Fire extinguishing container loaded on container ship

Abstract

A fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship is disclosed. The fire extinguishing container, having a container housing of a size and shape corresponding to a cargo container, comprises: a fire extinguishing liquid tank provided in the lower region of the inner space of the container housing; and a fire extinguishing unit received inside a concave groove formed on the upper surface of the container housing and spraying fire extinguishing liquid into a nearby fire occurrence area.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship. Background Technology

[0002] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a container ship is a vessel that carries a number of containers (110) and performs maritime transport.

[0003] Since it is efficient for a container ship to load and transport as many containers (110) as possible, containers (110) are loaded into the cargo hold of the hull and then covered with a hatch cover, and containers are also stacked in multiple layers on top of the hatch cover.

[0004] Containers loaded on the upper side of the hatch cover are stacked in multiple layers, which raises the center of gravity and makes them highly susceptible to waves and wind. Consequently, if the hull is shaken from side to side by waves or strong winds are applied, there is a risk that the containers will detach from the hull or overturn. To prevent this, the container ship is equipped with a lashing bridge (130, see FIG. 5) to secure the containers stacked on the upper side of the hatch cover.

[0005] In a container ship, containers (110) are vertically stacked up to a height of about 25 meters from the deck, so the center of gravity is located at the top of the deck. As shown in FIG. 1 (a), external forces are repeatedly applied by waves and wind while the container ship is in operation, and as a result, the number of fire accidents involving flammable and combustible materials inside the containers is increasing.

[0006] However, safety devices are not installed on the upper deck of container ships because there are no regulations regarding self-contained fire suppression equipment. Consequently, in the event of a fire, assistance from external facilities such as firefighting vessels (120, see Fig. 1 (b)) or firefighting helicopters is required. However, since it takes a long time to take appropriate measures against a fire while a container ship is sailing in the open ocean, there have been problems that lead to a chain reaction of damage to cargo, safety of the crew, and even the collapse of the ship if the fire is left unchecked.

[0007] The matters described in the technical background section of this invention are for the purpose of understanding the background of the invention and cannot be concluded as prior art already known to a person with ordinary knowledge in the field to which this technology belongs. Prior art literature

[0008] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0078983 The problem to be solved

[0009] The present invention is to provide a fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship that can minimize loss of life and property by enabling the fire extinguishing container, which is loaded on top of the freight containers loaded on the container ship, to actively and quickly extinguish a fire that has occurred in a nearby freight container.

[0010] Problems to be solved other than those of the present invention will be easily understood through the following description. means of solving the problem

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a fire extinguishing container having a container housing having a size and shape corresponding to a cargo container is provided, comprising: a fire extinguishing liquid tank provided in the lower region of the inner space of the container housing; and a fire extinguishing unit received inside a concave groove formed on the upper surface of the container housing and spraying a fire extinguishing liquid toward a nearby fire occurrence area, wherein the fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship is positioned on the uppermost layer of a cargo container loaded with one or more fire extinguishing containers on a container ship loaded with cargo containers.

[0012] The fire extinguishing unit may include: a column portion having a length-extending structure that is received in the concave groove; a spray nozzle mounted on the upper end of the column portion via an angle adjuster; and a supply pump that supplies fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank to the spray nozzle through a fire extinguishing liquid supply hose.

[0013] The above column portion comprises: a hydraulic housing with an open top, having a supply portion and a discharge portion connected to a hydraulic line so as to supply and discharge hydraulic pressure, respectively; and a lifting means coupled to the open top of the hydraulic housing so as to be able to move up and down according to the supply and discharge of hydraulic pressure, and for raising and lowering the injection nozzle coupled via the angle adjuster, wherein the injection nozzle may be positioned inside the concave groove or exposed above the concave groove by the raising or lowering of the lifting means.

[0014] The above-mentioned fire extinguishing unit is operated by a controller, wherein the controller, by referring to fire occurrence information received from a fire monitoring system, controls the extension and retraction of the column portion so that the spray nozzle is positioned at a height corresponding to the distance from the fire occurrence area, controls the operation of the angle adjuster so that the spray nozzle rotates toward the fire occurrence area, and controls the supply pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid of the supply pump so that the spray nozzle sprays the fire extinguishing liquid at a spray pressure corresponding to the distance from the fire occurrence area.

