Fire extinguishing equipment management system

Abstract

To provide a smart meter capable of communicating with an apparatus on the Internet to determine and report a state such as a degree of deterioration of an installation from the state of installation operation.SOLUTION: In a fire extinguishing installation management system, a fire extinguishing installation 10 connects a sprinkler head 26 to a branch pipe 21 drawn out of a fire extinguishing pump 11 via a water flow detecting device 24 by a floor of a water supply main pipe 16 and connects a remote end test valve 30 to a terminal end. A smart meter 40 measures pressure and flow rate of the water supply main pipe to transmit it to a server 46. If the remote end test valve 30 is opened at the time of inspection, pressure in the water supply main pipe is lowered, the fire extinguishing pump is actuated, fire-extinguishing water is poured from the branch pipe to a drainage pipe 33, and test water discharge is carried out. Pressure and flow rate during inspection are measured by the smart meter and transmitted to the server for storage. At the time of second and subsequent inspections, the server obtains a difference between the pressure and flow rate of a first inspection and the current inspection for each branch system, determines deterioration of each branch system, and determines deterioration of the entire fire extinguishing installation from a sum of the differences to report results.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire extinguishing equipment management system that monitors deterioration over time of a fire extinguishing equipment equipped with a sprinkler head. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, sprinkler fire extinguishing systems have been known as fire extinguishing systems for general buildings. Sprinkler fire extinguishing systems are fire extinguishing systems that automatically perform all operations from fire detection to extinguishing, with the aim of extinguishing a fire in its initial stage using water.

[0003] A sprinkler fire extinguishing system has a main water supply pipe that runs vertically from a pressurized water supply facility equipped with a fire pump, and branch pipes are extended from the main water supply pipe for each floor via a water flow detection device. A closed sprinkler head that is activated in the event of a fire and sprays water is connected to the secondary branch pipe of the water flow detection device.

[0004] All pipes of a sprinkler fire extinguishing system are filled with pressurized fire water, and when the sprinkler heads are activated in response to the hot air current from the fire and water discharge begins, the flow of water caused by the discharge causes the water flow detection device to open and output a water flow detection signal (fire detection signal).The pressure switch of the pump start-up pressure tank detects a drop in pressure in the main water supply pipe, and the fire pump is started to supply pressurized fire water, allowing the fire to be extinguished by continuously discharging more than 80 liters of water per minute.

[0005] Such fire extinguishing equipment is required to undergo regular inspection twice a year. During the regular inspection, a terminal test valve installed at the end of the branch pipe is opened to conduct an actual water discharge test in which fire extinguishing water equivalent to the operation of one sprinkler head is discharged into the drain pipe, the water flow detection device opens when the terminal test valve is opened, outputting a water flow detection signal (fire detection signal), and a drop in pressure in the main water supply pipe is detected by the pressure switch of the pump start pressure tank, which starts the fire pump to pressurize and supply fire extinguishing water, and the terminal pressure (the pressure from the actual water discharge test) is monitored with a pressure gauge to confirm that the fire extinguishing equipment is operating normally.

[0006] If a system is found not to be functioning properly during regular inspections, the equipment causing the problem is repaired or replaced to restore the system's functionality and maintain its reliability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-085914 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-146840 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, once such fire extinguishing equipment is installed, it is operated for a long period of time equivalent to the useful life of the building in which it is installed, and as the operating period increases, the equipment and piping deteriorate. However, the extent of deterioration of the equipment and piping is not known, and when frequent malfunctions occur during regular inspections, measures are limited to assuming that deterioration of the equipment is the cause. As the degree of deterioration of the equipment as the operating period increases, it is not possible to adequately manage operations that take into account the changes in the equipment over time, and there is a concern that the fire extinguishing equipment will not function properly in the unlikely event of a fire breaking out.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a fire extinguishing equipment management system that is equipped with a smart meter that can communicate with devices on the Internet, and can determine and report the condition of the equipment, such as the degree of deterioration, based on the status of equipment operation during regular inspections, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (Fire extinguishing equipment management system) The present invention provides a fire extinguishing equipment management system, A smart meter is installed that transmits the specified measurement information measured by the fire extinguishing equipment to a server. The server is characterized by determining and reporting the status of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the measurement information transmitted from the smart meter.

[0011] Here, a smart meter refers to a meter that has a communication function in addition to the detection function of a sensor.

[0012] (Deterioration assessment of fire extinguishing equipment) When inspecting fire extinguishing equipment, the smart meter transmits measurement information, including the pressure and flow rate of the water main that is set up from the discharge side of the fire pump, to the server. Upon completion of the inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment, the server determines the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on a comparison between the measurement information of the initial inspection and the measurement information of the current inspection, and notifies the user of the deterioration.

[0013] (Inspection operations and pressure and flow measurement) The fire extinguishing system is a sprinkler head connected to a branch pipe branched from the water supply main for each designated protection section via a water flow detection device, and a terminal test valve connected to the end of the branch pipe. Inspection of fire extinguishing equipment involves opening the terminal test valve to allow fire water to flow from the branch pipe to the drain pipe, and then starting the fire pump based on the drop in pressure in the water supply pipe to conduct an actual water discharge test. The smart meter measures the pressure and flow rate of the water main from the opening of the terminal test valve through the start of the fire pump and the closing of the terminal test valve to the stopping of the fire pump, and transmits this information to the server. The server stores the pressure and flow rate for each inspection, dividing the inspection into the initial inspection and subsequent inspections of the fire extinguishing equipment, and dividing the inspection results by branch pipe system.

[0014] (Deterioration determination based on pressure and flow rate differences) The server generates a difference integral value between the initial inspection and the current inspection for either pressure or flow rate or both for each branch pipe system, determines and reports the degree of deterioration of each branch pipe system based on the difference integral value, and also determines and reports the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the sum of the difference integral values.

[0015] (Deterioration determination based on pressure and flow rate for a certain period during inspection) The server determines the degree of deterioration by generating a differential integral value between the initial inspection and the current inspection based on either or both of the pressure and flow rate for a predetermined period of time including the opening of the terminal test valve and the start of the fire pump.

