Gas fire extinguishing equipment

Abstract

To provide gas fire-extinguishing equipment capable of achieving low cost.SOLUTION: Gas fire-extinguishing equipment of a building 1 provided with no elevator includes a first floor protection section 11 and a second floor protection section 12 above the first floor protection section 11. A piping for feeding fire extinguisher gas to the second floor protection section 12 is a stainless steel pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional gas fire extinguishing system is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-106763. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-106763 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There was a demand for further cost reduction in conventional gas fire extinguishing equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The gas fire extinguishing system according to the present invention is for a building having a first floor and a second floor above the first floor, and is not provided with an elevator, and the piping for delivering fire extinguishing gas to a protected compartment provided on the second floor is stainless steel pipe.

[0006] In gas fire extinguishing systems configured in this way, stainless steel pipes are lighter than carbon steel pipes, so workers can easily transport them to the second floor even in buildings without elevators, making installation easier and reducing costs.

[0007] Preferably, the stainless steel piping is installed in the ceiling space of the second floor. In this case, the stainless steel piping can be easily installed even in the ceiling space because the stainless steel pipe is lightweight.

[0008] The first floor is the lowest floor of the building, and the piping for supplying the fire extinguishing agent gas to the protected compartment on the first floor is made of carbon steel pipe. In this case, even if carbon steel pipe is used in the protected compartment on the lowest floor, it is easy to transport and therefore construction is simple. Furthermore, carbon steel pipe is cheaper than stainless steel pipe, so costs can be reduced.

[0009] The piping for supplying the fire extinguishing gas to the protected compartment on the first floor is made of stainless steel, which makes construction easy even in the protected compartment on the first floor.

[0010] In a method for installing gas fire extinguishing equipment in a building having a first floor and a second floor above the first floor and no elevator, the piping for sending fire extinguishing gas to a protected compartment on the second floor is stainless steel pipe, and the stainless steel piping is installed in the attic space of the second floor.

[0011] According to this method of installing a gas fire extinguishing system, lightweight stainless steel pipes are used, so installation can be performed at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a building in which a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to a first embodiment is installed. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a building equipped with a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to the second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a building equipped with a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to the third embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a building equipped with a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) In recent years, the labor force has been decreasing due to the declining birthrate and aging population. Therefore, construction methods that place less strain on construction workers are desired. In buildings with multiple floors and no elevators, when installing gas fire extinguishing equipment on the second floor or higher, workers have to carry the piping for the gas fire extinguishing equipment to the second floor or higher, which places a heavy burden on the workers.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a building equipped with a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, building 1 according to embodiment 1 has first floor protected compartment 11 and second floor protected compartment 12 installed above first floor protected compartment 11.

[0016] The first floor protected area 11 is divided into a first floor room 22 and a first floor attic space 23 by a first floor ceiling 21. A duct 123 is attached to the first floor room 22. The duct 123 is normally closed by a damper 121. The damper 121 seals the duct 123, preventing the extinguishing agent gas from flowing from the first floor room 22 to the duct 123 via the duct 123. When the damper 121 moves to the position shown by the dotted line, the damper 121 opens the opening of the duct 123. As a result, the extinguishing agent gas in the first floor room 22 flows into the duct 123.

[0017] The second-floor protected area 12 is divided into a second-floor room 27 and a second-floor attic space 28 by a second-floor ceiling 26. A duct 124 is attached to the second-floor room 27. The duct 124 is normally closed by a damper 122. The damper 122 seals the duct 124, preventing the extinguishing agent gas from flowing from the second-floor room 27 to the duct 124 via the duct 124. When the damper 122 moves to the position shown by the dotted line, the damper 122 opens the opening of the duct 124. As a result, the extinguishing agent gas in the second-floor room 27 flows into the duct 124.

[0018] A plurality of gas cylinders 5 are connected to a manifold (collecting pipe) 6. The collecting pipe 6 is connected to a primary pipe 36. The end of the primary pipe 36 is a branching point, and downstream from the branching point 35 are a first floor secondary pipe 33 and a second floor secondary pipe 34.

