Fire Protection Systems

Abstract

To provide a fire protection system that can detect a sign of fire at an even earlier stage and take a fire prevention measure before the fire occurs.SOLUTION: A fire protection system comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires concentration of gas generated from a monitoring target; a detection unit that identifies the location of a fire candidate in the monitoring target by comparing the concentration with a predetermined threshold value; and a fire prevention device that performs a fire prevention measure on the fire candidate. As a consequence, the fire candidate can be identified based on the concentration of the gas generated from the monitoring target, rather than the surface temperature of the monitoring target.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to fire protection systems. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in facilities that handle high-temperature combustible materials, such as the inside of a waste incinerator, various means have been proposed for detecting abnormally high temperatures or fires occurring in the combustible materials.Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a monitoring system that transmits image data output from an infrared camera to a receiving terminal connected to a network, the receiving terminal having a fire detection means that extracts temperature from the transmitted image data to detect fires, and a display means that displays information about the fire detected by the fire detection means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-100198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the above-mentioned devices, if the temperature monitoring target is the surface of an object and the ignition source is buried under garbage, detection will be delayed by the time it takes for the heat to reach the surface, which could mean that fire prevention measures may not be able to be taken in time.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a fire prevention system that can detect signs of fire earlier and take fire prevention measures before a fire occurs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the fire prevention system according to the present disclosure includes a physical quantity sensor that acquires at least one of the concentration and temperature of a gas generated from a monitored object, a detection unit that identifies a position of a fire source candidate within the monitored object by comparing the concentration with a predetermined threshold, and a fire prevention device that performs fire prevention processing on the fire source candidate. The monitoring object further includes a spraying unit that sprays a low-temperature volatile substance onto the surface of the object to be monitored, and the physical quantity sensor acquires at least one of the concentration and temperature of the volatile gas generated based on the low-temperature volatile substance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a fire prevention system that can detect signs of a fire earlier and take fire prevention measures before a fire occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fire protection system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a conveying device and a chute portion according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing fire prevention devices at the transport destinations of fire source candidates in association with positions on a conveyor according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fire prevention system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <First embodiment of fire prevention system> A first embodiment of a fire prevention system 100 according to the present disclosure will be described. The fire prevention system 100 is a system that operates in a waste treatment plant that treats, for example, municipal waste, industrial waste, etc. The fire prevention system 100 prevents fires from occurring in the materials being treated in the waste treatment plant. In the description in this specification, the materials being treated in the waste treatment plant will be referred to as "monitored object T."

[0010] 1, the fire protection system 100 includes a control device 6, a conveying device 7, a chute unit 8, a transferring device 9, a physical quantity sensor 10, and a fire protection device 40. First, the configuration of the conveying device 7 will be described.

[0011] (Transportation device) The transport device 7 receives the monitoring object T crushed by the crusher 200 from the crusher 200 and transports the monitoring object T toward a destination. In this embodiment, the transport device 7 is disposed in a space defined by a plurality of wall surfaces 300, and transports the monitoring object T within the space. The wall surfaces 300 are, for example, part of the equipment within a waste treatment plant. Hereinafter, the space in which the transport device 7 is disposed and in which the monitoring object T is transported by the transport device 7 will be referred to as the "transport space R2." The transport device 7 is an example of a moving device 2.

[0012] The transport device 7 has multiple conveyors 70. Each of the multiple conveyors 70 transports a monitored object T. FIG. 4 shows an example in which four conveyors 70 are lined up in a row in the direction in which the transport space R2 extends. That is, the monitored object T transported by one conveyor 70 falls onto the conveyor 70 adjacent to that one conveyor 70 and is then transported by the adjacent conveyor 70. For ease of explanation, these four conveyors 70 will be referred to as the "first conveyor 71," "second conveyor 72," "third conveyor 73," and "fourth conveyor 74" in order from the side closest to the crusher 200. In addition, the side of the transport space R2 closest to the crusher 200 will sometimes be referred to as the "upstream side," and the side closer to the destination away from the crusher 200 will sometimes be referred to as the "downstream side."

[0013] The first conveyor 71 is disposed below the crusher 200 in the vertical direction Dv and receives the monitoring objects T crushed by the crusher 200. The first conveyor 71 transports the monitoring objects T supplied from the crusher 200 downstream and drops the transported monitoring objects T to the second conveyor 72. The second conveyor 72 is disposed downstream of the first conveyor 71. The second conveyor 72 transports the monitoring objects T supplied from the first conveyor 71 downstream and drops the transported monitoring objects T to the third conveyor 73. The third conveyor 73 is disposed downstream of the second conveyor 72 and has an upstream end overlapping the second conveyor 72 in the vertical direction Dv. The third conveyor 73 transports the monitoring objects T supplied from the second conveyor 72 downstream and drops the transported monitoring objects T to the fourth conveyor 74. The fourth conveyor 74 is disposed downstream of the third conveyor 73, and its upstream end overlaps the third conveyor 73 in the vertical direction Dv. The fourth conveyor 74 transports the monitored object T supplied from the third conveyor 73 toward a target location downstream.

[0014] The second conveyor 72, the third conveyor 73, and the fourth conveyor 74 have the same width (W2 shown in FIG. 5). Hereinafter, the second conveyor 72, the third conveyor 73, and the fourth conveyor 74 may be collectively referred to as the "other conveyors 70." The "width" here refers to the dimension in the width direction of the conveyor 70 (a direction intersecting the vertical direction Dv and perpendicular to the direction in which the monitored object T is transported). On the other hand, the width of the first conveyor 71 (W1 shown in FIG. 5) is larger than the width of the other conveyors 70. The width of the first conveyor 71 is, for example, more than twice the width of the other conveyors 70. Note that the width of the first conveyor 71 may be more than one time but less than two times the width of the other conveyors 70.