[0016] (Deterioration determination based on response delay of pressure and flow rate) The server generates, for each branch pipe system, a differential time between the response time of the initial inspection and the current inspection until either or both of the pressure and flow rate reduced by the opening of the terminal test valve reach a predetermined value by starting the pump, and determines and notifies the degree of deterioration of each branch pipe system based on the differential time, and also determines and notifies the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the sum of the differential times.

[0017] (Pressure and flow response time) The server The pressure response time is the time it takes for the pressure, which has been reduced by opening the terminal test valve, to recover to a predetermined pressure by starting the pump. The flow rate response time is measured from the time when the flow rate starts to stabilize at a predetermined flow rate after the end test valve is opened and the time when the pump is started.

[0018] (Primary and secondary pressure of water flow detection device) The smart meter transmits measurement information, including the primary and secondary pressures of the water flow detection device installed in the fire extinguishing equipment, to a server. The server determines the status of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the primary and secondary pressures of the water flow detection device transmitted from the smart meter and reports the status.

[0019] (Temperature, pH, specific gravity, vibration, acceleration, conductivity measurement) The smart meter transmits measurement information including at least one of the temperature of the fire extinguishing equipment, the pH of the fire extinguishing water, the specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water, the conductivity of the fire extinguishing water, the vibration of the piping, and the acceleration of the piping to the server; The server determines and reports the status of the fire extinguishing equipment based on any of the following data transmitted from the smart meter: the temperature of the fire extinguishing equipment, the pH of the fire extinguishing water, the conductivity of the fire extinguishing water, the specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water, the vibration of the piping, or the acceleration of the piping. Effect of the Invention

[0020] (Basic Effects) According to the fire extinguishing equipment management system of the present invention, specific measurement information measured by the fire extinguishing equipment is transmitted to a server by the smart meter, so that the status of the fire extinguishing equipment can be known from the measurement information of the fire extinguishing equipment on the server in real time or at the required time without having to visit the site where the fire extinguishing equipment is installed. This makes it possible to know the status of the fire extinguishing equipment from the measurement information of the fire extinguishing equipment on the server in real time or at the required time, for example, at the precursor phenomenon stage, thereby enabling necessary measures to be taken and enabling the operation and maintenance of the fire extinguishing equipment to be efficiently carried out.

[0021] (Effect of judging deterioration of fire extinguishing equipment) In addition, the pressure and flow rate of the main water supply pipe measured by a smart meter during actual water discharge tests conducted during regular inspections of fire extinguishing equipment can be sent to a server on the Internet. By comparing the measurement information from the initial inspection with that from the current inspection on the server, the current degree of deterioration of the equipment can be determined. The degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment as the period of operation increases can be quantitatively indicated, making it possible to know the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment and, by taking appropriate measures, for example, by formulating a renewal plan for replacing fire extinguishing equipment at an appropriate time, it is possible to maintain and manage the fire extinguishing equipment in a way that ensures its reliability in operating in the event of a fire.

[0022] (Effects of inspection operations and pressure and flow rate measurements) In addition, the pressure and flow rate of the main water supply pipe can be measured during an actual water discharge test, which is equivalent to the opening of a terminal test valve essentially activating one sprinkler head, and transmitted to the server for storage.Furthermore, by dividing the measurement information into the initial inspection and subsequent inspections, and storing it separately for each branch pipe system that is inspected separately, it is possible to easily determine the deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the stored measurement information.

[0023] (Effect of determining deterioration based on the difference between pressure and flow rate) In addition, as fire extinguishing equipment deteriorates, the equipment becomes less responsive, and for this reason the difference in the pressure and flow rate of the main water supply pipe between the initial inspection and subsequent inspections tends to increase depending on the deterioration; therefore, a value indicating the degree of deterioration can be calculated, for example, by generating the differential integral value between the initial inspection and the current inspection for both pressure and flow rate, and the larger the differential integral value, the more advanced the deterioration is; therefore, the degree of deterioration can be determined based on the differential integral value.

[0024] In addition, by generating a differential integral value for each branch pipe system, the degree of deterioration can be determined for each branch pipe system, and further, the degree of deterioration of the entire fire extinguishing equipment can be determined from the sum of the differential integral values ​​generated for each branch pipe system.

[0025] (Effect of determining deterioration based on pressure and flow rate for a certain period during inspection) In addition, the inspection time from the start of inspection by opening the terminal test valve to the end of the inspection varies greatly, for example, when the terminal test valve is manually operated. However, by generating a differential integral value, for example, from the pressure and flow rate for a predetermined time after the opening of the terminal test valve, to determine the degree of deterioration, the degree of deterioration of the equipment can be determined with high accuracy without being affected by temporal variations in the inspection operation.

[0026] (Effect of determining deterioration based on response delay of pressure and flow rate) In addition, the response time of the pressure and flow rate of the main water supply pipe when the fire pump is started during a regular inspection becomes longer as the fire extinguishing equipment deteriorates, resulting in a delayed response. Therefore, by detecting and comparing the pressure and flow rate response times between the initial inspection and the current inspection, the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment can be determined.

[0027] (Effect of pressure and flow response time) In addition, the response time can be accurately detected from the changes in pressure and flow rate that accompany the start-up of a fire pump, which is significantly affected by equipment deterioration, and the degree of equipment deterioration can be appropriately evaluated and determined.

[0028] (Effect of measuring the primary and secondary pressure of the water flow detection device) In addition, the primary side pressure (main water supply side pressure) of the water flow detection device installed on the branch pipes that are pulled out from the main water supply pipe installed in the vertical direction of the building for each floor falls within a wide pressure range that is highest on the lowest floor and decreases as the floor increases depending on the water head.If this primary side pressure relationship is disrupted, an abnormality on the primary side of the water flow detection device can be determined and the necessary measures can be taken.

[0029] In addition, the pressure on the secondary side of the water flow detection device is kept constant regardless of the floor by a pressure reducing valve installed on the primary side or a pressure reducing mechanism integrated into the water flow detection device, and if the secondary side pressure drops, for example, an abnormality such as a leak in the secondary side piping can be determined and the necessary measures can be taken.