[0019] An on-off valve 61 is provided on the first floor secondary piping 33. Downstream of the on-off valve 61, the first floor ceiling piping 31 is connected so as to pass through the first floor ceiling space 23. A nozzle 41 is attached to the end of the first floor ceiling piping 31. When a fire alarm (not shown) installed in the first floor room 22 detects smoke or flames, the on-off valve 61 opens. As a result, the fire extinguishing agent gas in the temporary piping 36 is introduced into the first floor room 22 via the first floor secondary piping 33, the on-off valve 61, the first floor ceiling piping 31 and the nozzle 41.

[0020] An on-off valve 62 is provided on the second floor secondary piping 34. The second floor ceiling piping 32 is connected downstream of the on-off valve 62 so as to pass through the second floor ceiling space 28. A nozzle 42 is attached to the end of the second floor ceiling piping 32. When a fire alarm (not shown) installed in the second floor room 27 detects smoke or flames, the on-off valve 62 opens. This causes the fire extinguishing agent gas in the temporary piping 36 to flow through the second floor secondary piping 34, the on-off valve 62, the second floor ceiling piping 32 and the nozzle 42. It will then be installed in room 27 on the second floor.

[0021] The building 1 does not have an elevator. Therefore, during construction, workers must carry the second floor ceiling piping 32 to the second floor ceiling space 28 and install the second floor ceiling piping 32 within the second floor ceiling space 28. This is a very difficult task. By making the second floor ceiling piping 32 out of stainless steel, the schedule for the second floor ceiling piping 32 can be reduced compared to when the second floor ceiling piping 32 is made of steel pipes (carbon steel pipes). As a result, the second floor ceiling piping 32 is lightweight. If the second floor ceiling piping 32 is lightweight, the work of carrying it up and installing it becomes much easier.

[0022] The second floor ceiling piping 32 is a stainless steel pipe. The stainless steel pipe is made of an alloy steel containing chromium or an alloy steel containing chromium and nickel. The chromium content of the total mass of the stainless steel pipe is 10% or more, preferably 16% or more. The second floor ceiling piping 32 is installed in a narrow space, and its installation can be difficult. By installing the second floor ceiling piping 32, which is a thin-walled, lightweight stainless steel pipe, in such a location, the installation burden can be reduced.

[0023] The second floor secondary piping 34 may be stainless steel pipe. In this case, the burden on the worker is reduced by carrying the lightweight stainless steel pipe up to the second floor. At the connection point between a regular steel pipe (carbon steel pipe) and a stainless steel pipe, it is preferable to install an insulating packing between the stainless steel and the carbon steel to prevent the regular steel pipe from rusting.

[0024] By installing second floor ceiling piping 32, which is a lightweight stainless steel pipe, in the second floor ceiling space 28, damage to the second floor ceiling 26 can be reduced even if the second floor ceiling piping 32 falls.

[0025] The first floor ceiling piping 31, the first floor secondary piping 33, and the primary piping 36 may be stainless steel pipes. Furthermore, although this embodiment shows a building having a first floor protected compartment 11 and a second floor protected compartment 12, the building may have more protected compartments, for example, from the first to fifth floors. In that case, stainless steel ceiling piping is installed in the ceiling space of any of the protected compartments on the second floor or higher.

[0026] As the extinguishing gas, for example, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, fluorine compounds, etc. can be used.

[0027] The gas cylinder 5 may be replaced with, for example, a CE (cold evaporator) tank device, a PSA (pressure swing adsorption) device, or a high-purity nitrogen gas generator. The E-tank device has a tank that stores liquid nitrogen and a regulator that receives a supply of liquid nitrogen from the tank and vaporizes the liquid nitrogen.

[0028] A PSA device is a pressure swing adsorption device. By utilizing the differences in the adsorption properties of the adsorbent, the target gas (nitrogen) is continuously separated by alternating pressure and pressure reduction operations. For example, "Bellfine Activated Carbon," a high-performance MSC (molecular sieve carbon) manufactured by Air Water Inc., can be used as the adsorbent.