[0015] The operation of each conveyor 70 (first conveyor 71 to fourth conveyor 74) is controlled by a control device 6, which will be described later. Specifically, the control device 6 controls the starting (start of operation), maintaining operation, and stopping (end of operation) of the conveyor 70. The control device 6 uses two modes of operation: forward operation, which operates the conveyor 70 so that the monitored object T is transported downstream, and reverse operation, which operates the conveyor 70 so that the monitored object T is transported upstream. That is, in FIG. 4, when the conveyor 70 is operated in the forward direction, the monitored object T on the conveyor 70 moves to the right (downstream), and when the conveyor 70 is operated in the reverse direction, the monitored object T on the conveyor 70 moves to the left (upstream). The conveying speeds of the second conveyor 72, the third conveyor 73, and the fourth conveyor 74 are all equal. On the other hand, the conveying speed of the first conveyor 71 is slower than the conveying speeds of the other conveyors 70. The conveying speed of the first conveyor 71 is, for example, 0.5 times or less than the conveying speed of the other conveyors 70. Note that the conveying speed of the first conveyor 71 may be, for example, more than 0.5 times but less than 1 time the conveying speed of the other conveyors 70. Hereinafter, the state in which each conveyor 70 (first conveyor 71 to fourth conveyor 74) is operated in the forward direction may be referred to as "normal operation," and the state in which each conveyor is operated in the reverse direction may be referred to as "abnormal operation." The conveying device 7 (first conveyor 71 to fourth conveyor 74) is an example of an operation target device S.

[0016] (Chute section) The chute unit 8 temporarily receives and stores the monitoring objects T that have fallen from the first conveyor 71, and supplies the received monitoring objects T from above in the vertical direction Dv onto the second conveyor 72. The chute unit 8 is disposed between the first conveyor 71 and the second conveyor 72.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the chute unit 8 has a predetermined box-like shape. The chute unit 8 has a supply hole 80h in a central portion, which is rectangular when viewed from the vertical direction Dv. The supply hole 80h has a first opening 80u that opens upward in the vertical direction Dv and a second opening 80d that opens downward in the vertical direction Dv. The second opening 80d opens toward the second conveyor 72. In this embodiment, the area defined on the inner surface of the supply hole 80h is uniformly formed in the vertical direction Dv. The supply hole 80h may be formed so that its size decreases from the first opening 80u toward the second opening 80d. The supply hole 80h does not have to be rectangular when viewed from the vertical direction Dv, and may be formed, for example, in a circular or polygonal shape other than a rectangle. The width of the second opening 80d is formed to be equal to the width W2 of the second conveyor 72, for example. The width of the second opening 80d may be smaller than the width W2 of the second conveyor 72.

[0018] The chute 8 also has a guide portion 8g connected to the first opening 80u, the cross-sectional area of ​​which perpendicular to the vertical direction Dv increases as it extends upward in the vertical direction Dv. In this embodiment, the guide portion 8g is composed of four surfaces 8a. Adjacent surfaces 8a of these four surfaces 8a are connected to each other to form a receiving opening 8h at the uppermost position of the chute 8. The width of the receiving opening 8h is, for example, equal to the width W1 of the first conveyor 71. Note that the width of the receiving opening 8h may be greater than the width W1 of the first conveyor 71.

[0019] Therefore, the monitored object T transported downstream by the first conveyor 71 falls into the chute section 8, is guided downward by the guide section 8g (four surfaces 8a) of the chute section 8, and is then supplied from above to the second conveyor 72 through the supply hole 80h.

[0020] (physical quantity sensor) Returning to FIG. 1, the physical quantity sensor 10 is a sensor that detects at least one of the concentration and temperature of gas generated from the monitored object T transported in the transport space R2 due to thermal decomposition before combustion.

[0021] A plurality of physical quantity sensors 10 are provided on the wall surface 300. Fig. 1 shows an example in which three physical quantity sensors 10 are provided on the wall surface 300 at intervals from the upstream side to the downstream side. For ease of explanation, these three physical quantity sensors 10 will be referred to as a "first physical quantity sensor 11," a "second physical quantity sensor 12," and a "third physical quantity sensor 13" in that order from the upstream side (the side closer to the crusher 200).

[0022] In this embodiment, the first physical quantity sensor 11 covers at least the entire surface of the monitoring object T transported on the first conveyor 71. The second physical quantity sensor 12 covers at least the entire surface of the monitoring object T transported on the second conveyor 72 and the entire surface of the monitoring object T transported on a portion of the third conveyor 73. The third physical quantity sensor 13 mainly covers at least the entire surface of the monitoring object T transported on the remaining portion of the third conveyor 73, which is outside the monitoring range of the second physical quantity sensor 12. Note that the coverage ranges of the first physical quantity sensor 11, the second physical quantity sensor 12, and the third physical quantity sensor 13 may overlap with each other. Hereinafter, the setting of the physical quantity sensors 10 (the first physical quantity sensor 11, the second physical quantity sensor 12, and the third physical quantity sensor 13) that monitor the gas concentration in each of the above-mentioned regions will be referred to as the "initial setting."

[0023] The settings of the first physical quantity sensor 11, the second physical quantity sensor 12, and the third physical quantity sensor 13 are adjusted by the control device 6. The setting of the physical quantity sensor 10 here includes, for example, adjusting the angle of the monitoring direction of the gas concentration (tilt of the entire physical quantity sensor 10).

