Fire hydrant system

Abstract

This enables firefighting operations using appropriate fire hydrant systems to respond to fires in electric vehicles. [Solution] The electric door of the fire hydrant system 10 installed in the tunnel is equipped with an EV vehicle transmitter in addition to a transmitter for reporting fires involving EV vehicles (electric vehicles). When the EV vehicle transmitter is operated, the fire hydrant system 10's disaster prevention receiving panel 12 transmits an EV notification signal and outputs an audio message from a speaker regarding firefighting methods and precautions for EV vehicle fires. Based on the receipt of the EV notification signal, the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 notifies an external fire department of the occurrence of an EV vehicle fire. Furthermore, since it may be unclear whether the burning vehicle is an EV, the image of the burning vehicle captured by the surveillance camera is transmitted to an external EV vehicle identification server 20 so that it can be determined to be an EV and appropriate action can be taken.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire hydrant device installed in a tunnel for storing a fire hose, a fire extinguisher, etc.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a fire hydrant device has been installed in tunnels such as highways and motorways as emergency facilities in the tunnel. The fire hydrant device has a fire hose with a nozzle attached to its tip and valves including a fire hydrant valve stored in a fire hydrant storage section of a housing equipped with a fire hydrant door, and, for example, two fire extinguishers are stored in a fire extinguisher storage section equipped with a fire extinguisher door. In addition, the fire hydrant device is generally installed by cutting out the tunnel wall surface at intervals of, for example, 50 meters in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel and embedding it.

[0003] In addition, an emergency reporting device is provided in the fire hydrant device. The emergency reporting device has a red indicator light, a transmitter, a response lamp, and a telephone jack provided on an electrical equipment door arranged between the fire hydrant storage section and the fire extinguisher storage section.

[0004] The red indicator light is lit constantly so that the installation location of the fire hydrant device can be confirmed from a distance. When a fire breaks out and the transmitter is pressed to turn on the push button switch, a fire alarm signal is transmitted to a disaster prevention receiving panel installed in an electrical room or the like and a fire alarm is output. The disaster prevention receiving panel that has output the fire alarm transmits a response signal to the emergency reporting device and causes the red indicator light to blink by a pump start signal, and the response lamp lights up, so that it can be confirmed on the disaster prevention receiving panel side that the fire alarm signal has been received (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, the current fire hydrant system is installed to deal with fires in gasoline-powered vehicles (gasoline engine vehicles) that occur inside tunnels, and the water discharge pressure is set to 0.29 MPa and the water discharge rate to 130 liters / minute.

[0007] On the other hand, in recent years, the proliferation and increase of electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with lithium-ion batteries as a power source or as part of a power source is expected. If an electric vehicle fire occurs in a tunnel, it will be different from a fire in a gasoline vehicle, as it will be caused by thermal runaway of the lithium-ion battery in the high-voltage battery. Furthermore, once a fire starts, it will spread rapidly, so unlike conventional firefighting methods, it will be necessary to continuously spray a large amount of water. Note that "EV" is an abbreviation for "Electric Vehicle," which literally translates to "electric car," but in the following explanation, "electric car" will be treated as "EV car."

[0008] However, road users, including the driver of the electric vehicle that caught fire and the drivers of following vehicles, are not aware of the necessary firefighting methods for electric vehicle fires, and therefore, appropriate firefighting efforts cannot be expected. Furthermore, because electric vehicles have high voltage electricity, there is a risk of electric shock if one approaches them carelessly.

[0009] Furthermore, if a vehicle fire occurs inside a tunnel, an external fire department will be notified and firefighting operations will be carried out. In this case, if the fire department has been notified that it is an electric vehicle fire, they will be able to carry out firefighting operations that are prepared for electric vehicle fires. However, if it is not known that it is an electric vehicle fire until they arrive at the scene, it may take longer to extinguish the electric vehicle fire.

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a fire hydrant system that enables appropriate firefighting activities in response to fires in electric vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] (Fire hydrant system) The present invention relates to a fire hydrant system installed in a tunnel, comprising at least a fire hydrant device including a fire hose equipped with a nozzle and an emergency notification device including a transmitter, The emergency notification system is characterized by being equipped with an electric vehicle transmitter that is operated to notify the disaster prevention receiving panel of a fire in an electric vehicle.

[0012] (Electric vehicles subject to fire alarms) The electric vehicles that are subject to operation by the electric vehicle transmitter include hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), electric vehicles (BEVs: battery electric vehicles), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) that are equipped with lithium-ion batteries as a high-voltage battery as a power source or as part of a power source.

[0013] (Message on how to extinguish an electric vehicle fire) The emergency alarm system outputs an audio message regarding how to extinguish a fire in an electric vehicle when the electric vehicle transmitter is activated.

[0014] (Message content regarding fire extinguishing methods) The emergency alarm system outputs an audio message instructing users to continue spraying water on the burning electric vehicle in response to a fire.

[0015] (Electric vehicle fire warning information) The emergency notification system outputs a voice message regarding how to extinguish a fire in an electric vehicle, along with specific warning information unique to electric vehicle fires, including the risk of electric shock and the generation of toxic gases.

[0016] (External notification of electric vehicle fire) The disaster prevention receiver panel, upon receiving a fire alarm signal from an electric vehicle transmitter, notifies external organizations, including fire departments, of the occurrence of an electric vehicle fire.

[0017] (Imaging device for monitoring the entire tunnel) It is equipped with an imaging device that is connected to the signal line from the disaster prevention receiving panel and captures a monitoring image with the tunnel as the imaging area. When the disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal by operating the transmitter but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from the electric vehicle transmitter, it acquires a monitoring image including the fire vehicle captured by the imaging device and transmits it to an external electric vehicle discrimination device. When the discrimination result that the fire vehicle is an electric vehicle is obtained, it transmits an electric vehicle discrimination signal to the emergency reporting device of the fire hydrant device operated by the transmitter to output an audio message on the fire extinguishing method for electric vehicles.

[0018] (Imaging device for monitoring fire hydrant device section) For each fire hydrant device, it is equipped with an imaging device that captures a monitoring image with the tunnel between adjacent fire hydrant devices as the imaging area. When the disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal by operating the transmitter but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from the electric vehicle transmitter, it acquires a monitoring image including the fire vehicle captured by the imaging device of the fire hydrant device operated by the transmitter and transmits it to an external electric vehicle discrimination device. When the discrimination result that the fire vehicle is an electric vehicle is obtained, it transmits an electric vehicle fire signal to the emergency reporting device of the fire hydrant device operated by the transmitter to output an audio message on the fire extinguishing method for electric vehicles.

