Water ingress prevention system

Abstract

To provide a flood prevention system which is a simple, highly reliable, easy-to-check, and inexpensive system that does not require a gas supply device in a facility and / or an article storage room.SOLUTION: The flood prevention system includes: an air compression device installed at a higher place than a facility and / or an article storage room; a compressed air supply pipe for supplying compressed air from the air compression device to the facility and / or the article storage room; an air-tightening member for air-tightening the facility and / or the article storage room; and a water level sensor unit located in a trough provided on a lower floor outside the facility and / or the article storage room. In the event of flood damage, the water level sensor unit generates a signal when it detects contact with water, and the signal activates the air compression device. Thereby the compressed air is supplied from the air compression device to the facility and / or the article storage room through the compressed air supply pipe, making the air pressure inside the facility and / or the article storage room with the air-tightening member higher than the water pressure generated by the flooding outside the facility and / or the article storage room so as to prevent flooding of the facility and / or the article storage room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for preventing flooding, and more particularly to a system for preventing flooding in equipment and / or item storage rooms. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there have been many floods caused by tsunamis due to earthquakes and increased rainfall due to global warming, and in urban areas, flooding of buildings has led to the malfunction of facilities and damage to stored items, becoming a social problem.

[0003] To solve this problem, a reliable, inexpensive and easy-to-use flood prevention measure is required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5901017 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which equipment and a gas supply device are covered with a roughly box-shaped canopy, and in the event of a risk of flooding, gas is released from the gas supply device into the canopy, preventing flooding from outside the canopy. However, this structure has the problem that it can only release gas up to the capacity of the cylinder or tank of the gas supply device, and when this capacity runs out, the flood prevention function stops, meaning there is a limit to the gas supply.

[0006] In addition, in Patent Document 1, a complex control mechanism is used in which an alarm is issued and a timer is started by a signal sent at the upper and lower limits of the water level fluctuation when flooding occurs, and a gas supply control valve located inside the canopy is opened after a specified period of time has elapsed. Carrying out such complex control in accordance with the actual flooding situation poses system challenges, such as the difficulty of pre-testing at the installation site and an increased probability of failure due to the complexity of the system.

[0007] In addition, the equipment to be protected from flood damage in Patent Document 1 is not a single unit, and even just the electrical equipment includes equipment such as substations, distribution boards, circuit breakers, water supply pumps, drainage pumps, and fire pumps, which are installed in different locations. In order to install a canopy that covers each of these individually, it is necessary to manufacture each item individually on-site in a small space, which requires scaffolding and other protective measures, complicated construction procedures, and welding in a difficult position. Quality inspections such as radiation testing and watertightness verification testing to confirm the sealing after welding of the canopy are almost impossible to carry out due to the structure of the canopy that is unique to each item. For this reason, there is a problem in canopy manufacturing that the reliability of the entire flood prevention structure is low due to the canopy structure. Furthermore, there is also the problem that on-site manufacturing takes a long time and the manufacturing cost of the flood prevention structure is high.

[0008] Furthermore, it is difficult to verify that the flood prevention structure functions normally in Patent Document 1. This is because disaster prevention emergency equipment not only needs to be test-run at the time of construction and installation to verify that it functions normally, but also requires a simple inspection and verification method to inspect and verify that it functions normally frequently thereafter in preparation for emergencies. However, it is extremely difficult to frequently check the function as shown in Figure 3 of Patent Document 1, which assumes changes in water level. This poses the issue of regular inspections lacking reliability in emergencies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the water-inundation prevention system of the present invention comprises an air compression device installed at a higher position than the equipment and / or item storage room that is the target of water-inundation prevention, a compressed air supply pipe for supplying compressed air from the air compression device to the equipment and / or item storage room, an airtight member for making the equipment and / or item storage room airtight, and a water level sensor unit located in a manhole provided at a low position on the exterior floor of the equipment and / or item storage room, and in the event of a flood, the water level sensor unit generates a signal when it detects contact with water, which signal activates the air compression device, thereby supplying compressed air from the air compression device to the equipment and / or item storage room through the compressed air supply pipe, and preventing water inundation of the equipment and / or item storage room by making the air pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage room to which the airtight member is attached higher than the water pressure caused by water inundation outside the equipment and / or item storage room. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The water inundation prevention system of the present invention is a system that prevents water inundation by compressing an infinite amount of atmospheric air using an air compressor and sending the air to the equipment and / or item storage room, so it can permanently prevent water inundation and solves the problem mentioned above that the flood prevention function stops when the gas supply in the cylinder or tank of the gas supply device in Patent Document 1 runs out.