[0024] (Fire protection device) The fire protection device 40 is disposed within the transport space R2 and performs fire prevention treatment on the monitored object T. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the fire protection device 40 has, for example, a predetermined box shape. A plurality of fire protection devices 40 are disposed so as to be able to receive the monitored object T transported by each conveyor 70. In other words, the fire protection device 40 includes a plurality of fire protection devices 40 installed in different locations. FIG. 1 shows an example in which three fire protection devices 40 are disposed at intervals from each other within the transport space R2. For ease of explanation, these three fire protection devices 40 will be referred to as the "first fire protection device 41," the "second fire protection device 42," and the "third fire protection device 43" in order from the upstream side (the side closest to the crusher 200).

[0025] The first fire protection device 41 is disposed upstream of the first conveyor 71 and below the first conveyor 71 in the vertical direction Dv. More specifically, the first fire protection device 41 is located below the upstream end of the first conveyor 71. The second fire protection device 42 is disposed upstream of the third conveyor 73 and below the third conveyor 73 in the vertical direction Dv. More specifically, the second fire protection device 42 is located below the upstream end of the third conveyor 73. At the same time, the second fire protection device 42 is located below the downstream end of the second conveyor 72. The third fire protection device 43 is disposed upstream of the fourth conveyor 74 and below the fourth conveyor 74 in the vertical direction Dv. More specifically, the third fire protection device 43 is located below the upstream end of the fourth conveyor 74. At the same time, the third fire protection device 43 is located below the downstream end of the third conveyor 73. In other words, the fire protection device 40 has a plurality of fire protection devices 40 (a first fire protection device 41, a second fire protection device 42, and a third fire protection device 43), and each of the plurality of fire protection devices 40 is arranged so as to be able to receive the monitored object T transported by one or more conveyors 70 included in the plurality of conveyors 70.

[0026] That is, when the first conveyor 71 is operated in the reverse direction, the monitored object T on the first conveyor 71 falls into the first fire protection device 41. When the second conveyor 72 is operated in the forward direction and the third conveyor 73 is operated in the reverse direction, the monitored object T on the second conveyor 72 and the monitored object T on the third conveyor 73 fall into the second fire protection device 42. When the third conveyor 73 is operated in the forward direction and the fourth conveyor 74 is operated in the reverse direction, the monitored object T on the third conveyor 73 and the monitored object T on the fourth conveyor 74 fall into the third fire protection device 43.

[0027] When the fire protection devices 40 (first fire protection device 41 to third fire protection device 43) receive the monitored object T inside, they are activated by the control device 6 to make the interior of the fire protection device 40 a closed space (sealed room) that is airtightly isolated from the outside. The fire protection devices 40 perform fire protection treatment on the received monitored object T, for example, by closing a lid from above to make the interior a closed space. That is, the fire protection devices 40 perform fire protection treatment on the received monitored object T using a suffocation fire extinguishing method. Note that instead of performing fire protection treatment on the received monitored object T by making the interior a closed space, the fire protection devices 40 may perform fire protection treatment on the monitored object T by, for example, spraying inert gas inside. That is, the fire protection devices 40 may perform fire protection treatment on the monitored object T using an elimination fire extinguishing method.

[0028] In this embodiment, the fire protection device 40 has a sensor 40a capable of detecting the temperature of the monitored object T received inside. The sensor 40a is, for example, a temperature sensor disposed inside the fire protection device 40. The sensor 40a transmits the detection result to the control device 6. Note that the sensor 40a possessed by the fire protection device 40 is not limited to a configuration capable of detecting the temperature of the monitored object T, and may be, for example, a smoke sensor or a camera.

[0029] (transfer device) The transfer device 9 is activated by the control device 6 to transfer the monitored object T stored in each fire protection device 40 to a pit or the like. The transfer device 9 connects each fire protection device 40 to the pit. The transfer device 9 is an example of the device S to be activated.

[0030] (Control device) The control device 6 remotely controls the operation target devices S (the transport device 7, the fire protection device 40, and the transfer device 9) based on the gas concentration (or gas temperature) transmitted from the physical quantity sensor 10 and the detection result received from the sensor 40a. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 6 has, for example, a first acquisition unit 55, a first detection unit 56 (detection unit), a second detection unit 58, a second acquisition unit 59, an operation unit 60, a criteria derivation unit 61 (derivation unit), a selection unit 62, a determination unit 63, a fire protection treatment unit 64, and a memory unit 65.

[0031] (First Acquisition Department) The first acquisition unit 55 acquires information related to the gas concentration or gas temperature transmitted from the physical quantity sensor 10 at a predetermined period, and sends the acquired information to the first detection unit 56, the second detection unit 58, the second acquisition unit 59, and the determination unit 63. The first acquisition unit 55 acquires the detection result transmitted from the sensor 40a of the fire protection device 40, and sends the acquired detection result to the determination unit 63.

[0032] (First detection unit) Based on the information relating to gas concentration received from the first acquisition unit 55, the first detection unit 56 (detection unit) detects a fire source candidate T1 that indicates a sign of a fire outbreak within the concentration distribution of the monitored object T included in the information. Specifically, the first detection unit 56 detects the position of the fire source candidate T1 by determining whether or not the fire source candidate T1 is present within the monitored object T based on a graph showing the distribution of gas concentration or gas temperature emitted from the monitored object T. When the first detection unit 56 determines that the fire source candidate T1 is present within the monitored object T, it sends the position of the detected fire source candidate T1 to the adjustment unit 57, the operation unit 60, and the determination unit 63.

[0033] (Second detection unit) When the second detection unit 58 receives notification that the fire source candidate T1 has been detected, it determines whether the fire source candidate T1 is a specified fire prevention target based on the comparison result between the information regarding the gas concentration received from the first acquisition unit 55 and a predetermined concentration threshold (or temperature threshold).

