Smoke-generating tester and testing-purpose gas

Abstract

To provide a smoke-generating tester having a configuration which can improve an adverse effect on an environmental aspect and a health aspect, and which can reduce a testing cost, as compared to a conventional product.SOLUTION: A smoke-generating tester according to the present disclosure is a smoke-generating tester which is used for an operation confirmation test of a smoke detector and which comprises a storage portion for storing a testing-purpose gas used in the operation confirmation test. In a storage portion, as the testing-purpose gas, a smoking material containing a gas composition that is either combustible gas or carbon dioxide, or a mixture of the combustible gas and carbon dioxide, is contained, and a smoking material containing either liquid paraffin or an oil component, or a simulated smoke component which is a mixture of liquid paraffin and an oil component, is contained. The storage portion has an optional function that performs limited spray control to prevent the smoking material from being sprayed more than necessary.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a smoke tester and test gas applied to operation confirmation tests of smoke detectors, and in particular to a smoke tester and test gas that use a smoke generating material containing either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas as a gas component. [Background technology]

[0002] Smoke detectors are installed in fire monitoring areas to detect fires early by detecting smoke. Smoke detectors are often installed in high places, such as ceilings, inside buildings, and dedicated smoke testing equipment is available for testing the operation of smoke detectors (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The conventional smoke application tester disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to spray test gas in a simulated fire smoke state onto a smoke detector to be checked for operation. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-109143 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Current smoke testing equipment uses a gas made primarily from PFAS, an organic fluorine compound, as the test gas to test the operation of smoke detectors. However, it has been pointed out that PFAS is difficult to break down naturally or in the body, difficult to excrete from the body, and likely to have adverse health effects.

[0006] Therefore, from the environmental and health perspectives, it is highly desirable to be able to carry out smoke detector operation tests while eliminating these adverse effects. In addition, there are many smoke detectors to be tested throughout the country, and in terms of price, there is a demand for smoke generating materials that are cheaper than conventional ones.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a smoke tester and test gas that are configured to improve the adverse environmental and health effects and reduce testing costs compared to conventional products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The smoke generating tester according to the present disclosure is a smoke generating tester used for operation confirmation tests of smoke detectors, and is provided with a storage section for storing test gases to be used for operation confirmation tests. The storage section stores a smoke generating material containing, as the test gas, a gas component which is either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas, or a mixture of a flammable gas and carbon dioxide gas, and a pseudo-smoke component which is either liquid paraffin or oil, or a mixture of liquid paraffin and oil.

[0009] In addition, the test gas according to the present disclosure is a test gas used in a test to confirm the operation of a smoke detector, and contains a gas component which is either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas, or a mixture of a flammable gas and carbon dioxide gas, and a pseudo-smoke component which is either liquid paraffin or oil, or a mixture of liquid paraffin and oil. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a smoke tester and test gas that are configured to reduce adverse environmental and health effects and reduce testing costs compared to conventional products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a functional block diagram of a smoke tester according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing components contained in a test gas used in a smoke tester according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a smoke tester according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a configuration is adopted that allows the device to be operated independently. [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a smoke application tester according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a configuration that allows remote operation is adopted. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a series of spray control processes executed by a control unit in the smoke application tester according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example in which a smoke tester according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a flying robot. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for mounting a smoke application tester according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure on a flying robot and conducting an operation check test of a smoke detector installed at a high place. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the smoke tester of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The smoke tester and test gas disclosed herein are characterized by the use of a smoke generating material containing either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas. In particular, the flammable gas includes LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and DME (Di-Methyl Ether).

[0013] None of the gas components are primarily made from PFAS and are available at relatively low cost compared to conventional products. Therefore, the objective of obtaining a smoke tester and test gases that are designed to reduce adverse environmental and health effects and reduce testing costs can be achieved.

[0014] In addition, although the gas components include flammable gases, the device is configured to be able to add a function to perform limited spray control to prevent more flammable gas from being sprayed than necessary so that the total amount sprayed is below the allowable value.

[0015] The smoke tester disclosed herein is not limited to being attached to the tip of a support rod, but can be used in a variety of ways depending on the installation environment, such as by itself or by being mounted on a flying robot such as a drone.