[0015] The above spray nozzle can be mounted on the upper part of the column at a predetermined angle of inclination so that the fire extinguishing liquid supplied through the fire extinguishing liquid supply hose is sprayed in a parabolic path to the fire occurrence area.

[0016] The fire extinguishing unit may include: a column portion that is received in the concave groove and has a length-extending structure; a spray nozzle mounted on the upper end of the column portion via a rotary drive; and a supply pump that supplies fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank to the spray nozzle through a fire extinguishing liquid supply hose, in which case the rotary drive may cause the spray nozzle to rotate 360 ​​degrees with the vertical axis of the body of the column portion as the center of rotation so that the fire extinguishing liquid is sprayed widely around the surroundings.

[0017] Other aspects, features, and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention. Effects of the invention

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a firefighting container loaded on top of cargo containers on a container ship actively and rapidly extinguishes a fire that has occurred in a nearby cargo container, thereby minimizing loss of life and property.

[0019] The effects obtainable from the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the occurrence and extinguishing of a fire on a container ship. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a fire extinguishing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 3 and 4 are drawings showing the configuration and operation method of a fire extinguishing container according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the arrangement of fire-fighting containers in a container ship according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a fire extinguishing method using a fire extinguishing container according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a fire extinguishing system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are diagrams showing the configuration and operation method of a fire extinguishing container according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, the fire extinguishing system (210) includes a control unit (220) and a plurality of fire extinguishing containers (230-1, ..., 230-n, hereinafter collectively referred to as 230). The fire extinguishing containers (230) are loaded so as to be located on the top layer of the cargo containers (110) loaded on the container ship (see FIG. 5).

[0024] The control unit (220) may include a receiver (222) and a controller (224).

[0025] The receiving unit (222) receives fire occurrence information from the fire monitoring system (250) equipped on the container ship.

[0026] A fire monitoring system (250) equipped on a container ship may be configured to include, for example, a fire detector, a flame detection sensor, an alarm device, etc., and may generate fire occurrence information including, for example, a fire occurrence area (i.e., location of occurrence and range of expansion), flame temperature, etc., and transmit it to a fire extinguishing system (210).

[0027] The controller (224) can select one or more fire extinguishing containers (230) to perform fire extinguishing operations by referring to fire occurrence information received from the fire monitoring system (250) through the receiver (222), and can control the operation of the fire extinguishing unit (232) of each selected fire extinguishing container (230).

[0028] Here, when selecting a fire extinguishing container (230) to perform fire extinguishing operations, the controller (224) may select one or more adjacent fire extinguishing containers (230) based on information regarding the fire occurrence area included in the fire occurrence information (see FIG. 6).

[0029] At this time, if two or more fire extinguishing units (232) are provided in the fire extinguishing container (230) (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4), the controller (224) may select to have all fire extinguishing units (232) provided in the fire extinguishing container (230) perform fire extinguishing operations, or select to have only some of the provided fire extinguishing units (232) perform fire extinguishing operations.

[0030] In controlling the operation of the fire extinguishing unit (232) so that fire extinguishing operations are carried out, the controller (224) can control the length adjustment of the column portion (320) so that the height corresponds to the relative distance between each selected fire extinguishing unit (232) and the fire occurrence area.

[0031] For example, the body length of the column portion (320) can be adjusted within a range from a maximum length to a minimum length by the control of the controller (224) so ​​that the fire extinguishing liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle (330) in a parabolic path reaches the fire occurrence area.

[0032] Additionally, the controller (224) can control the operation of the angle adjuster (340) of each selected fire extinguishing unit (232) so that the spray nozzle (330) is rotated toward the fire area by referring to fire occurrence information (see FIG. 6).

[0033] Additionally, the controller (224) can control the operation of a supply pump that supplies fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank (234) of the fire extinguishing container (230) to the spray nozzle (330) of the fire extinguishing unit (232) so that the fire extinguishing liquid is sprayed at a spray pressure corresponding to the relative distance between each selected fire extinguishing unit (232) and the point of fire occurrence.

[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller (224) may control the body length of each column (320) of each of the multiple fire extinguishing units (232) provided in the fire extinguishing container (230) to be the same length, but as illustrated in FIG. 4, the controller (224) may control the body length to be relatively longer for fire extinguishing units (232) located further away, taking into account the distance between each fire extinguishing unit (232) and the fire occurrence area.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, if the body length of the fire extinguishing unit (232) located far from the fire source is adjusted to be relatively long, the extinguishing liquid can effectively reach the fire source even if it is sprayed with a relatively small spray pressure.