[0034] (Second acquisition part) When the second acquisition unit 59 receives from the second detection unit 58 information that the fire source candidate T1 is a fire prevention target, the second acquisition unit 59 acquires information about the fire source candidate T1 based on the information received from the first acquisition unit 55. Specifically, the second acquisition unit 59 acquires the gas concentration of the fire source candidate T1 in the concentration distribution or temperature distribution. The second acquisition unit 59 sends the acquired gas concentration or gas temperature around the fire source candidate T1 to the criteria derivation unit 61. The second acquisition unit 59 is an example of the acquisition unit 50.

[0035] (Criteria derivation part) The criteria derivation unit 61 (derivation unit) derives criteria based on at least one of the concentrations and temperatures of the multiple fire source candidates T1 on a time series received from the second acquisition unit 59 and the temperature transition of the monitored object T predicted based on a temperature rise profile (actual data) acquired in advance for each type of monitored object T. Specifically, the criteria derivation unit 61 selects one simulation result that best matches the gas concentrations or gas temperatures of the multiple fire source candidates T1 on a time series received from the second acquisition unit 59 from among multiple simulation results (temperature prediction curves showing the temperature transition of the monitored object T) based on the temperature rise profile for each type of monitored object T acquired in advance by a combustion test or the like. The criteria derivation unit 61 derives criteria from the selected simulation result. The criteria derivation unit 61 derives, for example, the time required for the temperature at which the monitored object T shown in the simulation result ignites (the remaining time until the fire breaks out) from the gas concentration or gas temperature of the fire source candidate T1 shown in the selected simulation result as the above criteria. Therefore, the criteria indicate the time from the time when the fire source candidate T1 is detected as a fire prevention target to the time when the fire breaks out. Multiple simulation results are stored in advance in, for example, the storage unit 65. The criteria derivation unit 61 performs the above derivation operation by referring to the multiple simulation results from the storage unit 65 as appropriate. The criteria derivation unit 61 sends the derived criteria to the selection unit 62. Note that the criteria derivation unit 61 may also derive the criteria based on the gas concentration or gas temperature of one fire source candidate T1 received from the second acquisition unit 59 and a temperature transition of the monitored object T predicted based on a temperature rise profile (actual data) acquired in advance for each type of monitored object T.

[0036] (Selection Department) The selection unit 62 selects a fire protection device 40 that will accept the fire source candidate T1 based on the criteria received from the criteria derivation unit 61. The selection unit 62 acquires the time required to complete transportation from the position of the fire source candidate T1 to the fire protection device 40 from predetermined correspondence information. Hereinafter, the time required to complete transportation from the position of the fire source candidate T1 to the fire protection device 40 will be referred to as the "transportation time." The correspondence information is, for example, a table that associates positions on the conveyor 70 with the time (transportation time) required to complete transportation of the monitored object T from the position on the conveyor 70 to a fire protection device 40 that can transport the monitored object T. For example, if the fire source candidate T1 is located on the first conveyor 71, the fire protection device 40 to which the fire source candidate T1 is to be transported is the first fire protection device 41, the second fire protection device 42, or the third fire protection device 43. Furthermore, if the fire source candidate T1 is located on the second conveyor 72 or the third conveyor 73, the fire protection device 40 to which the fire source candidate T1 is to be transported is the second fire protection device 42 or the third fire protection device 43. Furthermore, if the fire source candidate T1 is located on the fourth conveyor 74, the fire protection device 40 to which the fire source candidate T1 is to be transported is the third fire protection device 43. The correspondence information is stored in advance, for example, in the memory unit 65. The selection unit 62 performs the above-mentioned selection operation by referring to the correspondence information from the memory unit 65 as appropriate. In other words, the selection unit 62 selects which of the multiple fire protection devices 40 to use to perform fire prevention treatment based on the state of the fire protection target obtained from the detection result of the second detection unit 58.

[0037] Specifically, the selection unit 62 selects a fire protection device 40 whose transport time satisfies a predetermined condition. Here, "satisfying a predetermined condition" means, for example, that the transport time is less than the criterion. For example, when fire source candidate T1 is located on the third conveyor 73, the selection unit 62 selects the fire protection device 40 from the second fire protection device 42 or the third fire protection device 43 whose transport time is less than the criterion. Figure 9 shows an example of the relationship between the position of fire source candidate T1 on the conveyor 70 and the fire protection device 40 to which fire source candidate T1 is to be transported. The selection unit 62 sends the selected fire protection device 40 to the activation unit 60 and the fire protection treatment unit 64.

[0038] (operating part) The actuating unit 60 actuates the transport device 7 so that the fire source candidate T1 moves toward the fire protection device 40, based on the position of the fire source candidate T1 on the conveyor 70 received from the first detection unit 56 and the fire protection device 40 received from the selection unit 62. For example, if the position of the fire source candidate T1 received from the first detection unit 56 indicates that it is on the first conveyor 71 and the fire protection device 40 received from the selection unit 62 indicates the first fire protection device 41, the actuating unit 60 actuates the first conveyor 71 in the reverse direction. On the other hand, if the position of the fire source candidate T1 received from the first detection unit 56 indicates that it is on the second conveyor 72 and the fire protection device 40 received from the selection unit 62 indicates the second fire protection device 42, the actuating unit 60 actuates the second conveyor 72 in the forward direction. In addition, if the position of the fire source candidate T1 received from the first detection unit 56 indicates that it is on the third conveyor 73 and the fire protection device 40 received from the selection unit 62 indicates that it is the second fire protection device 42, the operation unit 60 operates the third conveyor 73 in the reverse direction, and if the position of the fire source candidate T1 indicates that it is on the third conveyor 73 and the received fire protection device 40 indicates that it is the third fire protection device 43, the operation unit 60 operates the third conveyor 73 in the forward direction and the fourth conveyor 74 in the reverse direction.