[0030] In addition, by monitoring the pressure difference between the primary and secondary pressures of the water flow detection device, it is possible to determine abnormalities on the primary side of the water flow detection device or leaks in the secondary piping, and take the necessary measures.

[0031] (Effects of measuring temperature, pH, conductivity, specific gravity, vibration, and acceleration) In addition, if the temperature of the fire extinguishing equipment continues to exceed the maximum environmental temperature corresponding to, for example, the marked temperature (operating temperature) of the sprinkler head, it can be determined that there is a high possibility of the sprinkler head malfunctioning due to heat or corrosion, and measures such as ventilation can be taken to keep the temperature below the maximum environmental temperature.

[0032] In addition, the pH of the fire water used to fill the pipes is such that the corrosion rate of iron pipes increases as the pH decreases in the acidic range, and decreases as the pH increases in the alkaline range. By monitoring the pH of the fire water, the corrosion status of the pipes can be known and measures can be taken such as adjusting the pH of the fire water to a neutral or alkaline range.

[0033] In addition, the conductivity of fire-fighting water is related to the fact that the higher the conductivity, the more corrosive it is. By monitoring the conductivity of fire-fighting water, the corrosion condition of the piping can be known and measures can be taken to reduce the conductivity of the fire-fighting water.

[0034] In addition, the specific gravity of fire-fighting water increases as more impurities are mixed in, making the water more corrosive. Therefore, by monitoring the specific gravity of fire-fighting water, the corrosion condition of the piping can be known and measures can be taken to lower the specific gravity of the fire-fighting water.

[0035] In addition, the vibration and acceleration of the piping indicate the mechanical stress applied to the piping, and by monitoring the vibration and acceleration of the piping, the impact on the piping connections and sprinkler head connections, etc. can be determined and necessary measures can be taken. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a fire extinguishing equipment management system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the smart meter and the server provided in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] This is a time chart showing the pressure and flow rate of the water supply main pipe, and the operation of the terminal test valve and fire pump during actual water discharge tests during regular inspections. Figure 3(A) shows the measured values, Figure 3(B) shows the operation of the remote terminal test valve 30, and Figure 3(C) shows the operation of the fire pump 11. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the record structure of measurement information of fire extinguishing equipment that is measured by a smart meter and stored in a server, where Fig. 4(A) shows the record format and Fig. 4(B) shows a series of measurement information generated in conjunction with an inspection operation. [Diagram 5] 1 is a time chart showing the flow rate and pressure of a fire extinguishing system obtained through multiple regular inspections used to determine deterioration of the fire extinguishing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the change over time in the degree of deterioration based on the differential integral value generated from the measurement information in FIG. 5. FIG. 6(A) shows the change over time in the branch pipe system (5 systems), and FIG. 6(B) shows the change over time in the entire fire extinguishing equipment. [Figure 7] 1 is a time chart showing the response time of the flow rate and pressure of a fire extinguishing equipment used to determine deterioration of the equipment, for each branch pipe system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] [Fire extinguishing equipment management system] (Fire extinguishing equipment overview) As shown in Fig. 1, fire extinguishing equipment 10 has a fire pump 11 installed as a pressurized water supply device in a pump room such as the basement floor of a building, and is driven by a motor 12. The motor 12 is controlled to start and stop by a pump control panel 14. Driven by motor 12, fire pump 11 sucks in fire water from a water source tank 15 and supplies pressurized fire water to a water supply main pipe 16 arranged in the vertical direction of the building.

[0038] A pump start pressure tank 18 equipped with a pump start pressure switch 20 is provided for the fire pump 11. When the pressure inside the main water supply pipe 16 drops below a specified pressure, the pump start pressure switch 20 operates to output a pressure drop detection signal to the pump control panel 14, driving the motor 12 to start the fire pump 11.

[0039] Branch pipes 21 are led out from the water supply main 16 to each protected section of the building, for example, for each floor. Taking the first floor as an example, a gate valve 22 is connected to the branching part of the branch pipe 21, followed by a water flow detection device 24, and a closed sprinkler head 26 is connected to the branch pipe 21 on the secondary side.

[0040] A manual end test valve 28 that can be opened and closed manually is provided at the end of the branch pipe 21, and a remote end test valve 30 that can be opened and closed by an external signal is connected in parallel to the manual end test valve 28. The remote end test valve 30 is an electric valve or a solenoid valve.

[0041] The secondary sides of the manual end test valve 28 and the remote end test valve 30 are connected to a drain pipe 33 via an orifice 32 that allows a flow rate equivalent to the operation of one sprinkler bed 26. The piping leading to the fire pump 11, the water supply main 16, and the sprinkler head 26 is filled with fire water.

[0042] The water flow detection device 24 has its valve closed in the normal monitoring state, and when a fire on the 1st floor causes the sprinkler head 26 to open and discharge fire extinguishing water, the water flow caused by the discharge opens the valve, and the water flow detection switch is turned on in conjunction with the movement of the valve, a water flow detection signal is output to the fire extinguishing control panel 34 to display the operation, and further, a signal is sent from the fire extinguishing control panel 34 to the fire receiver 36 to output a fire alarm. The water flow detection device 24 also has an integrated pressure reducing mechanism that reduces the primary pressure, which varies over a wide range depending on the floor on which it is installed, to obtain a predetermined secondary pressure. The configuration and function of the water flow detection device 24 are the same for the water flow detection devices on other floors, including the water flow detection device 24 on the 2nd floor.

[0043] In addition, the fire extinguishing control panel 34 of this embodiment performs automatic inspection control based on inspection operations during regular inspections. The automatic inspection control of the fire extinguishing control panel 34 is performed floor by floor in sequence, and first, the remote terminal test valve 30 on the 1st floor is controlled to open, and an actual water discharge test is started by flowing 80 liters or more of fire extinguishing water per minute into the drain pipe 33, which corresponds to the amount of water discharged by one operation of the sprinkler head 26 determined by the orifice 32.