[0016] Embodiment 1 1 is a functional block diagram of a smoke tester according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The smoke tester 100 according to the first embodiment is configured to include a control unit 10, a storage unit 20, and a nozzle unit 30.

[0017] The test gas stored in the storage unit 20 is a smoke generating material containing either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas component and either liquid paraffin or oil as a simulated smoke component. In response to an operation signal input by an examiner, the control unit 10 sprays the test gas stored in the storage unit 20 via the nozzle unit 30 onto the smoke detector being tested.

[0018] A specific process using such smoke generating materials will now be explained in more detail. By injecting either flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas, which are gas components, from the nozzle 30, particles of either liquid paraffin or oil, which are artificial smoke components, are simultaneously injected, and these injected particles act as artificial smoke in the same way as smoke particles, which are the original target of detection.

[0019] Here, typical examples of flammable gas include LPG and DME gas.

[0020] Liquid paraffin, one of the artificial smoke components, is a colorless, transparent liquid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained through processes such as distillation and refining of crude petroleum. More specifically, liquid paraffin is highly refined by removing impurities such as aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfur compounds contained in the lubricating oil fraction of the raw material petroleum, and can be said to be a pure hydrocarbon.

[0021] The artificial smoke component may contain particles equivalent to smoke particles, and oil may be used instead of liquid paraffin. Note that in this specification, "oil" refers to oil other than liquid paraffin.

[0022] The following detailed description will be given of a specific example of a smoke generating material that uses LPG as the gas component and liquid paraffin as the artificial smoke component. However, the smoke generating material according to the present disclosure can be configured as any combination of a gas component (either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide) and an artificial smoke component (either liquid paraffin or oil).

[0023] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing components contained in the test gas used in the smoke tester 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The smoke tester 100 according to the first embodiment is technically characterized in that it uses, as the test gas, a smoke generating material containing a gas component made of LPG and an artificial smoke component made of liquid paraffin.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, a flammable gas mixture of propane, isobutane, and normal butane can be used as LPG. Also, a mixture of LPG and liquid paraffin within the concentration range shown in Figure 2 can be used. The component ratio of LPG to liquid paraffin does not have to be within the concentration range shown in Figure 2, as long as liquid paraffin (or oil) can be added to LPG and function as a smoke generating material to generate artificial smoke.

[0025] In addition, the LPG and liquid paraffin may be stored in a mixed state within the storage unit 20, or they may be stored separately within the storage unit 20, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the LPG and liquid paraffin are mixed when sprayed as test gas from the nozzle unit 30 toward the smoke detector under the control of the control unit 10.

[0026] As described above, the technical feature of the first embodiment is that a test gas containing LPG and liquid paraffin, which are flammable gases, is used, and the liquid paraffin is added to the LPG to function as a smoke generating material for generating artificial smoke. In other words, the LPG, which is available at a relatively low cost, is used as a gas component for generating artificial smoke used in the operation confirmation test.

[0027] Furthermore, when LPG is used as the gas component, a controllable configuration is adopted to keep the total amount of sprayed test gas within an allowable range, taking into account that LPG is flammable.

[0028] Next, using Figures 3 and 4, the smoke tester 100 according to the present embodiment 1 will be specifically explained, divided into a case where it is configured as a stand-alone unit and a case where it is configured to be able to receive an operation signal transmitted by remote control.

[0029] 3 is an explanatory diagram of a smoke tester 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, configured to be operable as a standalone device. The smoke tester 100 shown in FIG. 3 is configured to further include an operation input unit 40 in addition to the control unit 10, the storage unit 20, and the nozzle unit 30.

[0030] When using the smoke tester 100 having the configuration shown in Figure 3, the tester can conduct a smoke detector operation confirmation test at the desired timing by sending an operation signal generated by manual operation using the operation input unit 40 to the control unit 10.

[0031] The control unit 10, the housing 20, the nozzle unit 30, and the operation input unit 40 can be configured as an integrated unit within a single housing, or they can be configured as separate units. As an example of a separate configuration, the control unit 10, the housing 20, and the nozzle unit 30 can be attached to the tip of a support rod, and the operation input unit 40 can be provided at the other end of the support rod. By adopting such a configuration using a support rod, it is possible to easily perform an operation confirmation test of a smoke detector installed at a high place.