[0029] The nitrogen gas supply device may be the "V1" (product name) high-purity nitrogen gas generator manufactured by Air Water Inc. This device stably generates high-purity nitrogen gas through heat exchange using the cold energy of liquefied nitrogen. In other words, a large amount of heat is lost when liquid nitrogen evaporates. This heat is used to cool the air, liquefying oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc. in the air, and the remaining gaseous nitrogen can be used for a specified purpose. This allows for a stable supply of nitrogen gas at low cost.

[0030] This gas fire extinguishing system is for a building (1) having a first floor protected compartment (11) as the first floor and a second floor protected compartment (12) as the second floor above the first floor, and is not equipped with an elevator. The second floor ceiling piping (32), which is the piping that sends fire extinguishing agent gas to the second floor protected compartment (12), is stainless steel pipe.

[0031] The stainless steel piping is installed in the second floor attic space 28.

[0032] The first floor protected compartment 11 is the lowest floor of the building 1, and the first floor ceiling piping 31 that supplies the fire extinguishing gas to the first floor protected compartment 11 may be a carbon steel pipe.

[0033] The piping 31 above the ceiling on the first floor that delivers the fire extinguishing gas to the first protected compartment may be a stainless steel pipe.

[0034] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a building equipped with a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to a second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, building 1 has a heavy-duty zone 1b in the center and a normal zone 1a on the periphery. Compared to the normal zone 1a, heavy-duty zone 1b has a higher floor load-bearing capacity and can accommodate heavy objects. Heavy-duty zone 1b is located near the core zone where elevators are installed.

[0035] The building 1 has a normal zone 1a as a first area and a heavy-duty zone 1b as a second area with higher strength than the normal zone, with second-floor ceiling piping 32b and first-floor ceiling piping 31b made of carbon steel pipes installed in the heavy-duty zone 1b, and second-floor ceiling piping 32a and first-floor ceiling piping 31a made of stainless steel pipes installed in the normal zone 1a. The stainless steel piping and carbon steel pipes are installed taking into consideration not only the strength of the floors but also the strength of the walls.

[0036] There may or may not be a partition between the normal zone 1a and the heavy-duty zone 1b. This example describes a structure without a partition. The second floor ceiling piping 32a, 32b and the first floor ceiling piping 31a, 31b are both connected to the primary piping, collecting pipe, container valve, and gas cylinder, as in the first embodiment. In addition, ducts and dampers are also provided.

[0037] Stainless steel pipes are lightweight but more expensive than carbon steel pipes. Reducing the amount of stainless steel pipe used is an effective way to reduce the cost of fire extinguishing equipment. Therefore, carbon steel pipes, which are heavier than stainless steel pipes, are used in the heavy duty zone 1b, where the floors and walls have high strength. This reduces the cost of fire extinguishing equipment.

[0038] In contrast, stainless steel pipes are lightweight, and by installing them in the normal zone 1a where the strength of the building 1 is low, the load on the building 1 can be reduced. This reduces the load on the building while lowering the cost of the fire extinguishing equipment. Note that the building 1 of the second embodiment may be provided with a lift such as an elevator.

[0039] (Embodiment 3) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a building equipped with a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, building 1 is a medical facility. A medical facility is a concept that includes not only hospitals and clinics, but also nursing homes and group homes. It is a hospital. Building 1 may or may not be equipped with a lift such as an elevator. It may or may not be equipped with a heavy-duty zone as in the second embodiment.

[0040] At least one of the first floor ceiling piping 31 and the second floor ceiling piping 32 is a stainless steel pipe. Preferably, both the second floor ceiling piping 32 and the first floor ceiling piping 31 are stainless steel pipes.

[0041] Medical waste fluids often flow through the piping in medical facilities. Medical waste fluids contain components such as acids and bases that corrode the piping. The medical waste fluids may adhere to the first floor ceiling piping 31 and the second floor ceiling piping 32. However, because at least one of the first floor ceiling piping 31 and the second floor ceiling piping 32 is made of stainless steel pipe, corrosion can be prevented.

[0042] Various gases are used in medical facilities. Stainless steel pipes are resistant to rust even when they come into contact with these gases, which helps to extend the life of the pipelines in gas fire extinguishing equipment.