[0036] Operation control for each of the selected fire extinguishing units (232) of the controller (224) can be pre-set to continue until fire extinguishing completion information is received from the fire monitoring system (250).

[0037] Each of the fire extinguishing containers (230) included in the fire extinguishing system (210) is equipped with one or more fire extinguishing units (232) and a fire extinguishing liquid tank (234) for storing fire extinguishing liquid to be supplied to the fire extinguishing units (232).

[0038] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and FIGS. 4, respectively, one or more fire extinguishing units (232) provided in a fire extinguishing container (230) may include a column portion (320), a spray nozzle (330), an angle adjuster (340), and a fire extinguishing liquid supply hose (350).

[0039] The column portion (320) has its body length adjusted in the vertical direction by the control of the controller (224), so that the position of the injection nozzle (330) is adjusted in the up and down direction.

[0040] The column portion (320) for raising and lowering the injection nozzle (330) may be, for example, a hydraulic ram device and may include a hydraulic housing (322) and a lifting means (324).

[0041] Although not illustrated, the hydraulic housing (322) may be equipped with a supply section and a discharge section connected to a hydraulic line so that the supply and discharge of hydraulic fluid, respectively, are carried out according to the control of the controller (224). The upper part of the hydraulic housing (322) may be formed as an opening, and a lifting means (324) is coupled to the upper part of the hydraulic housing (322) so as to be able to move up and down in response to the supply and discharge of hydraulic fluid.

[0042] One or more concave grooves are formed on the upper surface of the container housing (310) of the fire extinguishing container (230), and the hydraulic housing (322) and the lifting means (324) are accommodated inside the concave grooves, and in response to the supply and discharge of hydraulic pressure according to the control of the controller (224), the upper end of the lifting means (324) is raised and lowered so as to be located inside the concave grooves or exposed outside the concave grooves.

[0043] Although not shown, a fire detector, flame detection sensor, etc., for detecting whether a fire has occurred in the surroundings may be installed on the upper side of the lifting means (324) as part of the fire monitoring system (250).

[0044] A spray nozzle (330) is mounted on the upper part of the lifting means (324) via an angle adjuster (340). The spray nozzle (330) may be mounted on the upper part of the lifting means (324) at a predetermined angle of inclination so that the sprayed extinguishing liquid reaches the fire source along a parabolic path.

[0045] Although FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a case where the spray nozzle (330) is mounted on the upper side of the column (320) with the nozzle exposed to the outside, it is obvious that the spray nozzle (330) may be positioned inside the enclosure mounted on the upper side of the column (320) and operated to be exposed to the outside by the control of the controller (224) that receives fire occurrence information.

[0046] The spray nozzle (330) can be connected to the fire extinguishing liquid tank (234) via the fire extinguishing liquid supply hose (350). For example, the fire extinguishing liquid tank (234) can be placed in the lower area of ​​the inner space of the fire extinguishing container (230). For example, foam fire extinguishing liquid may be stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank (234), and any other fire extinguishing liquid suitable for extinguishing a fire in the cargo container (110) may be stored without limitation.

[0047] A supply pump (not shown) may be further provided to supply the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank (234) to the spray nozzle (330) at a pressure directed by the controller (224) so ​​that the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank (234) is sprayed through the spray nozzle (330) and reaches the fire occurrence range.

[0048] The angle adjuster (340) adjusts the position of the spray nozzle (330) so that the spray nozzle (330) faces the fire area by the control of the controller (224), which recognizes the relative position between each selected fire extinguishing unit (232) and the fire area by referring to fire occurrence information. For example, the angle adjuster (340) may be configured to rotate the spray nozzle (330) horizontally with the vertical axis of the body of the lifting means (324) as the center of rotation.

[0049] As another example, a rotary drive that rotates the spray nozzle (330) 360 degrees may be provided between the column (320) and the spray nozzle (330) instead of an angle adjuster (340).