[0032] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a smoke tester 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, which is configured to be remotely operable. The smoke tester 100 shown in FIG. 4 is configured to include a control unit 10, a housing unit 20, and a nozzle unit 30, and the control unit 10 has a communication function that enables it to receive an operation signal transmitted from a remote controller 50.

[0033] When using the smoke application tester 100 having the configuration shown in Figure 4, the tester can conduct a smoke detector operation confirmation test at the desired timing by manually operating the remote controller 50 and transmitting an operation signal to the control unit 10.

[0034] For example, the smoke tester 100 shown in FIG. 4 can be mounted on a flying robot such as a drone.

[0035] Next, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a series of spray control processes executed by the control unit 10 in the smoke application tester 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] In step S501, the control unit 10 receives an operation signal. The control unit 10 can receive this operation signal via the operation input unit 40 as shown in Fig. 3, or can receive it as a wireless signal transmitted from the remote controller 50 as shown in Fig. 4.

[0037] Next, in step S502, the control unit 10 executes spray control based on the operation signal to spray the test gas stored in the storage unit 20 through the nozzle unit 30 onto the smoke detector that is the subject of the operation confirmation test.

[0038] With this type of spray control, LPG, a gas component, is sprayed from the nozzle section 30, and at the same time, particles of liquid paraffin, a pseudo-smoke component, are sprayed, and the sprayed particles act as pseudo-smoke in the same way as smoke particles, which are the original target of detection.

[0039] The test gas used in this embodiment 1 includes LGP, a flammable gas, as one of its gas components. Generally, the test gas used in smoke detector operation confirmation tests is sprayed in a relatively small amount and for a relatively short time, so that the use of a flammable test gas does not pose a problem in normal environments.

[0040] However, the control unit 10 according to the first embodiment can execute limited spray control in step S502 in order to reliably prevent a fire from occurring due to the spraying of the flammable test gas.

[0041] In order to perform such limited spray control, the control unit 10 stores in advance the allowable value of the total spray amount of the test gas and the spray time that will keep the total spray amount at or below the allowable value.

[0042] Then, based on the operation signal, the control unit 10 can perform limited spray control in step S502 to spray the test gas from the nozzle unit 30 for a predetermined spray time so that the total amount of sprayed LPG, which is a flammable gas, is below an allowable value.

[0043] In addition, after performing conditional spray control based on a first operation signal, when the control unit 10 receives a second operation signal, it can ignore the operation signal received before a preset allowable time interval has elapsed, and not perform limited spray control.

[0044] By performing this type of control, taking into account a preset allowable time interval, it is possible to prevent the spraying of test gas, which uses LPG, a flammable gas, from occurring in rapid succession, even if an examiner inadvertently sends operation signals consecutively.

[0045] Finally, a specific description will be given with reference to the drawings of a case where the remotely controllable smoke application tester 100 shown in FIG. 4 is mounted on a flying robot such as a drone and used.

[0046] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a configuration in which the smoke tester 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a flying robot 200. Specifically, the configuration is capable of executing flight control of the flying robot 200 and spray control of the smoke tester 100 based on remote operation by a remote controller 50.

[0047] The flying robot 200 is a multicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle, such as a drone, that can fly by remote control using a remote controller 50. A tester can remotely control the flying robot 200, which is equipped with a smoke application tester 100, using the remote controller 50 to fly the flying robot 200 according to the installation position of the smoke detector to be tested, which is installed on a ceiling or the like, and spray the test gas at the desired position, thereby conducting an operation confirmation test.

[0048] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for carrying out an operation check test of a smoke detector installed at a high place by mounting the smoke application tester 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure on a flying robot 200. FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which two smoke detectors 3(1) and 3(2) to be tested for operation check are installed on a ceiling surface 4 at a high place.

[0049] Furthermore, FIG. 7 shows a state in which a pipe 5 partially covers the wiring around the smoke detectors 3(1) and 3(2).

[0050] To conduct an operational confirmation test on the smoke detectors 3(1) and 3(2) installed in this manner using a flying robot 200 equipped with a smoke tester 100, the tester 2 sequentially performs the following steps.

