Automated Industrial Fire Blanket Platform With Cable-Guided Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial firefighting systems in facilities like oil and gas refineries often lack effective automated mechanisms for deploying large firefighting blankets to quickly cover and smother fires, posing risks to personnel and allowing fires to spread due to manual operation difficulties.
Innovation Solution
An automated firefighting blanket system using overhead cable-driven mechanisms to unfold and lower fire blankets from a suspended position, controlled by sensors and motorized reels, ensuring rapid deployment and oxygen deprivation to extinguish fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual fire blanket operation is used, then simplicity of system is maintained, but response time is slow and personnel safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The fire blanket system is designed to deploy automatically without human intervention. Fire sensors detect the fire and trigger the motorized reels to unfold and lower the blanket autonomously, making the system self-serving and eliminating the need for personnel to manually handle the blanket during emergency situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical operation of unfolding and lowering the fire blanket is replaced with an automated system consisting of motorized reels, cables, and sensors. The motorized reels automatically unwind the cables to deploy the blanket, substituting manual mechanical actions with an automated electromechanical system.
2Productivity
If large fire blankets are used to cover widespread fires, then fire suppression effectiveness is improved, but manual deployment difficulty and personnel risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables large fire blankets to be deployed autonomously without requiring personnel to manually handle them. The motorized reels and cable system automatically unfold and position the large blanket over the fire, making deployment as easy as activating the sensors while maintaining the ability to cover large areas effectively.
3Loss of time
If rapid fire blanket deployment is implemented, then fire spread prevention is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fire blanket and supporting structures are pre-installed and positioned above the protected area before a fire occurs. The motorized reels are pre-configured with the necessary cable length and tension, so that when fire sensors detect a fire, the blanket can be deployed immediately without requiring assembly or setup time, achieving rapid response while managing system complexity through pre-positioning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, safe, and effective fire suppression by automatically deploying large fire blankets to cover and starve fires of oxygen, reducing the risk of fire spread and personnel injury.
Implementation Method 1
cables suspend blanket by pulleys
Implementation Method 2
overhead cable-driven mechanisms to unfold and lower fire blankets
Implementation Method 3
automatic detachment mechanism allows the unfolded fire blanket to move downward toward the asset to be protected
Data Source
AI summary
A fire blanket deployment system includes a fire blanket assembly including a foldable fire blanket that is detachably coupled to a carrier. The foldable fire blanket is initially in a folded state. The system can include a frame having a plurality of vertical supports that are spaced apart from one another and for placement about an asset to be protected. A first suspension system is coupled to the plurality of vertical supports and is configured to move the fire blanket assembly to a target location between the plurality of vertical supports. A second suspension system that is coupled to the plurality of vertical supports and is configured to controllably unfold the fire blanket once the fire blanket assembly in at the target location. The second suspension system has an automatic detachment mechanism that allows the unfolded fire blanket to move downward toward the asset to be protected.