[0019] (Water discharge increase control) The fire hydrant device has a water discharge increase part that increases the water discharge amount of the fire extinguishing water by the nozzle of the fire extinguishing hose, and a control part that controls the water discharge increase part to increase the water discharge amount when a fire of an electric vehicle is discriminated. It is equipped with.

[0020] (Water discharge increase by changing the setting of the automatic pressure regulating valve) The water discharge increase part is equipped with an electric drive part that changes the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve. When a fire of an electric vehicle is discriminated, the control part changes the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve by the electric drive part to increase the water discharge amount of the fire extinguishing water.

[0021] (Increase in the amount of water discharged by bypassing the automatic pressure regulating valve) The water discharge increase section includes a bypass pipe that bypasses an automatic pressure regulating valve arranged following a fire hydrant valve, a three-way switching valve that switches the flow path from the fire hydrant valve to the automatic pressure regulating valve or the bypass pipe, and is provided with When a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, the control unit switches the three-way switching valve to the bypass pipe, and when the fire hydrant valve is opened, the fire extinguishing water from the fire hydrant valve bypasses the automatic pressure regulating valve and is supplied to the bypass pipe to increase the amount of water discharged.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] (Advantages of the fire hydrant device) The present invention is a fire hydrant device including at least a fire hydrant device including a fire hose provided with a nozzle installed in a tunnel and an emergency notification device including a transmitter. The emergency notification device includes an electric vehicle transmitter that is operated to notify a disaster receiving board of a fire in an electric vehicle. Therefore, when a fire breaks out in an electric vehicle in a tunnel, the driver of the electric vehicle can transmit a fire notification signal to the disaster receiving board by operating the transmitter to output a fire alarm, and can also operate the electric vehicle transmitter to transmit an electric vehicle fire notification signal to notify that a fire has occurred in the electric vehicle, enabling appropriate measures to be taken against the fire in the electric vehicle on the disaster receiving board side and the fire hydrant device side.

[0023] (Advantages of electric vehicles for fire notification and countermeasures) In addition, electric vehicles that are the notification targets of the electric vehicle transmitter include hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles (battery electric vehicles), and fuel cell vehicles equipped with a lithium-ion battery as a drive source or a part of the drive source as a high-voltage battery. The fire in an electric vehicle is a fire caused by thermal runaway of the lithium-ion battery in the high-voltage battery, and once a fire occurs, it burns widely. Therefore, unlike normal fire extinguishing methods, it is necessary to continuously discharge a large amount of water.

[0024] (Advantages of the fire extinguishing method message for electric vehicle fires) Furthermore, the emergency notification system outputs an audio message on how to extinguish a fire in an electric vehicle when the electric vehicle transmitter is activated. This allows road users, such as the driver of the burning vehicle and drivers of following vehicles, to know the necessary fire extinguishing methods for electric vehicle fires and to carry out appropriate firefighting activities using fire hydrants.

[0025] (Effect of the message content regarding fire extinguishing methods) Furthermore, the emergency notification system outputs an audio message instructing users to continue spraying water on the burning electric vehicle as a way to extinguish a fire. This allows road users, such as the driver of the burning vehicle or drivers of following vehicles, to continuously spray large amounts of water, thereby suppressing and extinguishing fires in electric vehicles caused by thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries in high-voltage batteries.

[0026] (Effectiveness of warnings about electric vehicle fires) Furthermore, the emergency alarm system outputs specific warning information unique to electric vehicle fires, including the risk of electric shock and the generation of toxic gases, as an audio message on how to extinguish an electric vehicle fire. This prevents electric shock by keeping the driver of the burning vehicle, drivers of following vehicles, and other road users from getting too close to the burning vehicle. In addition, the gases generated when a lithium-ion battery overheats mainly contain hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbon-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are organic solvents used in the electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries or their thermal decomposition products, and include ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and ethyl carbonate (EC), all of which are toxic to people and the environment. Therefore, it becomes possible to extinguish fires while taking care not to inhale the white smoke associated with electric vehicle fires.

[0027] (The effectiveness of external reporting for electric vehicle fires) Furthermore, the disaster prevention receiver, upon receiving a fire alarm signal from an electric vehicle transmitter, notifies external organizations, including fire departments, of the occurrence of an electric vehicle fire. For example, firefighters rushing to the scene of a fire can know in advance that it is an electric vehicle fire and prepare the necessary firefighting equipment and procedures, enabling swift and appropriate firefighting operations upon arrival at the scene.

[0028] (Effectiveness of imaging equipment for overall tunnel monitoring) Furthermore, the system includes an imaging device connected to the signal line from the disaster prevention receiver panel, which captures surveillance images with the tunnel as the imaging area. If the disaster prevention receiver panel receives a fire alarm signal from the operation of a transmitter but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from an electric vehicle transmitter, it acquires surveillance images including the burning vehicle captured by the imaging device and transmits them to an external electric vehicle identification device. If the system identifies the burning vehicle as an electric vehicle, it transmits an electric vehicle identification signal to the emergency alarm device of the fire hydrant system from which the transmitter was operated, causing an audio message on how to extinguish the fire in an electric vehicle to be output. For example, road users such as the driver of a following vehicle that has stopped due to a vehicle fire can, if they are not certain that the burning vehicle is an electric vehicle, operate the electric vehicle transmitter. Although it is not possible to report a fire in an electric vehicle, in the case of AA or A grade tunnels, which are long and have heavy traffic, surveillance cameras are pre-installed to monitor the inside of the tunnel. When the fire alarm signal is received by operating the fire hydrant transmitter, the disaster prevention receiver transmits the image of the burning vehicle captured by the surveillance camera to an external AI server or other electric vehicle identification device. If the device is identified as an electric vehicle, it instructs the fire hydrant to output an audio message on how to extinguish the fire in an electric vehicle. This allows road users, such as drivers of following vehicles, to know the necessary fire extinguishing methods for electric vehicle fires and to carry out appropriate firefighting activities using the fire hydrant.