[0050] That is, when an angle adjuster (340) is included, the fire extinguishing unit (232) equipped in the fire extinguishing container (230) can function as an angle-adjustable fire extinguishing device in which the spray nozzle (330) is rotated and fixed toward the fire occurrence area (see FIG. 6). Alternatively, when a rotary drive is included, the fire extinguishing unit (232) can function as a rotary-driven fire extinguishing device in which the spray nozzle (330) rotates 360 degrees at a predetermined rotational speed with the vertical axis of the body of the lifting means (324) as the center of rotation and sprays fire extinguishing liquid in all directions.

[0051] Although not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the spray nozzle (330) may be further connected to a seawater tank through a seawater supply hose so that either the extinguishing liquid or seawater may be selectively sprayed through the spray nozzle (330), and a seawater pump (not shown) may be further provided to supply seawater stored in the seawater tank to the spray nozzle (330) at a pressure indicated by the controller (224).

[0052] In this case, when a fire occurs in a cargo container (110), the controller (224) can control the fire to be suppressed by first using a fire extinguishing agent, and then by second using seawater. That is, the controller (224) can be configured to control the operation of the supply pump so that the fire extinguishing agent stored in the fire extinguishing agent tank (234) is sprayed into the fire-affected area through the spray nozzle (330) for first fire suppression, and to control the operation of the seawater pump so that the seawater stored in the seawater tank is sprayed into the fire-affected area through the spray nozzle (330) for second fire suppression.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the arrangement of fire-fighting containers in a container ship according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining a fire extinguishing method using fire-fighting containers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a number of cargo containers (110) are loaded on a container ship, and one or more fire extinguishing containers (230) are loaded on the top layer of the cargo containers (110).

[0055] When a fire occurs in a cargo container (110) loaded on a container ship, the control unit (220) receives fire occurrence information from a fire monitoring system (250) and determines one or more fire extinguishing containers (230) to perform fire extinguishing operations by referring to information regarding the fire occurrence area included in the received fire occurrence information.

[0056] For example, the controller (224) of the control unit (220) may select one or more fire extinguishing containers (230) that are relatively close to the location of the fire among the fire extinguishing containers (230) loaded on the top floor of the cargo containers (110).

[0057] If two or more fire extinguishing units (232) are provided in a fire extinguishing container (230), the controller (224) may control all fire extinguishing units (232) provided in the selected fire extinguishing container (230) to perform fire extinguishing operations, but may also select only some of the fire extinguishing units (232) to perform fire extinguishing operations.

[0058] The control unit (220) selects one or more fire extinguishing containers (230) to perform fire extinguishing operations, selects one or more fire extinguishing units (232) provided in the selected fire extinguishing containers (230), controls the body length of the column portion (320) of each selected fire extinguishing unit (232) to be adjusted, controls the operation of an angle adjuster (340) so that the spray nozzle (330) rotates toward the point of fire occurrence, and controls the operation of a supply pump that supplies fire extinguishing liquid to the spray nozzle (330) so that the fire extinguishing liquid is sprayed at a spray pressure corresponding to the relative distance between the fire extinguishing unit (230) and the point of fire occurrence.

[0059] At this time, the body length of the column portion (320) of each selected fire extinguishing unit (232) may be adjusted to be equal to each other (see FIG. 3), or the body length may be adjusted to be relatively longer for fire extinguishing units (232) located further away, taking into account the distance between each fire extinguishing unit (232) and the fire occurrence area (see FIG. 4).

[0060] As shown in FIG. 6, multiple fire extinguishing containers (230) placed around a cargo container (110) that has caught fire are controlled to perform fire suppression operations together, thereby enabling effective fire suppression.

[0061] FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which an angle adjuster (340) is interposed between the spray nozzle (330) and the column (320) of the fire extinguishing unit (232), so that the spray nozzle (330) is rotated and fixed toward the point of fire occurrence, thereby functioning as an angle-adjustable fire extinguishing device. However, as previously explained, a rotary drive that rotates the spray nozzle (330) 360 degrees may be provided between the column (320) and the spray nozzle (330) of the fire extinguishing container (230).

[0062] When a rotary drive is provided, the fire extinguishing unit (232) can function as a rotary-driven fire extinguishing device in which the spray nozzle (330) rotates 360 degrees at a predetermined rotational speed with the vertical axis of the body of the column part (320) as the center of rotation and sprays fire extinguishing liquid around it.