[0011] In addition, the water ingress prevention system of the present invention is a system that activates an air compressor in response to a water contact detection signal from a water level gauge sensor located in a manhole on the exterior floor of the equipment and / or item storage room, so it does not require complex control, and solves the above-mentioned problems of the difficulty of testing during system construction and installation and regular inspections, and the increased probability of failure due to the complexity of the system.

[0012] In addition, since the water ingress prevention system of the present invention is a system that prevents water ingress by compressing an infinite amount of air using an air compressor and sending the air to the equipment and / or item storage room, excessive reliability is not required for watertightness, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems related to reliability and the high cost of manufacturing the structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the water-flooding prevention system of the present invention is configured so that when the water level gauge sensor unit comes into contact with water, an air compressor is activated and compressed air is sent to the equipment and / or item storage room through the compressed air supply piping, thereby making the air pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage room higher than the water pressure caused by water flooding outside the equipment and / or item storage room, thereby preventing water flooding.Therefore, by simply bringing the water level gauge sensor unit into contact with water, the entire system can be easily verified at the time of construction and installation and during inspection and verification, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem of lack of reliability in emergencies due to the difficulty of inspection. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] One embodiment of the flood prevention system according to the present invention [Diagram 2] One embodiment of the facility and / or item storage room DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0015] An embodiment of the flood prevention system according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the air compressor 1 is installed near the staircase 5 on the roof 4 of the building, and when a water level meter sensor unit 8 installed in a basin 9 installed at a low place on the basement floor 7 outside an equipment and / or item storage room 3 such as an electrical room, a pump room, or an emergency equipment storage room installed on the basement floor 7 comes into contact with inflowing water, the signal is transmitted to the air compressor 1 via a water level meter signal cable 23 to start the air compressor 1, and the compressed air sent from the air compressor 1 is branched and sent to the equipment and / or item storage room 3 via the compressed air supply pipe 2, thereby making the air pressure in the equipment and / or item storage room 3 higher than the water pressure that floods the equipment and / or item storage room 3, thereby preventing flooding. Furthermore, the water remaining in the manhole 9 is scooped out once the flooding has subsided and the risk of flooding into the equipment and / or item storage room 3 has been eliminated.This releases the water from contact with the water level sensor unit 8, causing the signal from the water level sensor unit 8 to stop, thereby stopping the air compression device 1 and halting the supply of compressed air to the equipment and / or item storage room 3.

[0016] The installation location of the air compression device 1 is not limited to the rooftop 4 of the building in Figure 1, but may be a space such as a staircase landing 6, a common corridor on each floor not marked with a number, an elevator hall, a veranda, etc., as long as the installation height is such that it will not be submerged by heavy rain, tsunami, etc.

[0017] The power source for driving the air compressor 1 is configured so that it will not be affected by power outages even if the basement floor of the building is flooded. For example, the power can be supplied directly from the busbar that supplies power to the building from the electric power company, or a power generation facility can be provided within the air compressor 1.

[0018] 2 shows a cross-section of an embodiment of the water ingress prevention system according to the present invention with respect to the equipment and / or item storage room 3, equipment and / or items 15 stored in the equipment and / or item storage room 3, and the surroundings thereof. The equipment and / or item storage room 3 is surrounded by the basement ceiling surface 12, which is the underside of the building floor partition slab 10 separating the ground floor from the basement floor, the vertical forming wall 13, and the basement floor surface 7. The forming wall 13 is provided with a through hole 14, which is shown in detail in the circle B connected by the lead line in FIG. 2, and the end of the compressed air supply pipe 2 laid along the basement ceiling surface 12 is inserted into the through hole 14. Also, the existing through hole 14, through which the wiring conduit 20 for the equipment and / or items 15 is passed, is shown in detail in the circle C connected by the lead line in FIG. 2.