[0029] (Effectiveness of imaging devices for monitoring fire hydrant systems) Furthermore, each fire hydrant system is equipped with an imaging device that captures surveillance images with the tunnel up to the adjacent fire hydrant system as the imaging area. The disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal from the operation of a transmitter but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from an electric vehicle transmitter. It then acquires surveillance images including the burning vehicle captured by the imaging device of the fire hydrant system from which the transmitter was operated and transmits them to an external electric vehicle identification device. If the system identifies the burning vehicle as an electric vehicle, it transmits an electric vehicle fire signal to the emergency alarm device of the fire hydrant system from which the transmitter was operated, causing an audio message on how to extinguish the fire in the electric vehicle to be output. For example, if the tunnel length is short or In tunnels of Class B or lower with low traffic volume, surveillance cameras are not installed to monitor the inside of the tunnel. However, if a surveillance camera is installed for each fire hydrant, and the disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal from the operation of the fire hydrant's transmitter, it transmits an image of the burning vehicle captured by the fire hydrant's surveillance camera to an external AI server or other electric vehicle identification device. If the device is identified as an electric vehicle, it instructs the fire hydrant to output an audio message on how to extinguish a fire involving an electric vehicle. This allows road users, such as drivers of following vehicles, to know the necessary fire extinguishing methods for electric vehicle fires and to carry out appropriate firefighting activities using the fire hydrant.

[0030] (Effects of controlling increased water discharge) Furthermore, the fire hydrant system includes a water discharge volume increasing unit that increases the amount of water discharged from the nozzle of the fire hose, and a control unit that controls the water discharge volume increasing unit to increase the water discharge volume when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected. Therefore, by increasing the water discharge volume in response to a fire in an electric vehicle, it becomes possible to continuously discharge a large amount of water and suppress fires in electric vehicles that are accompanied by thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries.

[0031] (Effect of increasing water discharge volume by changing the settings of the automatic pressure regulating valve) Furthermore, the water discharge volume increase unit is equipped with an electric drive unit that changes the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve. When a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, the control unit uses the electric drive unit to change the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve and increase the amount of firefighting water discharged. As a result, the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve is changed to a higher pressure than the 0.29 MPa water discharge pressure used for fires in gasoline vehicles, thereby increasing the amount of water discharged.

[0032] (Effect of increasing water discharge volume by bypassing the automatic pressure regulating valve) Furthermore, the water discharge volume increasing unit includes a bypass pipe that bypasses the automatic pressure regulating valve located after the fire hydrant valve, and a three-way switching valve that switches the flow path from the fire hydrant valve to either the automatic pressure regulating valve or the bypass pipe. The control unit switches the three-way switching valve to the bypass pipe when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, and when the fire hydrant valve is opened, it increases the water discharge volume by supplying fire extinguishing water from the fire hydrant valve to the bypass pipe, bypassing the automatic pressure regulating valve. As a result, the flow path from the fire hydrant valve to the fire hose bypasses the automatic pressure regulating valve, which releases the flow rate restriction associated with automatic pressure regulation and makes it possible to increase the water discharge volume. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the emergency equipment in an AA-grade tunnel. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the placement of fire hydrant systems and surveillance cameras in an AA-grade tunnel. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing a fire hydrant system from the front. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the internal structure of a fire hydrant system, viewed from the front with the door open. [Figure 5] This is a time chart showing the control operations of a fire-fighting electric vehicle by a fire hydrant system, disaster prevention receiving panel, and EV vehicle identification server. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing a first embodiment of a water discharge volume increasing unit installed in a fire hydrant system. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing a second embodiment of a water discharge volume increasing unit installed in a fire hydrant system. [Figure 8] This is a time chart showing the control operations, including increased water discharge volume, in response to a fire in an electric vehicle, by the fire hydrant system, disaster prevention receiving panel, and EV vehicle identification server. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing the placement of fire hydrant systems and surveillance cameras in a Grade B tunnel. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram of a fire hydrant system equipped with a surveillance camera. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] The following describes in detail embodiments of the fire hydrant device according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0035] [Basic Concepts of the Embodiment] First, the basic concept of the embodiment will be explained. The embodiment generally relates to a fire hydrant system installed in a tunnel, which includes at least a fire hydrant device including a fire hose with a nozzle and an emergency notification device including a transmitter.

[0036] Here, "fire hydrant system" refers to a type of emergency equipment installed in tunnels on expressways and other roads that are designated as fire-fighting areas. "Fire hydrant equipment" includes fire hoses with nozzles, fire hydrant equipment, electrical components, and fire extinguishers. "Emergency notification system" refers to an electric door that includes at least a transmitter as an emergency notification device.

[0037] Furthermore, a "transmitter" is equipped with a push-button switch, and when a road user operates the push-button switch, a fire alarm signal is transmitted to a disaster prevention receiving panel installed in the tunnel's electrical room or similar location, causing a fire alarm to be issued.

[0038] The "fire hydrant system" of this embodiment is equipped with an electric vehicle transmitter in the emergency notification device, which is operated to notify the disaster prevention receiving panel of a fire in an electric vehicle.

[0039] Therefore, if an electric vehicle driver experiences a fire in a tunnel and uses a fire hydrant to extinguish the fire, they can first operate a transmitter to send a fire alarm to the disaster prevention receiving panel, triggering a fire alarm. Subsequently, they can operate an electric vehicle transmitter to send an electric vehicle fire alarm to the disaster prevention receiving panel, notifying it that an electric vehicle is on fire. This allows the disaster prevention receiving panel and the fire hydrant system to take appropriate action against the electric vehicle fire.

[0040] Here, "electric vehicles subject to notification by electric vehicle transmitters" includes hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles that are equipped with lithium-ion batteries as a high-voltage battery, either as a power source or as part of a power source. Fires in these electric vehicles are caused by thermal runaway of the lithium-ion batteries in the high-voltage battery, and once a fire starts, it spreads rapidly, requiring the continuous application of large amounts of water, unlike conventional firefighting methods.

[0041] Furthermore, the "emergency notification device" outputs an audio message on how to extinguish a fire in an electric vehicle when the electric vehicle transmitter is operated. Here, the "audio message on how to extinguish a fire in an electric vehicle" is optional, but for example, it could output "continue to spray water on the burning electric vehicle." Therefore, road users such as the driver of a burning vehicle or the driver of a following vehicle who are pulling out a fire hose from a fire hydrant and spraying water on the burning vehicle from the nozzle will know the necessary fire extinguishing methods for electric vehicle fires and will be able to suppress fires in electric vehicles caused by thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries in high-voltage batteries by continuously spraying a large amount of water.

[0042] Furthermore, the "emergency notification device" outputs specific warning information unique to electric vehicle fires, including the risk of electric shock and the generation of toxic gases, as an audio message on how to extinguish a fire in an electric vehicle. Therefore, road users using fire hydrants to extinguish a fire can prevent electric shock by not getting too close to the burning vehicle. In addition, since toxic gases are generated when lithium-ion batteries overheat, road users can extinguish fires while taking care not to inhale the white smoke associated with electric vehicle fires.