[0051] In the following description, the operation confirmation test will be performed in the order of smoke detector 3(1) and smoke detector 3(2). The remote controller 50 is also assumed to be capable of remotely controlling the flight of the flying robot 200 and the spray of the smoke application tester 100.

[0052] <Step 1: Installing the flying robot 200 equipped with the smoke tester 100 on the ground> The tester 2 places the flying robot 200 equipped with the smoke application tester 100 at a location on the ground that is easy to access the smoke detector 3(1) that will be first subjected to the operation check test.

[0053] <Step 2: Conducting a smoke detector 3(1) operation confirmation test> The tester 2 operates the remote controller 50 to fly the flying robot 200 equipped with the smoke application tester 100 along a desired route toward the smoke detector 3(1) that is the target of the first operation confirmation test. In Figure 7, a first route R1 and a second route R2 are shown as examples of the desired routes.

[0054] For example, if there are flight obstacles such as pipes or lights on the path of the first route R1, the tester 2 can select the second route R2 to avoid the flight obstacles and move the flying robot 200 toward the smoke detector 3(1), which is the subject of the operation confirmation test.

[0055] Regardless of whether the first route R1 or the second route R2 is selected, the tester 2 can remotely control the flying robot 200 using the remote controller 50 to raise it from directly below the smoke detector 3(1), thereby aligning the smoke application tester 100 with the desired relative position with respect to the smoke detector 3(1).

[0056] After the relative positioning of the smoke tester 100 to the smoke detector 3(1) is completed, the tester 2 can remotely operate the smoke tester 100 using the remote controller 50 to spray test gas, thereby remotely conducting an operation confirmation test of the smoke detector 3(1).

[0057] In addition, in order to easily control the relative positioning and check the lighting status of the confirmation light of the smoke detector 3 being tested, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which a camera is mounted on the flying robot 200 and the image captured by the camera is checked on a display monitor provided on the remote controller 50 side.

[0058] With this configuration, even when it is difficult to control the relative alignment from the ground or when it is difficult to directly see the confirmation light of the smoke detector 3(1) from the ground, the examiner 2 can more easily and accurately control the relative alignment and check the confirmation light by viewing the image displayed on the display monitor of the remote controller 50.

[0059] <Step 3: Conducting a smoke detector 3(2) operation confirmation test> After completing the operation confirmation test of the smoke detector 3(1) in step 2, the tester 2 operates the remote controller 50 to fly the flying robot 200 equipped with the smoke application tester 100 along a desired route toward the smoke detector 3(2), which is the next target of the operation confirmation test. In Figure 7, the third route R3 is shown as an example of the desired route.

[0060] In step 3, the specific remote operations performed by examiner 2 using remote controller 50 to conduct an operation confirmation test of smoke detector 3(2) are essentially the same as the remote operations described in step 2, and therefore will not be explained further.

[0061] Also, although not shown in the figure, after the operation confirmation test of the smoke detector 3(2) is completed in step 3, the tester 2 remotely controls the flying robot 200 to land on the ground by operating the remote controller 50.

[0062] As described above, by adopting the configuration of the flying robot 200 equipped with the smoke application tester 100 as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to easily perform operation confirmation tests of the smoke detector 3 installed at a high altitude in various installation environments by remote control.

[0063] Furthermore, if a camera is mounted on the flying robot 200, the tester 2 can easily control the relative positioning of the smoke application tester 100 with respect to the smoke detector 3 and check the confirmation light on the smoke detector when conducting an operation confirmation test by visually checking the image displayed on the remote controller 50.

[0064] In addition, if there are concerns about the use of flammable gas in the environment, such as the ceiling where the smoke detector being tested is installed, it is possible to set allowable values ​​for the total amount of flammable gas sprayed, spray time, and spray time interval, and perform limited spray control to meet each allowable value.

[0065] As described above, according to the first embodiment, a smoke generating material containing LPG as a gas component and liquid paraffin as a pseudo-smoke component is stored in a storage unit as a test gas, and can be sprayed in response to an operation signal. Compared to conventional test gases that use PFAS as the main ingredient, the test gas according to the present disclosure, which is composed of LPG and liquid paraffin, has the following two advantages.

[0066] Effect 1: Price advantage LPG is available at a relatively low cost, making it possible to keep the unit cost of test gas lower than before.