[0044] When the actual test water discharge begins, the flowing water opens the valve body of the water flow detection device 24, outputting a water flow detection signal (fire detection signal), indicating operation on the fire extinguishing control panel 34, and outputting a signal to transfer the information to the fire receiver 36. However, since the signal transfer is set to stop during inspection, no fire alarm is output.

[0045] In addition, when the test discharge is started by opening the remote end test valve 30, the pressure in the main water supply pipe 16 decreases, and the pump start pressure switch 20 of the pressure tank 18 is activated (turned on) in response to the pressure drop, and the pump control panel 14 starts the motor 12 to drive the fire pump 11 to pressurize and supply fire water, and a test discharge is performed by flowing more than 80 liters of fire water per minute from the opened remote end test valve 30 into the drain pipe 33.

[0046] Next, when the specified inspection time has elapsed, the fire control panel 34 closes the remote terminal test valve 30 to stop the test discharge, and then instructs the pump control panel 14 to stop the pump, and stops the operation of the fire pump 11 by stopping the drive of the motor 12. Thereafter, the automatic inspection control is repeated in the same manner for the remaining floors.

[0047] [Smart meter] A smart meter 40 is provided on the pressurized water supply side including the fire pump 11 of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 in Fig. 1. The smart meter 40 has a communication function of measuring the pressure P and the flow rate Q on the secondary side of the fire pump 11, generating measurement information, and transmitting the information from an antenna 76 to a server 46 via a base station 78 and the Internet 42.

[0048] In addition, the water flow detection device 24 on each floor is equipped with a pressure sensor that detects the primary pressure P1 and the secondary pressure P2. 71 , 72 are provided, and the pressure detection values ​​of the pressure sensors 71, 72 are collected by an adapter 74 and transmitted to the smart meter 40. For this reason, the smart meter 40 generates measurement information by adding the primary pressure P1 and secondary pressure P2 of the water flow detection device 24 on each floor to the pressure P and flow rate Q, and transmits the measurement information to the server 46.

[0049] 2, the smart meter 40 includes a pressure sensor 48, a flow rate sensor 50, a meter control unit 52, and a meter communication unit 54. The meter control unit 52 is configured with a computer circuit including a CPU, a memory, various input / output ports, and the like.

[0050] The pressure sensor 48 detects the pressure P of the fire water filled in the main water supply pipe 16 on the secondary side of the fire pump 11 , and the flow rate sensor 50 detects the flow rate Q of the fire water flowing through the main water supply pipe 16 .

[0051] The meter control unit 52 receives a pressure detection signal E1 from the pressure sensor 48, a flow rate detection signal E2 from the flow rate sensor 50, a status signal E3 from the fire extinguishing control panel 34 indicating whether the condition is normal or under inspection, a terminal test valve signal E4 from the fire extinguishing control panel 34 indicating the opening and closing of the remote terminal test valve 30 provided for each branch pipe system for each floor, a fire pump operation signal E5 from the pump control panel 14 indicating the start and stop of the fire pump 11, and a pressure sensor signal E6 from the flow detection device 24. 71 , 72 receive the primary pressure detection signal E6 and the secondary pressure detection signal E7.

[0052] The meter control unit 52, which receives these signals E1 to E7, generates measurement information including the equipment ID, branch system ID, pressure P, flow rate Q, terminal test valve, pump operation, status, primary side pressure P1, and secondary side pressure P2 at each specified sampling period, and instructs the meter communication unit 54 to transmit it to the server 46.

[0053] As shown in Figure 1, the water inlet 25 of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 is installed outside the building, and in this embodiment, an antenna 76 of the smart meter 40 is provided at the water inlet 25 and connected to the meter communication unit 54 in Figure 2 by an antenna wire, making it possible to easily install the antenna 76 outside the building.

[0054] [server] (Server Overview) 2, the server 46 is made up of a server communication unit 56, a server control unit 58, a display unit 60 using a display, an operation unit 62 equipped with input / output units such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a storage unit 64. The server control unit 58 is a computer circuit equipped with a CPU, memory, various input / output ports, etc., and realizes the functions of a measurement information management unit 66 and a deterioration determination unit 68 by executing a program by the CPU.

[0055] The measurement information management unit 66 receives and stores the measurement information transmitted by the smart meter 40 of the fire extinguishing equipment 10, and performs management control to read out the information as necessary. The deterioration determination unit 68 does not perform a determination process at the end of the first inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment 10, but at the end of the second or subsequent inspections, determines the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 based on a comparison between the measurement information of the first inspection and the measurement information of the current inspection, and performs control to notify the user by displaying the result on the display unit 60. The deterioration determination unit 68 also performs control to determine the state of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 from the measurement information and notify the user at the time of inspection or at the timing of a human operation.

[0056] (Measurement information from fire extinguishing equipment inspections) As shown in Figure 3, the operation of the regular inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 is as follows: at time t1, the remote terminal test valve 30 is controlled to open to start test discharge, and the pressure P in the water supply main 16 shown in Figure 3(A) drops, and when it drops to a predetermined set pressure Pth at time t2, the pump start pressure switch 20 of the pressure tank 18 shown in Figure 1 turns on, starting the fire pump 11 and putting it into operation, thereby recovering the dropped pressure P and performing continuous test discharge. At this time, the flow rate Q of the water supply main 16 increases to a test discharge flow rate of, for example, 80 liters per minute or more, and this is maintained.

[0057] When the specified inspection time has elapsed and it reaches time t4, the remote end test valve 30 is controlled to be closed, and then at time t5, the operation of the fire pump 11 is stopped, the flow rate Q of the main water supply pipe 16 becomes zero, and the pressure P increases slightly and stabilizes, thereby completing the inspection of this branch pipe system.

[0058] (Transmission and storage of measurement information during regular inspections) 4(A), the measurement information 70 generated by the smart meter 40 and stored in the server 46 includes an index, a facility ID, a branch system ID, a pressure P, a flow rate Q, a terminal test valve, a pump operation, and a status. Note that the primary pressure P1 and the secondary pressure P2 of the water flow detection device 24 are omitted.