[0043] Furthermore, the disaster prevention receiver panel, upon receiving a fire alarm signal from an electric vehicle transmitter, notifies external organizations, including fire departments, of the occurrence of an electric vehicle fire.

[0044] Therefore, firefighters who rush to the scene after receiving a report can know in advance that it is a fire involving an electric vehicle and can prepare the necessary firefighting equipment and procedures, enabling them to conduct swift and appropriate firefighting operations against electric vehicle fires upon arrival at the scene.

[0045] Furthermore, in tunnels classified as AA or A grade, which have long tunnel lengths and heavy traffic, imaging devices such as surveillance cameras that capture surveillance images with the tunnel interior as the imaging area are installed and connected to the signal line from the disaster prevention receiving panel.

[0046] Therefore, if the disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal from the transmitter but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from the electric vehicle transmitter, it acquires a monitoring image including the burning vehicle captured by the imaging device and transmits it to an external electric vehicle identification device, such as an AI server equipped with an electric vehicle image recognition function. If the fire vehicle is identified as an electric vehicle, it transmits an electric vehicle identification signal to the emergency alarm device of the fire hydrant system, which outputs an audio message on how to extinguish a fire involving an electric vehicle.

[0047] Therefore, road users such as drivers of following vehicles that have stopped due to a vehicle fire cannot report a fire in an electric vehicle by operating an electric vehicle transmitter if they cannot confirm that the burning vehicle is an electric vehicle. However, if surveillance cameras are pre-installed to monitor the tunnel, the disaster prevention receiver, upon receiving a fire alarm signal from the operation of a fire hydrant transmitter, transmits the image of the burning vehicle captured by the surveillance camera to an external AI server or other electric vehicle identification device. If the device identifies the vehicle as an electric vehicle, it instructs the fire hydrant to output an audio message on how to extinguish the fire in an electric vehicle. This allows road users such as drivers of following vehicles to know the necessary fire extinguishing methods for electric vehicle fires and to carry out appropriate firefighting activities using the fire hydrant.

[0048] Furthermore, in the case of Class B tunnels, which are short in length and have low traffic volume, there are no imaging devices such as surveillance cameras installed to monitor the inside of the tunnel. Therefore, an imaging device is installed for each fire hydrant to capture surveillance images, with the imaging area being the tunnel up to the adjacent fire hydrant.

[0049] In this case, if the disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal from the operation of the fire hydrant system's transmitter but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from the electric vehicle transmitter, it acquires a monitoring image including the burning vehicle captured by the imaging device of the fire hydrant system whose transmitter was operated, and transmits it to an external electric vehicle identification device. If the device identifies the burning vehicle as an electric vehicle, it transmits an electric vehicle fire signal to the fire hydrant system's emergency alarm device, which then outputs an audio message on how to extinguish the fire in the electric vehicle.

[0050] Therefore, even in Class B tunnels where surveillance cameras are not installed to monitor the inside of the tunnel, if a surveillance camera is installed for each fire hydrant, and the disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal when the fire hydrant's transmitter is operated, it transmits the image of the burning vehicle captured by the fire hydrant's surveillance camera to an external AI server or other electric vehicle identification device. If the device identifies the vehicle as an electric vehicle, it instructs the fire hydrant to output an audio message on how to extinguish a fire involving an electric vehicle. This allows road users, such as drivers of following vehicles, to know the necessary fire extinguishing methods for electric vehicle fires and to carry out appropriate firefighting activities using the fire hydrant.

[0051] Furthermore, the "fire hydrant system" includes a water discharge volume increasing unit that increases the amount of water discharged from the nozzle of the fire hose, and a control unit that controls the water discharge volume increasing unit to increase the water discharge volume when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected. Therefore, by increasing the water discharge volume in response to a fire in an electric vehicle, it becomes possible to continuously discharge a large amount of water and suppress fires in electric vehicles that are accompanied by thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries.

[0052] Furthermore, although the configuration and function of the "water discharge volume increase unit" are arbitrary, the first embodiment includes an electric drive unit that changes the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve, and the "control unit" increases the amount of firefighting water discharged by changing the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve via the electric drive unit when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected. Here, since the "set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve" is set to a water discharge pressure of 0.29 MPa and a water discharge volume of 130 liters / minute for fires in gasoline vehicles, the "water discharge volume increase unit" can easily increase the amount of water discharged by changing the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve to a predetermined set pressure higher than 0.29 MPa through control of the electric drive unit by the control unit.

[0053] Furthermore, the second embodiment of the "water discharge volume increasing unit" includes a bypass pipe that bypasses an automatic pressure regulating valve located following the fire hydrant valve, and a three-way switching valve that switches the flow path from the fire hydrant valve to either the automatic pressure regulating valve or the bypass pipe.

[0054] In this case, the "control unit" switches the three-way switching valve to the bypass piping when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, and when the fire hydrant valve is opened, it increases the water discharge rate by supplying fire extinguishing water from the fire hydrant valve to the bypass piping, bypassing the automatic pressure regulating valve. As a result, the flow path from the fire hydrant valve to the fire hose bypasses the automatic pressure regulating valve, which removes the flow rate restriction associated with automatic pressure regulation, making it possible to easily increase the water discharge rate.

[0055] The following describes a specific embodiment. The specific embodiment described below is the case where "electric vehicle" is an "EV vehicle", [electric vehicle transmitter] is an "EV vehicle transmitter", "electric vehicle notification signal" is an "EV vehicle notification signal", and "imaging device" is a "surveillance camera".

[0056] [Specific details of the embodiment] We will now explain the fire hydrant system in more detail. The explanation will be divided as follows: a. Overview of emergency equipment for AA-grade tunnels b. Configuration of fire hydrant system c. Internal structure of a fire hydrant system d. Control operation for EV vehicle fires e. Water discharge volume increase section e1. First Embodiment e2. Second Embodiment e3. Control operation for EV vehicle fires involving increased water discharge Emergency equipment for fB-grade tunnels g. Modified form of the present invention

[0057] [a. Overview of emergency equipment in AA-grade tunnels] This section describes the emergency equipment for AA-grade tunnels. This description refers to Figure 1, which shows an overview of the emergency equipment for AA-grade tunnels, and Figure 2, which shows the arrangement of fire hydrants and surveillance cameras for AA-grade tunnels. Figure 2(A) shows a plan view, and Figure 2(B) shows a side view. The emergency equipment for A-grade tunnels is similar.