[0039] Furthermore, when the result of the judgment (first judgment) received from the judgment unit 63 (described later) indicates that the fire source candidate T1 is not included in the information related to the gas concentration distribution or the gas temperature distribution, the operation unit 60 switches each conveyor 70 to the normal operation state. The operation unit 60 notifies the adjustment unit 57 that the conveyors 70 have been switched to the normal operation state.

[0040] (Judgment Department) The determination unit 63 determines whether or not the fire source candidate T1 is included in the information related to the gas concentration or gas temperature received from the first acquisition unit 55, based on the information. Specifically, the determination unit 63 determines whether or not the fire source candidate T1 is included in the distribution information by determining the peak value in the concentration distribution or temperature distribution. Hereinafter, the result of this determination will be referred to as the "first determination." The determination unit 63 sends the result of the first determination to the operation unit 60 and the fire prevention treatment unit 64.

[0041] Furthermore, the determination unit 63 determines whether or not there is still a risk of the monitored object T in the fire prevention device 40 based on the detection result of the sensor 40a received from the first acquisition unit 55. Specifically, the determination unit 63 determines whether or not the detection result of the sensor 40a is equal to or greater than a predetermined third threshold. If the detection result of the sensor 40a is equal to or greater than the third threshold, the determination unit 63 determines that there is still a risk of fire. On the other hand, if the detection result of the sensor 40a is less than the third threshold, the determination unit 63 determines that there is no risk of re-ignition. Hereinafter, this determination result will be referred to as a "second determination." The third threshold is pre-stored in, for example, the memory unit 65. The determination unit 63 performs the second determination operation by referring to the third threshold from the memory unit 65 as appropriate. The determination unit 63 sends the result of the second determination to the fire prevention processing unit 64.

[0042] (Fire Prevention Department) When the result of the first determination received from the determination unit 63 indicates that the fire source candidate T1 is not included in the distribution information, the fire prevention processing unit 64 activates the fire prevention device 40 received from the selection unit 62. That is, the fire prevention processing unit 64 activates the fire prevention device 40 received from the selection unit 62, thereby performing fire prevention processing on the monitored object T received by the fire prevention device 40.

[0043] Furthermore, the fire prevention processing unit 64 continues to operate the fire prevention device 40 when the result of the second determination received from the determination unit 63 indicates that there is still a risk of fire. Furthermore, the fire prevention processing unit 64 operates the transfer device 9 when the result of the second determination received from the determination unit 63 indicates that there is no risk of fire. That is, the fire prevention processing unit 64 operates the transfer device 9 to transfer the monitored object T stored in the fire prevention device 40 to a pit or the like. Furthermore, the fire prevention processing unit 64 notifies the adjustment unit 57 that there is no risk of fire.

[0044] (Control device operation) Next, an example of the operation of the control device 6 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. However, the order of the processes described below is not limited to the following example, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0045] First, the setting of the physical quantity sensor 10 is adjusted to the initial setting (step S1). Next, the first acquisition unit 55 acquires the gas concentration distribution or temperature distribution transmitted from the physical quantity sensor 10 at a predetermined interval (step S2). Next, the first detection unit 56 detects the fire source candidate T1 by determining whether or not the fire source candidate T1 is present in the monitored object T in the distribution information (step S3). If the fire source candidate T1 is not present in the monitored object T (step S3: NO), the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if the fire source candidate T1 is present in the monitored object T (step S3: YES), the criteria derivation unit 61 derives criteria based on the gas concentrations of the multiple fire source candidates T1 over time and the predicted temperature transition of the monitored object T (step S4). Next, the selection unit 62 selects a fire protection device 40 that will accept the fire source candidate T1 based on the criteria (step S5). Next, the actuation unit 60 operates the transport device 7 so that the fire source candidate T1 moves toward the fire prevention device 40 that will receive the fire source candidate T1 (step S6). Next, the setting of the physical quantity sensor 10 is adjusted so that the physical quantity sensor 10 continuously monitors the transported fire source candidate T1 (step S7). Next, the first acquisition unit 55 periodically acquires information related to the gas concentration distribution or gas temperature distribution transmitted from the physical quantity sensor 10 (step S8). Next, the determination unit 63 determines whether the fire source candidate T1 is included in the distribution information (step S9). If the fire source candidate T1 is present (step S9: YES), the process returns to step S7. On the other hand, if the fire source candidate T1 is not present (step S9: NO), the fire prevention processing unit 64 activates the fire prevention device 40 to perform fire prevention processing on the monitored object T received by the fire prevention device 40 (step S10), and the actuation unit 60 switches each conveyor 70 to a normal operation state (step S12). When the processing of step S12 is completed, the processing returns to step S1. After the processing of step S10, the determination unit 63 determines whether or not there is a risk of the monitored object T in the fire prevention device 40 re-igniting (step S11). If there is a risk of the monitored object T re-igniting (step S11: YES), the processing returns to step S10.On the other hand, if there is no risk of the monitored object T re-igniting (step S11: NO), the fire prevention treatment unit 64 operates the transfer device 9 to transfer the monitored object T stored in the fire prevention device 40 to a pit or the like (step S13). The operation of the control device 6 described above is repeatedly executed during operation of the waste treatment plant.

