecting the right fan to provide the desired air flow.
In Part 1 we looked at why sound is important, how we measure Sound Pressure and level, and how we measure Frequency, which describes the variation in sound pressure. In this second part we look at the remaining two important ways of measuring sound, Sound Sources and Sound Power.
Understanding the underlying physics of sound, where it is generated and attenuated, how we measure it, and the impact it has on us, is an important part of being able to design the right air movement systems and select the correct products.