[0058] In the explanation of Figure 2, the X, Y, and Z directions are mutually orthogonal. Specifically, when viewing the front of the fire hydrant device 10 from the front, the X direction is the left-right direction, the Y direction is the up-down direction, and the Z direction is the front-back direction. Furthermore, in the X direction, the +X side is the right side and the -X side is the left side; in the Y direction, the +Y side is the upper side and the -Y side is the lower side; and in the Z direction, the +Z side is the front side and the -Z side is the rear side. This is also the case in Figures 3-4 and 9-10, which represent embodiments of the present invention.

[0059] AA-grade tunnels are sometimes determined by traffic volume classifications, but when classified by length, they are generally tunnels with a length of 10,000m or more. As shown in Figure 1, wiring cables 14 from a disaster prevention receiving panel 12 installed in the tunnel facility's electrical room are connected in stages to, for example, four fire hydrant devices 10 installed in each longitudinal unit section of the tunnel. Furthermore, for AA-grade tunnels, when the traffic volume exceeds 4,000 vehicles / day, the tunnel length decreases in proportion to the increase in traffic volume. Similarly, A-grade tunnels are tunnels with a length of 3,000 to 10,000m, and when the traffic volume exceeds 4,000 vehicles / day, the tunnel length decreases in proportion to the increase in traffic volume.

[0060] As shown in Figure 2, the fire hydrant devices 10 are embedded in the tunnel wall of the guardian's walkway 104, which is constructed on one side of the road 102 of the tunnel 100, at 50-meter intervals. Note that the fire hydrant devices 10 are not limited to embedded installation; a thinner version may also be installed exposed.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, surveillance cameras 16 are installed inside the AA-grade tunnel and connected to the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 by wiring cables 15. A monitoring device installed on the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 displays the surveillance images from inside the tunnel.

[0062] As shown in Figure 2, the surveillance camera 16 is installed at a high position on the ceiling side of the tunnel 100. The optical axis 1610 is set so that, when viewed from the plane in Figure 2(A), it intersects the centerline of the road 102 at an angle, and when viewed from the side in Figure 2(B), it is set diagonally downward relative to the road 102. This is set so that the road surface of the road 102 in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel can be imaged over the longest possible distance, for example, several hundred meters. Although Figures 1 and 2 show only one surveillance camera 16, in reality, surveillance cameras 16 are installed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel that constitute the imageable area, but these are not shown in the illustration. Furthermore, images from multiple surveillance cameras 16 can be switched and displayed on the monitor device.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 can communicate with an externally installed EV vehicle identification server 20 via a network 18 such as the Internet. The EV vehicle identification server 20 is, for example, an AI server equipped with a learning model that has learned from image data of a large number of EV vehicles. When image data including a vehicle is input and it is estimated that the vehicle is an EV, it responds with an EV vehicle identification result. Therefore, if there is no notification of an EV vehicle fire from the fire hydrant device 10, the disaster prevention monitoring panel 12 can send images of the burning vehicle in the tunnel, captured by the surveillance camera 16, to the EV vehicle identification server 20 and obtain the EV vehicle identification result.

[0064] [b. Configuration of fire hydrant system] Next, the configuration of the fire hydrant system 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 will be described in more detail. In this description, refer to Figure 3, which shows the fire hydrant system from the front.

[0065] As shown in Figure 3, the fire hydrant device 10 of the first embodiment is divided into a first housing 21a, a second housing 21b, and a third housing 21c from right to left, and is installed by connecting adjacent housings.

[0066] Furthermore, a decorative frame 23a is attached to the front of the first housing 21a. The door opening of the decorative frame 23a is divided into upper and lower sections. A forward-tilting fire hydrant door 22 that opens downward by hinge 22a is located on the lower side of the door opening, and a maintenance door 24 that opens upward by hinge 24a is located on the upper side of the door opening. The fire hydrant storage section, which is the interior of the first housing 21a, houses predetermined fire hydrant equipment, including fire hoses and valves such as fire hydrant valves.

[0067] Furthermore, a decorative frame 23b is attached to the front of the second housing 21b. The door opening of the decorative frame 23b is divided into left and right sections, with an electrical door 28 on the right side that opens horizontally to the right by a hinge 28a, and an auxiliary door 30 on the left side that opens horizontally to the left by a hinge 30a. The electrical door 28 functions as an emergency notification device, and is equipped with emergency notification equipment such as a red indicator light 32, a transmitter 34, and a response lamp 36, and a telephone jack 41 (see Figure 4) is provided inside the emergency notification door 28.

[0068] The red indicator light 32 is always illuminated, allowing the location of the fire hydrant device 10 to be identified from a distance. When a vehicle fire occurs in the tunnel and the transmitter 34 is pressed, turning on the push-button switch, a fire alarm signal is transmitted. The fire alarm is then output from the disaster prevention receiving panel 12, which is located in the electrical room or elsewhere and receives this signal. The fire hydrant device 10 receives fire pump activation and response signals from the disaster prevention receiving panel 12, and the red indicator light 32 flashes and the response lamp 36 lights up in response to each signal.

[0069] Furthermore, an EV vehicle transmitter 38 is installed adjacent to the transmitter 34 on the electrical door 28, and a speaker 40 for outputting voice messages is installed on the lower side. In addition, a control unit 44 is installed inside the auxiliary door 30, and outputs voice messages such as operating instructions for the EV vehicle transmitter 38 and methods for extinguishing EV vehicle fires from the speaker 40. The control unit 44 receives signals from the transmitter 34 and the EV vehicle transmitter 38, and is connected to the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 shown in Figure 1 by a signal line (wiring cable 14), enabling the transmission and reception of signals.

[0070] The control unit 44 provides operational guidance for the EV vehicle transmitter 38. When the transmitter 34 is pressed and the push button switch is turned on, a fire alarm signal is input to the control unit 44. In this case, the control unit 44 outputs operational guidance from the spiece 40 stating, "If the vehicle on fire is an EV, please operate the EV vehicle transmitter."

[0071] If a road user confirms that the burning vehicle is an EV by following this operation guidance, they can press the EV vehicle transmitter 38 to activate the push button switch, and an EV vehicle notification signal will be sent to the disaster prevention receiving panel 12. Upon receiving the EV vehicle notification signal, the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 will be notified of the EV vehicle fire, and will also send a fire notification signal to an external fire department that includes a note indicating that it is an EV vehicle fire.

[0072] Furthermore, when the EV vehicle transmitter 38 is pressed and the push button switch is turned on, an EV vehicle notification signal is input to the control unit 44 located inside the auxiliary door 30, and the control unit 44 outputs an audio message from the speaker 40 regarding how to extinguish a fire in the EV vehicle.