[0046] (Actions and Effects) According to the above configuration, the fire source candidate T1 can be identified based on at least one of the temperature and concentration of gases emitted from the monitored object T, rather than the surface temperature of the monitored object T. Therefore, even if the fire source candidate T1 is buried inside the monitored object T, the fire source candidate T1 can be identified early, and subsequent fire prevention measures can be carried out promptly. On the other hand, in a configuration in which the fire source candidate T1 is identified based on the surface temperature, identification is delayed by the time it takes for the heat from the fire source candidate buried inside the monitored object T to reach the surface. According to the above configuration, the risk of such delays can be minimized, leading to more rapid fire prevention measures.

[0047] According to the above configuration, the fire source candidate T1 is subjected to fire prevention treatment using the function of the transport device 7 that transports the monitored object T, so there is no need to use a device for moving the fire source candidate T1, for example. This makes it possible to avoid making the device configuration more complicated, further reducing the construction costs and operation costs of the fire prevention system 100.

[0048] According to the above configuration, regardless of the location of the monitored object T that has become the fire source candidate T1, the monitored object T can be immediately introduced into any of the fire prevention devices 40 after identification. This allows for even earlier fire prevention treatment.

[0049] According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent a fire from breaking out from the fire source candidate T1 while the fire source candidate T1 is being transported to the fire prevention device 40. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the possibility of a fire breaking out.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the criteria can be set closer to the time it takes from the time when the fire source candidate T1 is detected until the actual fire outbreak. In other words, the accuracy of the criteria is improved, which makes it possible to prevent fires more precisely and quickly.

[0051] <Second embodiment of fire prevention system> Next, a second embodiment of the fire protection system 100 according to the present disclosure will be described. Note that the criteria derivation unit 61 of the second embodiment described below is partially different from the criteria derivation unit 61 described in the first embodiment above. Descriptions of common configurations will be omitted.

[0052] (First Acquisition Department) In the present embodiment, the first acquisition unit 55 acquires information transmitted from the physical quantity sensor 10 at a predetermined period, and sends the acquired information to the criteria derivation unit 61. The first acquisition unit 55 is an example of the acquisition unit 50.

[0053] (Criteria derivation part) In this embodiment, the criteria derivation unit 61 derives criteria using a trained model 650 (see FIG. 3 ) that has been trained to output criteria when at least one of a plurality of time-series gas concentration distributions and a gas temperature distribution (i.e., information acquired regarding the fire source candidate T1) received from the first acquisition unit 55 is input. The trained model 650 is pre-stored in, for example, the storage unit 65. The criteria derivation unit 61 acquires the output criteria by inputting the plurality of time-series gas concentration distributions received from the first acquisition unit 55 to the trained model 650 stored in the storage unit 65. The trained model 650 is, for example, a deep learning model (supervised learning model) such as a deep neural network (DNN). The trained model 650 has been trained to output criteria according to the above input by repeatedly executing a learning step in which a teacher data set is input, the teacher data set including temperature transitions of the monitored object T predicted in advance for each type of monitored object T and temperature rise profiles acquired in advance for each type of monitored object T. The predicted temperature transition of the monitored object T is a simulation result (a temperature prediction curve showing the temperature transition of the monitored object T) based on a temperature rise profile (actual data) for each type of monitored object T acquired in advance by a combustion test or the like. The trained model 650 may be a deep learning model such as a convolutional neural network (CNN) or a recurrent neural network (RNN). The criteria derivation unit 61 sends the derived criteria to the selection unit 62. The criteria derivation unit 61 may derive criteria using the trained model 650 that has been trained to output criteria when a piece of information received from the first acquisition unit 55 is input.

[0054] (Actions and Effects) According to the above configuration, the criteria can be made closer to the actual time taken from the time when the fire source candidate T1 is detected until the fire breaks out.

[0055] <Third embodiment of fire prevention system> Next, a third embodiment of the fire protection system 100 according to the present disclosure will be described. Note that the same components as those in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6, the fire protection system 100 according to this embodiment further includes a spraying unit 400 in addition to the above-described components. The spraying unit 400 is, for example, a spray device capable of spraying an agent onto the monitored object T moving on the first conveyor 71. Here, a low-temperature volatile substance is preferably used as the agent to be sprayed. Specifically, this type of substance is at least one substance selected from the group including water, organic solvents, and fluorine compounds. These substances are known to volatilize at relatively low temperatures of about 100°C to 400°C.

[0057] The above-mentioned first acquisition unit 55 identifies the fire source candidate T1 based on the concentration of the gas generated from the low-temperature volatile substance sprayed by the spraying unit 400.

[0058] (Action and effect) Here, the monitored object T may contain multiple substances. For example, the type, amount, and temperature of the gas generated may vary depending on the substances around an ignition source such as a lithium-ion battery. According to the above configuration, by spraying a low-temperature volatile substance with known characteristics onto the monitored object T in advance, it is possible to obtain more accurate information on the temperature rise and its range. This makes it possible to accurately detect signs of ignition.

[0059] According to the above configuration, at least one inexpensive substance selected from water, organic solvents, and fluorine compounds is used as the low-temperature volatile substance with known properties, which makes it possible to further reduce the cost required for fire prevention measures.

[0060] (Other embodiments) The above describes the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configurations are not limited to those of the embodiments, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications to the configurations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0061] The fire protection devices 4, 40 described in the first and second embodiments may include a first fire protection device that uses an elimination fire extinguishing method or a suffocation fire extinguishing method, and a second fire protection device that uses a water sprinkling fire extinguishing method (cooling fire extinguishing method). In this case, the control devices 5, 6 (e.g., the selection unit 62 in the second embodiment) may select which of the multiple fire protection devices 40 to use to perform fire prevention measures based on the state of the fire protection target obtained from the detection result of the second detection unit 58. In other words, the control devices 5, 6 may select a fire protection device 40 that can execute an appropriate fire extinguishing method from among the multiple fire protection devices 40 that have different fire extinguishing methods.