[0043] (Fourth embodiment) Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a building equipped with a gas fire extinguishing system having stainless steel piping according to embodiment 4. As shown in Fig. 4, building 1 is a nuclear power plant. In the nuclear power plant, a first reactor building 511 and a second reactor building 512 are provided.

[0044] The first reactor building 511 has a first containment vessel 521. Inside the first containment vessel 521 is a first protected area 522. Inside the first containment vessel 521, the reactor core, steam generator, steam line, feedwater line, etc. are provided. Water heated by the core becomes steam and travels through the steam line to rotate a turbine outside the first containment vessel 521. After rotating the turbine, the condensed water travels through the feedwater line to be heated again in the reactor core.

[0045] The second reactor building 512 has a second containment vessel 526. Inside the second containment vessel 526 is a second protected area 527. Inside the second containment vessel 526, the reactor core, steam generator, steam line, feedwater line, etc. are provided. Water heated by the core becomes steam and travels through the steam line to rotate a turbine outside the second containment vessel 526. After rotating the turbine, the condensed water travels through the feedwater line to be heated again in the reactor core.

[0046] A nuclear power plant in which the first reactor building 511 and the second reactor building 512 are installed is called an SMR (Small Modular Reactor). Depending on the model, multiple reactor buildings can be connected together to function as a large nuclear power plant. If only a small output is required, only one reactor building can be connected to the generator.

[0047] When there are multiple reactor buildings, it is necessary to provide a gas fire extinguishing system in each of the multiple reactor buildings.

[0048] In this embodiment, a first reactor building 511 is provided with a cylinder 5a, a collecting pipe 6a connected to the cylinder 5a, a primary pipe 36a connected to the collecting pipe 6a, an on-off valve 561 connected to the primary pipe 36a, a gas pipe 531 connected to the on-off valve 561, and a nozzle 41 connected to the gas pipe 531. Information regarding a fire in the first reactor building 511 and the first containment vessel 521 is sent to the control device 551 via a signal line 553. The signal line 553 may be wireless.

[0049] A second reactor building 512 is provided with a cylinder 5b, a collecting pipe 6b connected to the cylinder 5b, a primary pipe 36b connected to the collecting pipe 6a, an on-off valve 562 connected to the primary pipe 36b, a gas pipe 532 connected to the on-off valve 562, and a nozzle 42 connected to the gas pipe 532. Information regarding a fire in the second containment vessel 512 is sent to a control device 551 via a signal line 554. The signal line 554 may be wireless.

[0050] If a fire breaks out in the first containment vessel 521, gas in the cylinder 5a is released from the nozzle 41, filling the first containment vessel 521 with extinguishing gas. This extinguishes the fire in the first containment vessel 521. At this time, information about the fire is transmitted to the control device 551. Considering the possibility that a fire may also break out in the second reactor building 512, the control device 551 may open the cylinder valve in the second reactor building 512 via a signal line 554 to release the extinguishing gas in the cylinder 5b from the nozzle 42 into the second containment vessel 526. If a fire breaks out in the first containment vessel 521, there is a possibility that the fire may spread to the second containment vessel 526. Therefore, in order to reduce this possibility, it is preferable to make it difficult for a fire to break out in the second containment vessel 526 where no fire has occurred.

[0051] The primary pipes 36a, 36b and the gas pipes 531, 532 are each made of stainless steel pipes. In the building 1 configured in this manner, even if the number of reactor buildings increases, the cost of fire extinguishing equipment can be reduced by using the primary pipes 36a, 36b and the gas pipes 531, 532 of the same size.

[0052] The nuclear power plant includes a first reactor building 511 and a second reactor building 512 separated from the first reactor building 511. The first reactor building 511 includes a first containment vessel 521 having a reactor core, a nozzle 41 for injecting extinguishant gas into the first containment vessel 521, and a gas pipe 531 and primary pipe 36a which are stainless steel pipes for supplying the extinguishant gas to the nozzle 41. The second reactor building 512 includes a second containment vessel 526 having a reactor core, a nozzle 42 for injecting extinguishant gas into the second containment vessel 526, and a gas pipe 532 and primary pipe 36b which are stainless steel pipes for supplying the extinguishant gas to the nozzle 42. The extinguishant gas is supplied to the primary pipes 36a and 36b from gas cylinders 5a and 5b which are extinguishant gas supply sources.