[0073] The voice messages regarding firefighting methods output from speaker 40 are optional, but for example, a voice message instructing the firefighters to continue spraying water at the burning EV vehicle is output, such as, "We have confirmed a fire in an EV vehicle. Please continue spraying water at the burning vehicle. Do not stop spraying water even if the fire weakens, and continue until the fire department arrives."

[0074] Furthermore, the control unit 44 outputs a voice message regarding the method of extinguishing a fire in an EV vehicle, as well as specific warning information unique to electric vehicle fires, including the risk of electric shock and the generation of toxic gases. The voice message of the warning information output from the speaker 40 is arbitrary, but for example, it may output a voice message warning about electric shock and toxic gases, such as, "There is a risk of electric shock, so do not approach within a few meters of the burning vehicle. Also, white smoke contains toxic gases, so be careful not to inhale the white smoke when spraying water." A smoke mask may be stored inside the auxiliary door 30.

[0075] On the rear side of the second enclosure 21b, facing the auxiliary door 30, a high-voltage terminal box 42a and a low-voltage terminal box 42b are arranged vertically. The high-voltage terminal box 42a uses a built-in terminal block to connect the high-voltage cable drawn in from outside the fire hydrant system 10 to the red indicator light 32. The low-voltage terminal box 42b uses a built-in terminal block to connect the low-voltage cable drawn in from outside the fire hydrant system 10 to the transmitter 34, response lamp 36, EV vehicle transmitter 38, telephone jack, etc.

[0076] Furthermore, a decorative frame 23c is attached to the front of the third enclosure 21c. A fire extinguisher door 26, which opens horizontally to the left by a hinge 26a, is provided in the door opening of the decorative frame 23c, and two fire extinguishers, for example, are stored in the fire extinguisher storage area inside the third enclosure 21c. In addition, a viewing window 27 is provided on the lower side of the fire extinguisher door 26, allowing the presence or absence of fire extinguishers to be confirmed from the outside.

[0077] [c. Internal structure of a fire hydrant system] Next, the internal structure of the fire hydrant system will be described. In this description, the internal structure of the fire hydrant system will be explained with reference to Figure 4, which shows the system from the front with the door open.

[0078] Inside the first housing 21a, which houses the fire hydrant, a water supply pipe 46 is drawn in from below through a support frame 25 and connected to a water tap 48 on the right side. The water supply pipe 46 also branches downward, and a fire hydrant valve 50 and an automatic pressure regulating valve 52 are provided at the branch end, followed by a fire hose 62. The fire hydrant valve 50 is opened and closed remotely by transmitting the opening and closing operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 54 on the operation box 56 to a remote box 58 via a known wire linkage mechanism. When the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 54 is opened or closed, a pump start interlocking switch 72 provided on the operation box 56 turns on or off. A pump start switch 70 for use by the fire brigade is also provided to the upper right of the water tap 48.

[0079] A hose storage frame 60 is provided in the hose storage section on the left side of the first housing 21a, and a fire extinguishing hose 62, which is pulled in from below, is stored in a clockwise or counterclockwise inward-curved state. A nozzle 64 is attached to the end of the hose 62, which is pulled out through the hose guide 68, and is detachably held in a nozzle holder 66.

[0080] The second enclosure 21b is as shown in Figure 3, and two fire extinguishers 35 are housed inside the third enclosure 21c.

[0081] [d. Control operation for EV vehicle fires] Next, we will explain the control operations for EV vehicle fires. For this explanation, please refer to Figure 5, which is a time chart showing the control operations of the fire hydrant system, disaster prevention receiving panel, and EV vehicle identification server in response to an electric vehicle fire.

[0082] As shown in Figure 5, when a vehicle fire occurs inside the tunnel and a road user operates the transmitter 34 at the fire hydrant device 10 (Yes in step S1), a fire alarm signal is sent to the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 (step S2), and a fire alarm is output (step S3).

[0083] Next, based on the operation guidance from speaker 40, if a road user who has confirmed an EV vehicle fire operates the EV vehicle transmitter 38 (Yes in step S4), an EV vehicle notification signal is transmitted to the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 (step S5). When the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 detects that it has received the EV vehicle notification signal (Yes in step S6), it notifies an external organization such as a fire department of the occurrence of an EV vehicle fire (step S7).

[0084] Furthermore, an EV vehicle notification signal generated by operating the EV vehicle transmitter 38 is input to the control unit 44, and an audio message regarding how to extinguish an EV vehicle fire is output from the speaker 40 (step S8).

[0085] On the other hand, if it is unclear whether the burning vehicle is an EV and no road users operate the EV vehicle transmitter 38 (No in step S4), the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 determines that it has not received an EV vehicle notification signal from the fire hydrant device 10 even after a predetermined time has elapsed (No in step S6), acquires an image of the burning vehicle from the surveillance camera 16 (step S9), and transmits it to the EV vehicle identification server 20 (step S10). If the EV vehicle identification server 20 sends a response indicating that it is an EV vehicle (step S11), the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 determines that it is an EV vehicle fire (Yes in step S12), and notifies an external organization such as a fire department of the occurrence of the EV vehicle fire (step S13).

[0086] Furthermore, when the fire hydrant device 10 receives a response from the EV vehicle identification server 20 indicating that it is an EV vehicle and determines that it is an EV vehicle fire (Yes in step S14), it outputs an audio message from the speaker 40 regarding how to extinguish the EV vehicle fire (step S15).

[0087] [e. Water discharge volume increase section] Next, a water discharge volume increasing section provided in the fire hydrant system will be described. When using the fire hydrant system 10 to extinguish and suppress an EV vehicle fire, it is desirable to increase the water discharge volume of 130 liters / minute, which is set at a water discharge pressure of 0.29 MPa for gasoline vehicles. For this purpose, the first and second embodiments, which are provided with a water discharge volume increasing section, will be described.

[0088] (e1. First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the water discharge volume increasing unit will be described. In this description, refer to Figure 6, which shows a first embodiment of the water discharge volume increasing unit installed in a fire hydrant system. Figure 6 shows the valve system of the fire hydrant equipment as a symbolic diagram.

[0089] As shown in Figure 6, the water discharge volume increasing unit 74 of this embodiment is provided with a drive motor 75 that changes the set pressure of an automatic pressure regulating valve 52, which is installed following the fire hydrant valve 50 of the water supply pipe 46.

[0090] Therefore, when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, the control unit 44 of the fire hydrant system 10 controls the drive motor 75 to change the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve 52 from 0.29 MPa to a predetermined set pressure higher than that, thereby increasing the amount of fire extinguishing water discharged.

