While many people still associate water mist systems with the fire protection systems installed on ships, the range of applications travels far beyond the sea.
Water mist system — which are commonly confused with automatic sprinkler systems — are defined in NFPA 750 (Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems) as sprays for which 99% of the volume of the spray is contained in droplets less than 1,000 microns in diameter.
Although many attempt to distinguish water mist systems from other similar water-based suppression systems solely on the water droplet size, it is important to note the other distinctive features a water mist system provides. Those include spray characteristics, system components and extinguishing mechanisms, which allow these systems to be effective in a multitude of diverse applications.