[0019] Next, we will explain how each part of the equipment and / or item storage chamber 3 is airtight. Airtightness here does not mean complete sealing, but rather allows a small amount of compressed air to leak from each airtight member when the pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage chamber 3 becomes higher than the outside pressure. In addition, in the following explanation, the use of pressure-resistant rubber packing, putty, and other fillers as airtight members is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0020] Specifically, as shown in detail within circle A connected by a lead line in Figure 2, a pressure-resistant rubber packing 18, which is an airtight member, is attached around the area between the entrance door 16 and the door frame 17 of the equipment and / or item storage room 3 surrounded by the forming wall 13, to prevent a large amount of high-pressure air from escaping from the room.

[0021] In addition, the gaps between piping such as the compressed air supply piping 2 and the wiring conduit 20 are caulked with a filler 19 such as an airtight material putty in the through hole 14 for inserting the compressed air supply piping 2 provided in the forming wall 13 shown in detail in circle B connected by a lead line in Figure 2, and in the existing through hole 14 in the forming wall 13 of the equipment and / or item storage room 3 shown in detail in circle C connected by a lead line in Figure 2.

[0022] Furthermore, if the equipment and / or item storage room 3 has a ventilation outlet, a backflow prevention damper 21 (check valve) as shown in detail within circle D connected by a lead line in Figure 2 is attached to the ventilation outlet from the ventilation blower duct 11 as a component for making it airtight, and when the air compression device 1 operates and the pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage room 3 becomes higher than the ventilation outlet pressure, the backflow prevention damper 21 is automatically closed due to the pressure difference, preventing compressed air from flowing back into the ventilation blower duct 11 and losing a large amount of air.

[0023] The installation location of the water level sensor unit 8 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is not limited to the manhole 9 installed at a low position on the exterior floor surface of the equipment and / or item storage room 3, but may be a manhole 9 installed on the ground floor surface of the building (not shown) or on the ground surface surrounding the building, etc., as long as the water level sensor unit 8 can detect the contact of water with the building and indicates that flooding is expected. Note that the floor surfaces of many condominiums and tenant buildings have a slight slope to collect water at one point for drainage purposes, and if a manhole 9 is already installed at a low position, it can be used without the need to install a new manhole 9.

[0024] The power source for operating the water level sensor unit 8 should be a power source that will not be interrupted even if the basement floor of the building is flooded, similar to the power source for the air compressor 1, and may be supplied by branching off directly from the bus bar that supplies power to the building from the electric power company.

[0025] An air pressure detection sensor 22 is installed in the equipment and / or item storage room 3, and its signal is sent to a display (meter) not shown installed in a security guard room, etc., making it possible to check the air pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage room 3, and it can also be used to control the discharge air pressure of the air compression device 1.

[0026] If the air pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage room 3 is higher than the water pressure when the basement floor is submerged, flooding can be prevented. Specifically, assuming that the basement floor shown in Figures 1 and 2 is approximately 10 m below the building's ground level and the flood water level of the ground around the building is 1 m above the building's ground level, the head pressure acting on the basement floor is 11 mAq, or 0.11 MPa. The air compressor 1 has an outlet pressure of 0.7 MPa and a discharge volume of 6.9 m 3 If a commercially available air compressor with a performance of 100 / min is used, the air pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage room 3 can be increased to a level far exceeding the 0.11 MPa required to prevent flooding, even when piping air flow resistance is taken into account. Incidentally, even if the air compressor 1 is installed on a rooftop 100m above ground and a 1 1 / 2 inch diameter piping is used to connect to the equipment and / or item storage room 3, with approximately 10 bends and 5 branches, the piping air flow resistance will be less than 0.1 MPa.