[0091] Here, when the control unit 44 increases the water discharge rate, it may set a predetermined waiting time, for example 30 seconds, before increasing the water discharge rate, start a countdown indicating the elapsed waiting time, and output an audio message from the speaker 40 indicating the remaining time until the water discharge rate is increased. This allows road users during water discharge to prepare for the increase in water discharge rate with ample time, for example, by having two people operate the device. The control unit 44 may also interrupt the countdown if, for example, the EV vehicle transmitter 38 is pressed during the countdown, and resume the countdown if it is pressed again. Furthermore, if the EV vehicle transmitter 38 is pressed during the countdown, the increase in water discharge rate may be canceled. This point is the same in the second embodiment described next.

[0092] (e2. Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of increasing the water discharge volume will be described. In this description, refer to Figure 7, which shows the second embodiment of the water discharge volume increasing unit installed in the fire hydrant system. Figure 7 also shows the valve system of the fire hydrant equipment as a symbolic diagram.

[0093] As shown in Figure 7, the water discharge volume increasing section 74 of this embodiment is provided with a bypass pipe 78 that bypasses the automatic pressure regulating valve 52 which is located following the fire hydrant valve 50, and a three-way switching valve 76 that switches the flow path from the fire hydrant valve 50 to either the automatic pressure regulating valve 52 or the bypass pipe 78. The three-way switching valve 76 is driven to switch by a switching motor 80.

[0094] Normally, the control unit 44 is set to connect ports a and b of the three-way switching valve 76. When the fire hydrant valve 50 is opened, the automatic pressure regulating valve 52 adjusts the pressure, and fire extinguishing water is discharged from the nozzle at a discharge pressure of 0.29 MPa and a discharge rate of 130 liters / minute.

[0095] Meanwhile, when an EV vehicle fire is detected, the control unit 44 drives the switching motor 80 to switch the three-way switching valve 76 to a position that connects ports a and c. As a result, when the fire hydrant valve 50 is opened, the fire extinguishing water supplied from the fire hydrant valve 50 flows from port a to port c of the three-way switching valve 76 and then to the bypass piping 78. In this way, the fire extinguishing water bypasses the automatic pressure regulating valve 52 and is supplied to the fire hose 62, thereby releasing the flow rate restriction associated with automatic pressure regulation and increasing the amount of water discharged.

[0096] (e3. Control actions for EV vehicle fires involving increased water discharge) Next, we will explain the control operations for EV vehicle fires involving an increase in water discharge volume. For this explanation, please refer to Figure 8, which is a time chart showing the control operations, including an increase in water discharge volume, in response to a fire in an electric vehicle, by the fire hydrant system, disaster prevention receiving panel, and EV vehicle identification server.

[0097] As shown in Figure 8, the control operation involving an increase in the water discharge rate is the same as the control operation in Figure 5 when there is no increase in the water discharge rate (steps S1 to S15), and the water discharge rate increase control is added as the next process when the fire hydrant device 10 outputs an audio message on how to extinguish an EV vehicle fire (steps S8, S15) (steps S100, S200).

[0098] [Emergency equipment for fB-grade tunnels] Next, we will explain the emergency equipment for Class B tunnels. For this explanation, please refer to Figure 9, which shows the placement of fire hydrants and surveillance cameras in Class B tunnels, and Figure 10, which shows fire hydrants with surveillance cameras installed. Note that the Japan Highway Public Corporation installs fire hydrants in Class B tunnels longer than 1000m, but not in those shorter than 1000m. Furthermore, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism generally does not install fire hydrants in Class B tunnels.

[0099] Grade B tunnels are tunnels with a length of 1,000 to 3,000 m. As shown in Figure 9, similar to the Grade AA tunnels shown in Figure 2, fire hydrant devices 10 are embedded at 50-meter intervals along the tunnel wall of the monitoring staff passage 104, which is constructed on one side of the road 102 of the tunnel 100. However, unlike Grade AA tunnels, there are no surveillance cameras 16 that monitor the entire tunnel. Furthermore, even for tunnels classified as Grade B, if the traffic volume exceeds 4,000 vehicles / day, the tunnel length decreases in proportion to the increase in traffic volume.

[0100] Therefore, in the emergency equipment for a Class B tunnel in this embodiment, a surveillance camera 160 is provided for each fire hydrant device 10. The surveillance camera 160 provided for the fire hydrant device 10 has its optical axis 1620 set so that, when viewed from above, it diagonally crosses the road 102, as shown in Figure 9(A), so that the imaging area of ​​the tunnel includes the road 102 up to the other fire hydrant device 10 adjacent to one side, for example, the right side. Also, as shown in Figure 9(B), the optical axis 1620 is set so that, when viewed from the side, it is diagonally downward relative to the road surface of the road 102.

[0101] Furthermore, the placement of the surveillance camera 160 in the fire hydrant system 10 is arbitrary, but for example, as shown in the fire hydrant system 10 in Figure 10, it is placed on the upper side of the decorative frame 23b of the second housing 21b, which is equipped with an emergency notification door 28 and an auxiliary door 30. In this case, the camera lens is exposed to the outside, but the camera body may be housed inside the decorative frame 23b.

[0102] Furthermore, the configuration of the fire hydrant system 10 in this embodiment is the same as that shown in Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 10, in addition to the transmitter 34, an EV vehicle transmitter 38 is provided in the emergency communication door 28 of the fire hydrant system 10, a control unit 44 is provided inside the auxiliary door 30, and a speaker 40 is also provided in the emergency communication door 28.

[0103] If the transmitter 34 is operated by a road user but the EV vehicle transmitter 38 is not operated after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 44 activates the surveillance camera 160 to capture surveillance images including the burning vehicle and transmits them to the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 transmits these surveillance images to the EV vehicle identification server 20 via the network 18 to request identification as to whether or not it is an EV vehicle.

[0104] When the disaster prevention receiving panel 12 receives a response from the EV vehicle identification server 20 indicating that it is an EV vehicle, it transmits an EV vehicle fire response signal to the fire hydrant device 10 whose transmitter 34 has been operated. Upon receiving this signal, the control unit 44 of the fire hydrant device 10 outputs an audio message from the speaker 40 indicating how to extinguish the EV vehicle fire, similar to the fire hydrant device 10 shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0105] Furthermore, the fire hydrant device 10 in Figure 10 may also be provided with the water discharge volume increasing unit 74 shown in Figure 6 or Figure 7.

[0106] [g. Variations of the present invention] Modifications of the fire hydrant device according to the present invention will now be described. In addition to the embodiments described above, the fire hydrant device of the present invention includes the following modifications.