[0059] The index indicates the order of the measurement information 70 and may be a time stamp. As shown in Fig. 1, the server 46 manages a plurality of fire extinguishing equipment 10, so the equipment ID is set to identify the fire extinguishing equipment 10. The branch system ID is set to identify the branch pipe system for which periodic inspection is performed by controlling the remote terminal test valve 30.

[0060] The pressure P is a digital pressure value DP obtained by AD converting the pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 48, and the flow rate Q is a digital flow rate value DQ obtained by AD converting the flow rate Q detected by the flow rate sensor 50. The terminal test valve indicates its open / closed state. The pump operation indicates whether it is operating or stopped. The status indicates whether it is normal or under inspection. Note that the format of the measurement information 70 is not limited to this, and any appropriate format can be used as long as it includes the pressure P and the flow rate Q.

[0061] When the branch pipe system inspection operation shown in Fig. 1 is performed, the smart meter 40 generates a series of measurement information 70 shown in Fig. 4(B) and transmits it to and stores it in the server 46. The measurement information in Fig. 4(B) is generated discretely at a predetermined sampling period, and the measurement timings at times t1, t2, t4, and t5 in Fig. 3 are shown on the left side.

[0062] The deterioration determination unit 68 of the server 46 reads out the measurement information 70 measured by the smart meter 40 in this manner and transmitted to and stored in the server 46 for a predetermined time T from the inspection start time t1 at which the remote terminal test valve 30 shown in Figure 3 is controlled to be open to the time t3 after the fire pump 11 is started, and performs a deterioration determination of the fire extinguishing equipment 10.

[0063] [Deterioration determination based on the difference in measurement values] (Measurement information used to judge deterioration) As shown in Figure 5, pressure P1 and flow rate Q1 are time distributions measured during the initial inspection, and the measurement results of pressure and flow rate for a specified time T from time t1 when the remote terminal test valve 30 shown in Figure 3 is opened to time t3 after the specified time T has elapsed are read out to determine the deterioration of the equipment.

[0064] Here, pressure P1 indicates the time change from when the pressure drops due to the opening of the remote terminal test valve 30 to when the pressure recovers due to the start of the fire pump 11. Also, flow rate Q1 indicates the time change from when the flow rate increases due to the opening of the remote terminal test valve 30 to when the flow rate recovers due to the start of the fire pump 11 and a predetermined flow rate is maintained.

[0065] Pressure P2 and flow rate Q2 are the measurement results of the second regular inspection. Compared to the initial rise in pressure P1 and flow rate Q1, the second rise in pressure P2 and flow rate Q2 has a time delay due to the effects of aging of the equipment.

[0066] Pressure P3 and flow rate Q3 are the measurement results of the third regular inspection, and pressure P4 and flow rate Q4 are the measurement results of the fourth regular inspection, and there is a time lag in the rise of each compared to the previous measurement results.

[0067] Regular inspections of fire extinguishing equipment are conducted once every six months. With regular inspections at such intervals, the significant time lag in the rising portions of pressure and flow rate shown in Figure 5 does not necessarily occur. However, if the equipment has been in operation for several years, it is expected that the time lag in the rising portions of pressure and flow rate compared to the initial inspection will become significant. For ease of explanation, Figure 5 shows that a time lag occurs from the first to fourth inspections.

[0068] (Deterioration determination based on pressure and flow rate differences) When the deterioration determination unit 68 of the server 46 shown in FIG. 2 receives an operation for processing an equipment deterioration determination from a person in a state where the second or subsequent regular inspection is completed and the measurement information of the first and second inspections is stored in the memory unit 64 by the measurement information management unit 66, the deterioration determination unit 68 reads out the measurement information of the pressure P1 and flow rate Q1 of the first inspection for a predetermined period of time T and the measurement information of the pressure P2 and flow rate Q2 of the second inspection for a predetermined period of time T shown in FIG. 5, generates a difference integral value between the first inspection and the two-circuit inspection, and determines and notifies the degree of deterioration of each branch pipe system based on the difference integral value.

[0069] Specifically, the deterioration determination unit 68 determines deterioration for each branch pipe system. Here, assuming that the branch pipe system is i=1, 2,...n, the deterioration determination unit 68 reads out measurement information for a predetermined time T of the pressure P1i and the flow rate Q1i in the first inspection and measurement information for a predetermined time T of the pressure P2i and the flow rate Q2i in the second inspection, and calculates the difference integral value ΣΔP12=Σ(P1i-P1i) ΣΔQ12=Σ(Q1i-Q1i) The degree of deterioration of each branch pipe system is determined and notified based on, for example, the sum of the two (ΣΔP12+ΣΔQ12).

[0070] Here, the pressure differential integral value ΣΔP12 indicates the area between the first and second pressures P1, P2 shown in Figure 5, and the flow rate differential integral value ΣΔQ12 indicates the area between the first and second flow rates Q1, Q2 shown in Figure 5, and the size of the area indicates the degree of deterioration at the time of the second inspection compared to the time of the first inspection. Note that the deterioration judgment for each branch pipe system may be judged individually by dividing it into the pressure differential integral value (ΣΔP12) and the flow rate differential integral value (ΣΔQ12).

[0071] The deterioration determination unit 68 may also obtain the sum of the differential integral values ​​of the pressure and the flow rate generated in the deterioration determination for each branch pipe system, and determine and notify the overall deterioration degree of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 based on the sum of the differential integral values ​​of the pressure and the flow rate. In this case, too, the deterioration degree of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 as a whole may be determined by dividing the sum of the differential integral values ​​of the pressure and the sum of the differential integral values ​​of the flow rate.

[0072] (Degree of deterioration of equipment) As shown in FIG. 6(A), the deterioration degree given by the difference integral value in a branch pipe system increases only slightly up to, for example, 10 years, but the rate of increase becomes larger after 10 years, and after about 20 years, the deterioration degree exceeds a preset deterioration degree threshold value TH1. By issuing a deterioration alarm for a branch pipe system that has exceeded threshold value TH1, the system encourages the formulation of a plan to replace and repair the equipment and piping that have triggered the deterioration alarm.

