A team of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineers from Texas A&M is partnering with the College Station Fire Department (CSFD) to develop a device for reducing the water damage that can occur after fires have been extinguished by sprinklers.
The students are participating in a NASA competition to adapt patents originally intended for space into commercial products to benefit society. Their proposed design is known as the SMA-Actuated Deluge Interrupter (SADI) and includes shape memory metals that react to temperature changes and can alter water flow. The team is advised by Dr. Darren Hartl (Aerospace Engineering), who has applied this same technology for use in aircraft and spacecraft. CSFD mentorship is being provided by Chief Mann and Fire Marshal Cameron Giordano, who have years of experience with both the lifesaving protection and recovery challenges provided by sprinkler systems.