[0107] (Transmission circuit) In the above embodiment, the emergency notification device installed in the emergency notification door (emergency notification device) was an example of a P-type (Proprietary-type) transmission unit that sends and receives signals on a signal line basis drawn from the disaster prevention monitoring panel. However, it may also be an R-type (Record-type) transmission circuit in which a unique address is set for each emergency notification device, and an uplink signal indicating device control with the specified address is sent from the transmission unit (control unit) installed in the emergency notification door to the transmission unit of the disaster prevention receiving panel, and a downlink signal containing the address and detection information is sent from the transmission unit of the disaster prevention receiving panel to the transmission unit of the emergency notification door.

[0108] (Fire extinguisher box) Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses a fire hydrant system equipped with an emergency notification device as an example, the embodiment may also include other disaster prevention equipment equipped with an emergency notification device, such as a fire extinguisher box equipped with an emergency notification device or a standalone emergency notification device. In the case of a fire extinguisher box, when the EV vehicle transmitter is operated, it outputs an audio message on how to extinguish an EV vehicle fire using a fire extinguisher, as well as an audio message warning of electric shock and toxic gases. In the case of a standalone emergency notification device, when the EV vehicle transmitter is operated, it outputs an audio message warning of toxic gases.

[0109] (others) Furthermore, the present invention includes appropriate modifications that do not impair its purpose and advantages, and is not limited by the numerical values ​​shown in the above embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 10: Fire hydrant system 12: Disaster Prevention Receiving Panel 14,15: Wiring cables 16,160: Surveillance cameras 1610, 1620: Optical axis 18: Network 20: EV vehicle identification server 21a: First enclosure 21b: Second cabinet 21c: Third cabinet 22: Fire hydrant door 23a, 23b, 23c: Decorative frame 24: Maintenance Door 25: Stand 26: Fire extinguisher door 27: Peephole 28: Electric Door 30: Auxiliary door 32: Red indicator light 34: Transmitter 36: Response lamp 38: EV vehicle transmitter 40: Speaker 41: Phone hijacking 42a, 42b: Terminal box 44: Control Unit 46: Water supply piping 48: Water tap 50: Fire hydrant valve 52: Automatic pressure regulating valve 54: Fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 56: Control Box 58: Remote Box 60: Hose storage frame 62: Fire hose 64: Nozzle 66: Nozzle holder 68: Hose Guide 70: Pump start switch 72: Pump start-up interlock switch 74: Water discharge volume increase section 75: Drive motor 76: Three-way switching valve 78: Bypass piping 80: Switching motor 100: Tunnel 102: Road 104: Guard passage

Claims

1. A fire hydrant system installed in a tunnel, comprising at least fire hydrant equipment including a fire hose equipped with a nozzle and an emergency notification device including a transmitter, The fire hydrant system is characterized by having an electric vehicle transmitter that is operated to notify a fire in an electric vehicle to a disaster prevention receiving panel.

2. A fire hydrant device according to claim 1, The fire hydrant system is characterized in that the electric vehicles to which the electric vehicle transmitter is subject to notification include hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries as a power source.

3. A fire hydrant device according to claim 1, The fire hydrant system is characterized in that the emergency notification device outputs an audio message regarding the method of extinguishing a fire in an electric vehicle when the electric vehicle transmitter is operated.

4. A fire hydrant device according to claim 3, The fire hydrant device is characterized in that the emergency notification device outputs a voice message indicating that it will continue to spray fire-fighting water on the electric vehicle that has caught fire.

5. A fire hydrant device according to claim 4, The fire hydrant system is characterized in that the emergency notification device outputs predetermined warning information specific to electric vehicle fires, including the risk of electric shock and the generation of toxic gases, as the voice message.

6. A fire hydrant device according to claim 1, The fire hydrant system is characterized in that, when the disaster prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal for an electric vehicle caused by the operation of the electric vehicle transmitter, it notifies an external organization, including a fire department, of the occurrence of a fire in an electric vehicle.

7. A fire hydrant device according to claim 1, It is equipped with an imaging device that is connected to the signal line from the aforementioned disaster prevention receiving panel and captures surveillance images with the tunnel as the imaging area, The fire prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal from the operation of the transmitter, but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from the electric vehicle transmitter. In this case, the panel acquires a monitoring image including the burning vehicle captured by the imaging device and transmits it to an external electric vehicle identification device. If the fire vehicle is identified as an electric vehicle, the panel transmits an electric vehicle identification signal to the emergency alarm device of the fire hydrant system from which the transmitter was operated, causing the device to output an audio message regarding the method of extinguishing a fire involving an electric vehicle.

8. A fire hydrant device according to claim 1, Each of the aforementioned fire hydrant devices is equipped with an imaging device that captures surveillance images with the tunnel between adjacent fire hydrant devices as the imaging area. The fire prevention receiving panel receives a fire alarm signal from the operation of the transmitter, but does not receive an electric vehicle alarm signal from the electric vehicle transmitter. In this case, the panel acquires a monitoring image including the burning vehicle captured by the imaging device of the fire hydrant system where the transmitter was operated, and transmits it to an external electric vehicle identification device. If the fire vehicle is identified as an electric vehicle, the panel transmits an electric vehicle fire signal to the emergency alarm device of the fire hydrant system where the transmitter was operated, causing the device to output an audio message on how to extinguish a fire involving an electric vehicle.

9. A fire hydrant device according to claim 1, The aforementioned fire hydrant device is A water discharge volume increasing unit that increases the amount of fire extinguishing water discharged from the nozzle of the fire extinguishing hose, When a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, a control unit controls the water discharge volume increasing unit to increase the amount of water discharged, A fire hydrant device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

10. A fire hydrant device according to claim 9, The water discharge volume increasing unit includes an electric drive unit that changes the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve. The fire hydrant system is characterized in that, when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, the control unit changes the set pressure of the automatic pressure regulating valve using the electric drive unit to increase the amount of fire extinguishing water discharged.

11. A fire hydrant device according to claim 9, The aforementioned water discharge volume increasing section is A bypass pipe that bypasses the automatic pressure regulating valve located following the fire hydrant valve, A three-way switching valve that switches the flow path from the fire hydrant valve to the automatic pressure regulating valve or the bypass piping, Equipped with, The fire hydrant system is characterized in that, when a fire in an electric vehicle is detected, the control unit switches the three-way switching valve to the bypass piping, and when the fire hydrant valve is opened, it increases the amount of water discharged by supplying fire extinguishing water from the fire hydrant valve to the bypass piping, bypassing the automatic pressure regulating valve.

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