[0073] FIG. 6(B) shows the sum of the deterioration levels of each branch pipe system in FIG. 6(A). Similarly, the rate of increase becomes larger after 10 years, and after 20 years the deterioration level exceeds the preset deterioration level threshold TH2. By issuing an equipment deterioration alarm, the system encourages the formulation of a renewal plan to replace and repair the equipment and piping.

[0074] [Deterioration determination based on response delay of pressure and flow rate] As another embodiment of the deterioration determination unit 68 of the server 46 shown in FIG. 2, the degree of result of the equipment is determined and notified based on the response time of the pressure P and the flow rate Q during periodic inspection.

[0075] (Response Time Detection) As shown in Figure 7, pressures P1 to P4 and flow rates Q1 to Q4 are the time distributions of pressure and flow rate measured in the first to fourth inspections, and when the second or subsequent regular inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 is completed and a processing request operation for deterioration determination is received from the person in charge, the deterioration determination unit 68 of this embodiment reads out the measurement results of pressure and flow rate for a predetermined time T from time t1 when the remote terminal test valve 30 shown in Figure 3 is opened to time t3 when the predetermined time T has elapsed, in order to determine the deterioration of the equipment.

[0076] For example, when the second regular inspection is completed and a request for processing deterioration determination is received from the person in charge, the deterioration determination unit 68 reads out the measurement information of the pressure P1 and flow rate Q1 of the first inspection and the pressure P2 and flow rate Q2 of the second inspection shown in Figure 7.

[0077] The deterioration determination unit 68 detects, for the initial inspection pressure P1, the pressure response time PT1, which is the time from when the remote end test valve 30 is opened at time t1 until the pressure drops to the specified pressure by the start of the fire pump 11.

[0078] In addition, for the flow rate Q1 of the initial inspection, the deterioration judgment unit 68 detects the time from when the remote end test valve 30 is opened and the flow rate increases until the flow rate stabilizes at a predetermined flow rate due to the start of the fire pump 11 as the flow rate response time QT1.

[0079] Similarly, the deterioration determination unit 68 detects the pressure response time PT2 and flow rate response time QT2 for the pressure P2 and flow rate Q2 in the second inspection. The pressure response time PT2 and flow rate response time QT2 in the second regular inspection are delayed from the pressure response time PT1 and flow rate response time QT1 in the first regular inspection due to the effects of aging of the equipment.

[0080] It should be noted that the pressure P3 and flow rate Q3 are the measurement results of the third regular inspection, and the deterioration determination unit 68 detects the response times PT3 and QT3, respectively, and the pressure P4 and flow rate Q4 are the measurement results of the fourth regular inspection, and the deterioration determination unit 68 detects the response times PT4 and QT4, respectively.

[0081] (Deterioration determination based on response time) Next, the deterioration determination unit 68 determines deterioration based on the pressure and flow rate response times for each branch pipe system. Here, assuming that the branch pipe system is i=1, 2,..., n, the deterioration determination unit 68 determines the time difference between the pressure response time PT1i and the flow rate response time QT1i in the first inspection. ΔPT12=(PT1i-PT2i) ΔQT12=(QT1i-QT2i) For example, the time difference between the two is ΔT1=(ΔPT12+ΔQT12) Based on this, the degree of deterioration of each branch pipe system is determined and notified.

[0082] Here, the larger the time difference in response time between the first inspection and the second inspection, the more deteriorated the equipment is at the time of the second inspection compared to the equipment at the time of the first inspection. Note that deterioration determination for each branch pipe system may be performed separately for the pressure time difference (ΔPT12) and the flow rate time difference (ΔQT12).

[0083] The deterioration determination unit 68 also obtains the sum of the pressure-time difference and the flow-time difference generated in the deterioration determination for each branch pipe system, and determines and notifies the overall deterioration degree of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 based on the sum of the pressure-time difference and the flow-time difference. In this case, too, the deterioration degree of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 as a whole may be determined by dividing the sum of the pressure-time difference and the sum of the flow-time difference.

[0084] [Measurement and determination of primary and secondary pressure of water flow detection device] As shown in Fig. 1, the smart meter 40 transmits the measurement information including the primary pressure P1 and the secondary pressure P2 of the water flow detection device 24 provided in the fire extinguishing equipment 10 to the server 46. The measurement information management unit 66 of the server 46 shown in Fig. 2 receives and stores the measurement information including the primary pressure P1 and the secondary pressure P2 from the smart meter 40, and reads it out as necessary.

[0085] The deterioration determination unit 68 of the server 68 determines the state of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 based on the primary side pressure P1 and the secondary side pressure P2 of the flowing water detection device 24 transmitted from the smart meter 40, and reports the state.

[0086] For example, the primary pressure P1 of the water flow detection device 24 installed in the branch pipes 21 drawn out for each floor from the water supply main 16 installed in the height direction of the building is highest on the lowest floor according to the water head, and falls in a wide pressure range that decreases as the floor increases. Therefore, the server 46 reads out the primary pressure P1 of the water flow detection device 24 on each floor, and if the relationship of the primary pressure P1 that changes according to the floor is lost, it determines and reports an abnormality on the primary side of the water flow detection device 24, making it possible to take necessary measures such as inspection of the water flow detection device 24.

[0087] Furthermore, the pressure on the secondary side of the water flow detection device 24 is set to a predetermined pressure by a pressure reducing valve provided on the primary side or a pressure reducing mechanism integrated with the water flow detection device 24, regardless of the floor. Therefore, when the secondary side pressure P2 drops below the predetermined pressure, the server 46 determines and reports an abnormality such as a water leak in the secondary side branch pipe 21, enabling necessary measures to be taken.

[0088] In addition, the server 46 determines and monitors the differential pressure (P1-P2) between the primary side pressure P1 and the secondary side pressure P2 of the water flow detection device 24, and when the differential pressure (P1-P2) deviates from a predetermined value which differs for each floor, it determines and reports an abnormality on the primary side of the water flow detection device 24 or a leak in the secondary side piping, etc., enabling the necessary measures to be taken.