[0062] Furthermore, as a modified example of the physical quantity sensor 10 described in each of the above embodiments, it is possible to appropriately select from various configurations that have been put into practical use to date. For example, an analyzer may be provided that sucks gas from the vicinity of the monitored object T on the conveyor 70 and analyzes the concentration of the sucked gas. Alternatively, the gas concentration may be analyzed by irradiating it with a laser. Furthermore, in either case, partition plates may be provided to divide the area on the conveyor 70 into multiple compartments to prevent the gas from dissipating.

[0063] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, a configuration has been described in which signs of a fire are detected by monitoring at least one of the concentration and temperature of gas generated from the monitored object T using the physical quantity sensor 10. However, the method of detecting signs of a fire is not limited to this, and it is also possible to combine the detection of the surface temperature of the monitored object T using a thermographic image or a temperature sensor with the above-mentioned sign detection based on the gas concentration or gas temperature. With this configuration, it is possible to identify the fire source candidate T1 with even higher accuracy and detect signs of a fire at an earlier stage.

[0064] (Computer Configuration) 7 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the configuration of a computer 1100 according to this embodiment. The computer 1100 includes a processor 1110, a main memory 1120, a storage 1130, and an interface 1140.

[0065] The above-described control devices 5 and 6 are implemented in one or more computers 1100. The operations of the above-described processing units are stored in the storage 1130 in the form of a program. The processor 1110 reads the program from the storage 1130, loads it into the main memory 1120, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. The processor 1110 also allocates storage areas in the main memory 1120 corresponding to the above-described storage units 54 and 65 in accordance with the program. The program may be for realizing part of the functions to be performed by the computer 1100. For example, the program may be combined with other programs already stored in the storage 1130 or other programs implemented in other devices to perform the functions. The computer 1100 may also include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above-described configuration. Examples of PLDs include programmable array logic (PAL), generic array logic (GAL), complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and field programmable gate array (FPGA). In this case, some or all of the functions implemented by processor 1110 may be implemented by the integrated circuit.

[0066] Examples of storage 1130 include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a semiconductor memory. Storage 1130 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of computer 1100, or an external medium connected to computer 1100 via interface 1140 or a communication line. Furthermore, when this program is distributed to computer 1100 via a communication line, computer 1100 that receives the program may load the program into main memory 1120 and execute the above-described processing. In the above embodiment, storage 1130 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium. Furthermore, the program may be for realizing part of the above-described functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that realizes the above-described functions in combination with another program already stored in storage 1130.

[0067] <Additional Notes> The fire protection system described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0068] (1) The fire prevention system 100 according to the first aspect includes a physical quantity sensor 10 that acquires at least one of the concentration and temperature of gas generated from a monitored object T, a detection unit 56 that identifies the position of a potential fire source T1 in the monitored object T by comparing the concentration with a predetermined threshold, and a fire prevention device 40 that performs fire prevention processing on the potential fire source.

[0069] According to the above configuration, the fire source candidate T1 can be identified based on the concentration of gas generated from the monitored object T, rather than on the surface temperature of the monitored object T. Therefore, even if the fire source candidate T1 is buried inside the monitored object T, the fire source candidate T1 can be identified early, and subsequent fire prevention measures can be carried out promptly.

[0070] (2) The fire prevention system 100 according to the second aspect is the fire prevention system 100 of (1), further comprising a spraying unit 400 that sprays a low-temperature volatile substance onto the surface of the monitored object T, and the physical quantity sensor 10 acquires at least one of the concentration and temperature of the volatile gas generated based on the low-temperature volatile substance.

[0071] According to the above configuration, by spraying a low-temperature volatile substance with known characteristics onto the object to be monitored T in advance, it is possible to obtain more accurate information on the temperature rise and its range.

[0072] (3) The fire protection system 100 according to the third aspect is the fire protection system 100 of (2), wherein the low-temperature volatile substance is at least one substance selected from the group including water, organic solvents, and fluorine compounds.

[0073] According to the above configuration, at least one inexpensive substance selected from water, organic solvents, and fluorine compounds is used as the low-temperature volatile substance with known properties, which makes it possible to further reduce the cost required for fire prevention measures.

[0074] (4) The fire prevention system 100 according to the fourth aspect is a fire prevention system 100 according to any one of aspects (1) to (3), and further includes a control device 6 that causes the fire prevention device 40 to execute the fire prevention process when the fire source candidate T1 is identified by the detection unit 56.

[0075] According to the above configuration, the fire source candidate T1 is subjected to fire prevention treatment using the function of the control device 6, so there is no need to use a device for moving the fire source candidate T1, for example.

[0076] (5) The fire prevention system 100 according to the fifth aspect is the fire prevention system 100 of (4), further comprising a conveying device 7 for conveying the monitored object T, the conveying device 7 having a plurality of conveyors 70 each for conveying the monitored object T, and each of the plurality of fire prevention devices 40 being positioned so as to be able to accept the monitored object T conveyed by one or more conveyors 70 included in the plurality of conveyors 70.

[0077] According to the above configuration, regardless of the location of the monitored object T that has become the fire source candidate T1, the monitored object T can be introduced into any one of the fire prevention devices 40 immediately after identification.

[0078] (6) The fire prevention system 100 according to the sixth aspect is the fire prevention system 100 of (4) or (5), in which, when the fire source candidate T1 on the conveying device 7 is identified, the control device 6 selects the fire prevention device 40 that will accept the fire source candidate from among the plurality of fire prevention devices 40 based on a criterion indicating the time from the identification to the timing of the fire outbreak.