[0067] Effect 2: Environmental and health benefits The environmental and health concerns associated with PFAS are addressed by using a test gas composed of LPG and liquid paraffin.

[0068] In addition, these effects 1 and 2 can also be obtained by using a smoke-generating material that is composed of any combination of a gas component, either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide, and a pseudo-smoke component, either liquid paraffin or oil.

[0069] PFAS have traditionally been used as the gas for smoke testing because they are inert gases. However, when LPG or DME gas is used as the gas component, these gases are flammable, and there may be cases where smoke detectors are installed in environments where spraying test gases using flammable gases is not necessarily suitable.

[0070] To prepare for such cases, the smoke tester disclosed herein is configured to set limits on the total amount of spray, spray time, and spray time interval, and is capable of adding a function to perform limited spray control so that the minimum amount of spray required for the operation confirmation test is carried out and more flammable gas is not sprayed than necessary.

[0071] Furthermore, even when non-flammable carbon dioxide gas is used instead of flammable gas, limited spray control can be implemented to prevent the use of more smoke-producing material than necessary, thereby contributing to reducing testing costs.

[0072] Therefore, it is possible to realize a smoke tester that can be applied in various installation environments, has fewer adverse effects on the environment and health than conventional products, and is configured to reduce testing costs.

[0073] Furthermore, we have developed a smoke tester that can be equipped with an optional spray control function that limits the total amount of sprayed flammable gas, even in environments where the use of flammable gas is a concern.

[0074] Finally, we would like to provide three additional points regarding gas components and artificial smoke components.

[0075] <Supplementary explanation 1: Gas components> In the above-described first embodiment, the case where either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas is used as the gas component has been described. However, it is also possible to use a mixture of LPG, which is a flammable gas, and carbon dioxide gas, or a mixture of DME, which is a flammable gas, and carbon dioxide gas, as the gas component. By mixing carbon dioxide gas with a flammable gas, it is possible to obtain the effect of reducing flammability.

[0076] <Supplementary explanation 2: About artificial smoke components> In the above-described first embodiment, the case where either liquid paraffin or oil is used as the artificial smoke component has been described. However, it is also possible to use a mixture of liquid paraffin and oil as the artificial smoke component.

[0077] Liquid paraffin also has the property of being soluble in flammable gases such as LPG and DME. Therefore, by using liquid paraffin as a smoke-generating material, it is possible to create a smoke-generating material that can stably generate artificial smoke.

[0078] <Supplementary explanation 3: Regarding the mixture ratio of gas components and artificial smoke components> The preferred mixing ratio of gas components to artificial smoke components is 30 ml to 1 L of liquefied gas components and 0.1 ml to 2 ml of artificial smoke components. Verification using test gas with this mixing ratio confirmed that it was possible to carry out smoke tests equivalent to those conducted conventionally. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 2 Tester, 3 Smoke detector, 4 Ceiling surface, 5 Piping, 10 Control unit, 20 Storage unit, 30 Nozzle unit, 40 Operation input unit, 50 Remote controller, 100 Smoke tester, 200 Flying robot.

Claims

1. A smoke tester used for smoke detector operation confirmation testing, a storage section for storing a test gas used in the operation confirmation test; The storage section contains the following test gas: a gas component that is either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas, or a mixture of the flammable gas and the carbon dioxide gas; A pseudo-smoke component that is either liquid paraffin or oil, or a mixture of the liquid paraffin and the oil; Contains smoke-producing materials including Smoke tester.

2. a nozzle portion that sprays the test gas contained in the container portion toward the smoke detector; a control unit that performs spray control based on an operation signal to spray the test gas from the nozzle unit for a predetermined spray time so that the total amount of sprayed gas components is equal to or less than an allowable value; The smoke tester of claim 1 further comprising:

3. The gas component is the flammable gas, and either LPG or DME gas is applied.

3. The smoke tester according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A test gas used in smoke detector operation confirmation tests, It contains a gas component that is either a flammable gas or carbon dioxide gas, or a mixture of the flammable gas and the carbon dioxide gas, and a pseudo-smoke component that is either liquid paraffin or oil, or a mixture of the liquid paraffin and the oil. Test gas.

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