[0089] [Measurement and determination of temperature, pH, specific gravity, vibration, acceleration, and electrical conductivity] (Additional measurement information) The smart meter 40 installed in the fire extinguishing equipment 10 in Figure 1 may transmit to the server 46 measurement information generated by detecting, using corresponding sensors, the temperature T of the fire extinguishing equipment, the pH of the fire extinguishing water, the conductivity of the fire extinguishing water, the specific gravity G of the fire extinguishing water, and the vibration or acceleration of the piping, in addition to the pressure P and flow rate Q of the main water supply pipe 16 and the primary side pressure P1 and secondary side pressure P2 of the flow detection device 24 described above.

[0090] The server 46 determines and reports the status of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the temperature of the fire extinguishing equipment 10, the pH of the fire extinguishing water, the conductivity of the fire extinguishing water, the specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water, the vibration of the piping, or the acceleration of the piping transmitted by the smart meter 40.

[0091] In addition, this also includes cases where the smart meter 40 generates appropriate measurement information and transmits it to the server 46, which determines and notifies the equipment status.

[0092] (Determining equipment condition based on temperature) The server 46 monitors the temperature T of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 detected by the temperature sensor included in the measurement information received from the smart meter 40, and if the temperature continues to exceed the maximum environmental temperature corresponding to the indicated temperature, which is the operating temperature of the sprinkler head 26, for example, it determines that there is an increased possibility of malfunction due to heat or corrosion of the sprinkler head 26 and issues a temperature anomaly. This allows measures such as ventilation to be taken to keep the equipment temperature below the maximum environmental temperature.

[0093] (Determining the condition of firefighting equipment based on the pH of firefighting water) The server 46 monitors the pH of the fire-extinguishing water filled in the pipes, detected by the pH sensor included in the measurement information received from the smart meter 40, and determines and notifies the equipment status based on the pH of the fire-extinguishing water.

[0094] The fire extinguishing water filled in the piping has a relationship in which the corrosion rate of iron piping increases as the pH decreases in the acidic range, and the corrosion rate decreases as the pH increases in the alkaline range. Therefore, the server 46 monitors the pH of the fire extinguishing water, determines a decrease in pH in the acidic range, and notifies the user that corrosion of the piping is progressing. This makes it possible to take measures such as draining the fire extinguishing water from the piping and replacing it with new fire extinguishing water to adjust the pH of the fire extinguishing water to a neutral or alkaline range.

[0095] (Determination of equipment condition based on the conductivity of fire extinguishing water) The server 46 monitors the conductivity of the fire-extinguishing water filled in the pipes, detected by the conductivity sensor included in the measurement information received from the smart meter 40, and determines and reports the equipment status based on the conductivity of the fire-extinguishing water.

[0096] The conductivity of the fire extinguishing water filling the piping is related to the fact that the higher the conductivity, the higher the corrosiveness. Therefore, the server 46 monitors the conductivity of the fire extinguishing water, determines when the conductivity has increased, and notifies the user that the corrosiveness of the piping has increased. This makes it possible to take measures such as draining the fire extinguishing water from the piping and replacing it with new fire extinguishing water to return the conductivity of the fire extinguishing water to normal.

[0097] (Determination of equipment condition based on specific gravity of fire extinguishing water) The server 46 monitors the specific gravity of the fire-extinguishing water filling the pipes detected by the specific gravity sensor included in the measurement information received from the smart meter 40, and determines and reports the equipment status based on the specific gravity of the fire-extinguishing water.

[0098] The specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water filling the piping increases as more impurities are mixed in, and depending on the impurities, the water becomes more corrosive. Therefore, the server 46 monitors the specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water, determines when the specific gravity has increased, and notifies the user that the corrosiveness of the piping has increased. This makes it possible to take measures such as draining the fire extinguishing water from the piping and replacing it with new fire extinguishing water to return the specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water to normal.

[0099] (Determining equipment condition based on piping vibration and acceleration) The server 46 monitors the vibrations and acceleration of the piping detected by the vibration sensor and acceleration sensor included in the measurement information received from the smart meter 40, and determines and notifies the equipment status based on the vibrations and acceleration of the piping.

[0100] The vibration and acceleration of the piping of the fire extinguishing equipment 10 indicate the mechanical stress applied to the piping. If continuous strong vibrations are applied or if a large accelerated shock is applied due to an earthquake or the like, the connections of the piping and the connections of the sprinkler head 26 may become loose and cause water leakage, or the large shock may cause cracks or other damage.

[0101] Therefore, the server 46 monitors the vibration and acceleration of the fire extinguishing equipment, and notifies the user when it detects that a strong vibration has been continuously applied or that a shock with a large acceleration has been applied due to an earthquake, etc. This enables the user to inspect the fire extinguishing equipment and find abnormalities, and take measures such as repair and replacement.

[0102] [Modifications of the present invention] (Terminal test valve) In the above embodiment, a remote terminal test valve 30 is provided in parallel with the manual terminal test valve 28 provided at the end of the branch pipe 21, and is opened under control of the fire extinguishing control panel 34 during regular inspection to begin a water-discharge test. However, if a remote terminal test valve 30 is not provided, an inspector may visit the site and open the manual terminal test valve 28 to perform a water-discharge test.

[0103] In this case, since the fire extinguishing control panel 34 cannot detect the opening operation of the manual end test valve 28, it instead sets the flowing water detection signal generated by turning on the flowing water detection switch of the flowing water detection device 24 as the measurement information.

[0104] (Memory of measurement information) In the above embodiment, all measurement information measured and transmitted by the smart meter 40 at a predetermined sampling period is stored in the server 46, but this is not limited to this. For example, when an inspection mode is set in the fire extinguishing control panel 34, only the measurement information received from the smart meter 40 while the inspection mode is set is stored, thereby reducing the amount of measurement information stored in the server 46.