[0027] The dimensions of the equipment and / or item storage room 3 are length 6m, width 3m, height 2.5m, and volume 45m. 3 If there are four rooms, the total volume is 180 m 3 The discharge capacity of the commercially available air compressor is 6.9 m 3 At this rate, in about 26 minutes, the pressure in the equipment and / or item storage room 3 will reach about 0.6 MPa, calculated by subtracting the piping pressure loss of 0.1 MPa from the outlet pressure of the commercially available air compressor. Since the air pressure required to prevent water from entering the equipment and / or item storage room 3 is 0.11 MPa, the function of preventing water from entering the equipment and / or item storage room 3 begins in a time significantly shorter than 26 minutes.

[0028] The estimated costs of the equipment and construction that make up the flood prevention system of the present invention are 2 million yen for the air compressor, 1 million yen for the air supply piping including construction costs, 10,000 yen for the water level gauge, 10,000 yen for the barometer, 1 million yen for airtight construction, 500,000 yen for electrical wiring construction, and other miscellaneous expenses, totaling less than 5 million yen. The business operator in question can easily determine that this amount is far cheaper than the estimated amount in Patent Document 1 and the estimated amount for relocating important equipment. In apartment buildings and tenant buildings, the fact that the cost of flood prevention construction is low makes it easier to obtain the consent of many residents, and is an important factor in emergency flood prevention measures. EXAMPLES

[0029] Next, a flood prevention system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The flood prevention system according to the second embodiment is not intended for large buildings with basements, but for small stores and general houses on the ground. The basic structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the target of flood prevention is changed from equipment and / or item storage rooms to stores and houses. In the flood prevention system according to the second embodiment, a baby compressor (small air compressor) that can be purchased inexpensively is installed on the balcony of the second floor, which is higher than the ground floor of a store or house, the baby compressor's compressed air outlet piping is laid and connected inside the store or house, the building openings such as window frames, entrance doors, and ventilation openings are made airtight with vinyl strips, and the baby compressor is manually activated based on a flood forecast, making it an inexpensive and easy indoor flood prevention system. EXAMPLES

[0030] Next, a flood prevention system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The flood prevention system according to the third embodiment is intended for logistics warehouses, livestock barns, and poultry houses located on the ground in low-lying areas. The basic structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the equipment and / or item storage rooms subject to flooding has been changed to a small-scale electrical room, pump room, and other electrical equipment storage room, and a large-scale item storage room, livestock barn, and poultry house. In the flood prevention system according to the third embodiment, a large blower is installed on the roof of the electrical equipment storage room, and air is sent to the item storage room, livestock barn, and poultry house through a large-diameter air duct. The system is an inexpensive and easy indoor flood prevention system, as it does not have a water level sensor, but instead manually starts the large blower when a flood forecast is issued and sends air. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1...Air compression device 2…Compressed air supply piping 3. Equipment and / or item storage room 4…Rooftop of a building 5…Staircase 6…Staircase landing 7…Basement floor surface 8...Water level sensor part 9…Masu (measure) 10...Building floor partition slab 11...Ventilation blower duct 12…Basement ceiling 13…Formation wall 14...Through hole 15. Equipment and / or Goods 16…Entrance door 17…Door frame 18...Pressure-resistant rubber packing 19...Pate and other fillings 20…Wiring conduit 21…Backflow prevention damper 22...Air pressure detection sensor 23...Water level gauge signal cable

Claims

[Claim 1] A water-flood prevention system comprising an air compressor installed at a higher position than the equipment and / or item storage room to be prevented from flooding, a compressed air supply pipe for supplying compressed air from the air compressor to the equipment and / or item storage room, an airtight member for making the equipment and / or item storage room airtight, and a water level sensor unit located in a manhole provided at a low position on the exterior floor of the equipment and / or item storage room, wherein in the event of a flood, the water level sensor unit generates a signal when it detects contact with water, which signal activates the air compressor, thereby supplying compressed air from the air compressor to the equipment and / or item storage room through the compressed air supply pipe, and preventing water flooding of the equipment and / or item storage room by raising the air pressure inside the equipment and / or item storage room to which the airtight member is attached above the water pressure caused by water flooding outside the equipment and / or item storage room.

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