[0079] According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent a fire from occurring at the fire source candidate T1 while the fire source candidate T1 is being transported to the fire prevention device 40.

[0080] (7) The fire prevention system 100 according to the seventh aspect is the fire prevention system 100 of (6), in which the control device 6 derives the criteria based on the concentration obtained for the fire source candidate T1 and the temperature trend of the monitored object T predicted based on a temperature rise profile obtained in advance for each type of monitored object T.

[0081] According to the above configuration, the criteria can be set closer to the time required from the time when the fire source candidate T1 is detected until the actual occurrence of a fire.

[0082] (8) The fire prevention system 100 according to the eighth aspect is the fire prevention system 100 of (7), wherein the control device 6 derives the criteria using a trained model trained to output the criteria when at least one of the concentration and the temperature obtained for the fire source candidate T1 is input, and the trained model is trained to output the criteria according to the input by repeatedly executing a learning step in which a data set is input that includes at least one of the temperature trends of the monitored object T predicted in advance for each type of the monitored object T and a temperature rise profile obtained in advance for each type of the monitored object T.

[0083] According to the above configuration, the criteria can be set closer to the time required from the time when the fire source candidate T1 is detected until the actual occurrence of a fire. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...physical quantity sensor 2...moving device 3...detector 40...fire prevention device 6...control device 7...conveying device 8...chute section 8a...surface 8g...guiding section 8h...receiving opening 9...transfer device 11...first physical quantity sensor 12...second physical quantity sensor 13...third physical quantity sensor 40a...sensor 41...first fire prevention device 42...second fire prevention device 43...third fire prevention device 50...acquisition section 54...storage section 55...first acquisition section 56...first detection section 58...second detection section 60...operation section 59...second acquisition section 61...criteria derivation section 62...selection section 63...determination section 64...fire prevention treatment section 70...conveyor 71...first conveyor 72...second conveyor 73...third conveyor 74...fourth conveyor 100...fire prevention system 200...Crusher 300...Wall surface 650...Trained model 1100...Computer 1110...Processor 1120...Main memory 1130...Storage 1140...Interface

Claims

1. a physical quantity sensor that acquires at least one of the concentration and temperature of a gas generated from the object to be monitored; a detection unit that identifies a position of a fire source candidate within the monitored object by comparing the concentration with a predetermined threshold; a fire prevention device that performs fire prevention treatment on the fire source candidate; Equipped with Further, a spraying unit is provided to spray a low-temperature volatile substance onto the surface of the monitoring object, The physical quantity sensor is a fire prevention system that acquires at least one of the concentration and temperature of volatile gases generated based on the low-temperature volatile substance.

2. 2. The fire protection system according to claim 1, wherein the low-temperature volatile substance is at least one substance selected from the group consisting of water, organic solvents, and fluorine compounds.

3. a control device that causes the fire prevention device to execute the fire prevention process when the fire source candidate is identified by the detection unit; The fire protection system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. a transport device for transporting the monitoring object; the transport device includes a plurality of conveyors each transporting the object to be monitored; 4. The fire protection system according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of fire protection devices is arranged to be able to receive the object to be monitored transported by one or more conveyors included in the plurality of conveyors.

5. The fire prevention system described in claim 4, wherein when a fire source candidate on the transport device is identified, the control device selects the fire prevention device that will accept the fire source candidate from among the multiple fire prevention devices based on a criterion indicating the time from the identification to the time of fire outbreak.

6. A fire prevention system as described in Claim 5, wherein the control device derives the criteria based on the concentration obtained for the fire source candidate and the temperature trend of the monitored object predicted based on a temperature rise profile obtained in advance for each type of monitored object.

7. The control device derives the criteria using a trained model that is trained to output the criteria when at least one of the concentration and the temperature obtained for the fire source candidate is input, The trained model is A temperature transition of the object to be monitored predicted in advance for each type of the object to be monitored; a temperature rise profile acquired in advance for each type of the monitored object; 7. The fire protection system according to claim 6, wherein the system is trained to output the criteria according to the input by repeatedly executing a learning step in which a data set including at least one of the above is input.

8. a physical quantity sensor that acquires at least one of the concentration and temperature of a gas generated from the object to be monitored; a detection unit that identifies a position of a fire source candidate within the monitored object by comparing the concentration with a predetermined threshold; a fire prevention device that performs fire prevention treatment on the fire source candidate; a control device that causes the fire prevention device to execute the fire prevention process when the fire source candidate is identified by the detection unit; a transport device that transports the monitored object, the transport device includes a plurality of conveyors each transporting the object to be monitored; each of the plurality of fire protection devices is disposed to be able to receive the object to be monitored conveyed by one or more conveyors included in the plurality of conveyors; The control device is a fire prevention system that, when a fire source candidate on the transport device is identified, selects the fire prevention device that will accept the fire source candidate from among the multiple fire prevention devices based on a criterion indicating the time from the time of identification to the time of fire outbreak.

9. The fire prevention system described in claim 8, wherein the control device derives the criteria based on the concentration obtained for the fire source candidate and the temperature change of the monitored object predicted based on a temperature rise profile obtained in advance for each type of monitored object.

10. The control device derives the criteria using a trained model that has been trained to output the criteria when at least one of the concentration and the temperature acquired for the fire source candidate is input, and The trained model is A temperature transition of the object to be monitored predicted in advance for each type of the object to be monitored; a temperature rise profile acquired in advance for each type of the monitored object; 10. The fire protection system according to claim 9, wherein the system is trained to output the criteria according to the input by repeatedly executing a learning step in which a data set including at least one of the above is input.

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