[0105] (Regular inspection) In the above embodiment, deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment is determined during regular inspection of the equipment, but this is not limited to this, and deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment may also be determined during inspection other than regular inspection, or during appropriate inspection involving a water discharge test performed as necessary.

[0106] (Other fire extinguishing equipment) The above embodiment is directed to a wet sprinkler fire extinguishing system in which the secondary piping is filled with pressurized water, but the embodiment may also be directed to a dry sprinkler fire extinguishing system in which the secondary piping is filled with pressurized air, a wet pre-action sprinkler fire extinguishing system or negative pressure wet pre-action sprinkler fire extinguishing system in which the secondary piping is filled with pressurized water, or a dry pre-action sprinkler system in which the secondary side is filled with pressurized air.

[0107] (Pressurized water supply device) The above embodiment has taken a fire pump facility as an example of a pressurized water supply device, but other than this, an elevated water tank system in which the pressure for water supply is obtained by utilizing the head of an elevated water tank, or a pressurized water tank system in which water is supplied from a pressurized water tank may also be used.

[0108] (others) Furthermore, the present invention includes appropriate modifications that do not impair the objects and advantages of the present invention, and is not limited to the numerical values ​​shown in the above embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 10: Fire extinguishing equipment 11: Fire pump 12:Motor 14: Pump control panel 15: Water source tank 16: Water main 18: Pressure tank 20: Pressure switch for starting pump 21: Branch pipe 22: Gate valve 24: Flowing water detector 25: Water inlet 26: Sprinkler head 28: Manual end test valve 30: Remote terminal test valve 32: Orifice 33: Drain pipe 34: Fire extinguishing control panel 36: Fire Receiver 40: Smart meter 42: Internet 46: Server 48,71, 72 : Pressure sensor 50: Flow sensor 52: Meter control unit 54: Meter communication unit 56: Server communication section 58: Server control unit 60: Display section 62:Operation unit 64: Storage section 66: Measurement Information Management Department 68: Deterioration determination section 70: Measurement information 74: Adapter 76: Antenna 78:Base station

Claims

1. A smart meter is installed that transmits the specified measurement information measured by the fire extinguishing equipment to a server. The smart meter transmits measurement information including a pressure and a flow rate of a water supply main pipe established from a discharge side of a fire pump to a server during an inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment; The server determines and reports the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the measurement information from the initial inspection and the measurement information from the current inspection transmitted from the smart meter when the inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment is completed.

2. The fire extinguishing equipment management system according to claim 1, The smart meter transmits the measurement information to a server at a predetermined sampling period each time the fire extinguishing equipment is inspected; The server stores the measurement information received each time the fire extinguishing equipment is inspected, and at the completion of the second or subsequent inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment, determines the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on a comparison of the measurement information from the initial inspection with the measurement information from the current inspection, and notifies the user of the degree of deterioration.

3. In the fire extinguishing equipment management system according to claim 1, The fire extinguishing system includes a sprinkler head connected to a branch pipe branched from the main water supply pipe via a water flow detection device, and a terminal test valve connected to an end of the branch pipe, The inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment is carried out by opening the terminal test valve to allow fire water to flow from the branch pipe to the drain pipe, and then starting the fire pump based on the drop in pressure in the main water supply pipe to perform a test discharge of water. The smart meter measures the pressure and flow rate of the water supply main from the opening of the terminal test valve through the start of the fire pump and the closing of the terminal test valve to the stopping of the fire pump as the measurement information and transmits the measurement information to the server; A fire extinguishing equipment management system characterized in that the server divides the inspection of the fire extinguishing equipment into an initial inspection and subsequent inspections, and stores the pressure and flow rate for each inspection for each system of the branch pipe.

4. In the fire extinguishing equipment management system according to claim 3, The server generates a difference integral value between the initial inspection and the current inspection for each branch pipe system for either the pressure or the flow rate or both, determines and notifies the degree of deterioration of each branch pipe system based on the difference integral value, and determines and notifies the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the sum of the difference integral values.

5. In the fire extinguishing equipment management system described in claim 4, the server generates a difference integral value between the initial inspection and the current inspection based on either or both of the pressure and the flow rate for a predetermined period of time from the opening of the terminal test valve to the start of the fire pump, thereby determining the degree of deterioration.

6. In the fire extinguishing equipment management system described in claim 4, the server generates, for each branch pipe system, a differential time between the response time of the initial inspection and the current inspection until either or both of the pressure and the flow rate, which have been reduced by the opening of the terminal test valve, reach a predetermined value by starting the pump, and determines and notifies the degree of deterioration of each branch pipe system based on the differential time, and also determines and notifies the degree of deterioration of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the sum of the differential time.

7. The fire extinguishing equipment management system according to claim 6, The server, As the pressure response time, a time from when the pressure is lowered by opening the terminal test valve until when the pressure is restored to a predetermined pressure by starting the pump is detected; A fire extinguishing equipment management system characterized in that the response time of the flow rate is detected as the time it takes for the flow rate that starts when the terminal test valve is opened to stabilize at a predetermined flow rate when the pump is started.

8. In the fire extinguishing equipment management system according to claim 1, The smart meter transmits measurement information including a primary pressure and a secondary pressure of a water flow detection device installed in the fire extinguishing equipment to the server, The fire extinguishing equipment management system is characterized in that the server determines and reports the status of the fire extinguishing equipment based on the primary side pressure and secondary side pressure of the water flow detection device transmitted from the smart meter.

9. The fire extinguishing equipment management system according to claim 1, The smart meter transmits measurement information including at least one of a temperature of the fire extinguishing equipment, a pH of the fire extinguishing water, a conductivity of the fire extinguishing water, a specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water, a vibration of a pipe, or an acceleration of a pipe to the server; A fire extinguishing equipment management system characterized in that the server determines and reports the status of the fire extinguishing equipment based on any of the temperature of the fire extinguishing equipment, the pH of the fire extinguishing water, the conductivity of the fire extinguishing water, the specific gravity of the fire extinguishing water, the vibration of the piping, or the acceleration of the piping transmitted from the smart meter.

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