[0053] Gas cylinders, which are the source of fire extinguishing gas, can be replaced by devices that produce fire extinguishing gas using electricity. For example, a PSA device can extract nitrogen from the atmosphere using electricity, so fire extinguishing gas can be extracted and stored using electricity generated by a nuclear power plant.

[0054] By using the gas pipes 531, 532 and the primary pipes 36a, 36b which are stainless steel pipes, corrosion of the gas pipes 531, 532 and the primary pipes 36a, 36b can be prevented even if the inside of the first containment vessel 521 and the second containment vessel 526 is an environment (high temperature and humidity) which is prone to corroding metals.

[0055] The modularized first containment vessel 521 and second containment vessel 526 have the same dimensions. Therefore, components such as nozzles 41 and 42, gas pipes 531 and 532, and primary pipes 36a and 36b provided in the first containment vessel 521 and second containment vessel 526 can be modularized. That is, the gas pipes 531 and 532 have the same dimensions and are made of the same material. The primary pipes 36a and 36b have the same dimensions and are made of the same material. As a result, costs can be reduced even when stainless steel pipes are used.

[0056] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment shown here can be modified in various ways.

[0057] First, considering that stainless steel piping is resistant to corrosion, it is possible to use stainless steel piping in the parts of a gas fire extinguishing system that are difficult to maintain, and regular carbon steel pipes in the parts that are easy to maintain. This makes it easy to replace the carbon steel pipes even if they corrode.

[0058] Furthermore, stainless steel piping for gas fire extinguishing equipment can be installed depending on the age of the building. When retrofitting a gas fire extinguishing equipment to a building that does not have one, normal carbon steel pipes should be used if the building is old, and stainless steel piping if the building is new. Since old buildings may be demolished soon, the stainless steel piping may go to waste.

[0059] Furthermore, even in plant facilities where oxidizing gases are floating around, such as chemical plants, corrosion can be suppressed by using stainless steel pipes for the piping of gas fire extinguishing equipment.

[0060] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1 Building, 1a Normal Zone, 1b Heavy Duty Zone, 5 Gas Cylinder, 6 Collector pipe, 11 First floor protected area, 12 Second floor protected area, 21 First floor ceiling, 22 First floor room, 23 First floor ceiling space, 26 Second floor ceiling, 27 Second floor room, 28 Second floor ceiling space, 31, 31a, 31b First floor ceiling piping, 32, 32a, 32b Second floor ceiling piping, 33 First floor secondary piping, 34 Second floor secondary piping, 35 Branch point, 36 Primary piping, 41, 42 Nozzle, 61, 62, 561, 562 On-off valve, 121, 122 Damper, 123, 124 Duct, 511 First reactor building, 512 Second reactor building, 521 First containment vessel, 522 First protection area, 526 Second containment vessel, 527 Second protection area, 531, 532 Gas piping, 551 Control equipment, 553,554 Signal lines.

Claims

[Claim 1] A gas fire extinguishing system installed in a building having a first floor and a second floor above the first floor, The building has a heavy-duty zone in the center and a normal zone in the periphery, and the heavy-duty zone has a floor with a larger load-bearing capacity than the normal zone, allowing heavy objects to be placed therein; The heavy-duty zone is provided in a portion close to a core zone in which an elevator is provided, and stainless steel piping is provided in the normal zone, the stainless steel piping is connected to a primary piping, a collecting pipe, a container valve, and a gas cylinder; the stainless steel piping is installed in the attic space on the first floor and the second floor, the attic space being a space above the ceilings of the first floor and the second floor; nozzles are connected to pipes branching off from the stainless steel piping, and the nozzles introduce extinguishing agent gas into rooms on the first floor and the second floor; and the first floor and the second floor are provided with ducts for discharging the extinguishing agent gas and dampers that can seal and open the ducts.

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