[0063] That is, when it is recognized that a fire has occurred in a cargo container (110) by referring to fire occurrence information received from a fire monitoring system (250), the control unit (220) selects one or more fire extinguishing containers (230) to perform fire extinguishing operations and one or more fire extinguishing units (232) provided in the fire extinguishing containers (230), controls the body length of the column portion (320) of each fire extinguishing unit (232) to be adjusted, and controls the operation of the supply pump and the rotary drive to spray extinguishing liquid around the area at a predetermined spray pressure or a spray pressure corresponding to the relative distance between the fire extinguishing unit (232) and the fire occurrence area while the spray nozzle (330) is rotated 360 degrees by the rotary drive.

[0064] In this way, if the fire extinguishing unit (232) is rotated 360 degrees and sprays the fire extinguishing liquid, it is possible to spray the fire extinguishing liquid over a wide area, which has the advantage of quickly suppressing a fire that has occurred over a wide area.

[0065] As described above, the fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship according to the present embodiment is loaded on top of the cargo containers loaded on the container ship, and is characterized by being able to quickly extinguish a fire that occurs in a nearby cargo container, thereby minimizing loss of life and property.

[0066] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0067] 110: Cargo container 120: Firefighting and pollution control vessel 130: Lashing Bridge 210: Fire Extinguishing System 220: Control unit 222: Receiver 224: Controller 230, 230-1, 230-n: Firefighting container 232, 232a, 232b, 232c: Digestion unit 234: Fire extinguishing fluid tank 250: Fire monitoring system 310 : Container housing 320 : Column section 322: Hydraulic housing 324: Lifting means 330: Spray nozzle 340: Angle adjuster 350: Fire extinguishing fluid supply hose

Claims

Claim 1 A fire extinguishing container having a container housing of a size and shape corresponding to a cargo container, comprising: a fire extinguishing liquid tank provided in the lower region of the inner space of the container housing; and a fire extinguishing unit received inside a concave groove formed on the upper surface of the container housing and spraying fire extinguishing liquid toward a nearby fire occurrence area, wherein the fire extinguishing container is placed on the uppermost layer of a cargo container loaded with one or more fire extinguishing containers on a container ship loaded with cargo containers. Claim 2 A fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship, wherein the fire extinguishing unit comprises: a column portion having a length-extending structure that is received in the concave groove; a spray nozzle mounted on the upper end of the column portion via an angle adjuster; and a supply pump that supplies fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank to the spray nozzle through a fire extinguishing liquid supply hose. Claim 3 A fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship, wherein the column portion comprises: a hydraulic housing with an open top, having a supply portion and a discharge portion connected to a hydraulic line so as to supply and discharge hydraulic pressure, respectively; and a lifting means coupled to the open top of the hydraulic housing so as to be able to move up and down according to the supply and discharge of hydraulic pressure, and for raising and lowering the spray nozzle coupled via the angle adjuster, wherein the spray nozzle is positioned inside the concave groove or exposed above the concave groove by the raising or lowering of the lifting means. Claim 4 A fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship, wherein, in paragraph 2, the fire extinguishing unit is operated by a controller, and the controller controls the length extension of the column portion so that the spray nozzle is positioned at a height corresponding to the distance from the fire occurrence area by referring to fire occurrence information received from a fire monitoring system, controls the operation of the angle adjuster so that the spray nozzle rotates toward the fire occurrence area, and controls the supply pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid of the supply pump so that the spray nozzle sprays the fire extinguishing liquid at a spray pressure corresponding to the distance from the fire occurrence area. Claim 5 A fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship, wherein the spray nozzle is mounted on the upper part of the column at a predetermined angle of inclination so that the fire extinguishing liquid supplied through the fire extinguishing liquid supply hose is sprayed in a parabolic path to the fire occurrence area. Claim 6 A fire extinguishing container loaded on a container ship, wherein the fire extinguishing unit comprises: a column portion having a length-extending structure that is received in the concave groove; a spray nozzle mounted on the upper end of the column portion via a rotary drive; and a supply pump that supplies fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid tank to the spray nozzle through a fire extinguishing liquid supply hose, wherein the rotary drive causes the spray nozzle to rotate 360 ​​degrees with the vertical axis of the body of the column portion as the center of rotation so that the fire extinguishing liquid is sprayed widely around the surroundings.

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