Combined HVAC and fire suppression system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combined HVAC and fire suppression systems using water-based sprinklers face issues with temperature changes causing inadvertent triggering or failure to trigger, and water presents significant disadvantages in many environments, necessitating a more effective and reliable solution.
Innovation Solution
A combined HVAC and fire suppression system utilizing a clean agent, such as halocarbon fluids, as the heat exchange fluid within the HVAC apparatus, which evaporates to provide a fire suppressant effect, with an ultrasonic evaporation device promoting distribution and potentially using water vapor for enhanced suppression, eliminating the need for significant additional pipework or installation effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water-based sprinklers are used in combined HVAC and fire suppression systems, then fire suppression capability is provided, but temperature changes cause inadvertent triggering or failure to trigger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the fire suppression agent from water to clean agent (halocarbon fluid), which has different thermal properties. The clean agent remains stable across a wider temperature range and does not undergo phase changes at typical HVAC operating temperatures, eliminating false triggering while maintaining fire suppression effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses clean agent stored in liquid form under pressure, which is discharged as a gas during fire suppression. The agent is consumed during fire suppression events, providing reliable activation only when needed rather than being sensitive to temperature fluctuations that would cause repeated activation/deactivation with water-based systems.
2Productivity
If water is used as heat exchange fluid, then HVAC cooling function is provided, but water presents significant disadvantages in many environments
Solution Approach 1:
The clean agent serves multiple functions: it acts as the heat exchange fluid for HVAC cooling, the fire suppression agent for fire protection, and the working fluid for the chiller system. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate water systems and removes water-related environmental problems while maintaining HVAC cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts water from the system entirely, replacing it with clean agent (halocarbon fluid). This removal of water eliminates all water-related disadvantages such as corrosion, freezing, scaling, and environmental contamination while preserving the heat exchange and fire suppression functions.
3Reliability
If separate HVAC and fire suppression systems are used, then each system can be optimized independently, but installation and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the HVAC system and fire suppression system into a single integrated system using clean agent as the common working fluid. The same network of piping, pump, and chiller serves both HVAC cooling and fire suppression functions, eliminating the need for separate systems while maintaining the ability to optimize performance for both functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The clean agent system is designed to perform multiple functions: HVAC cooling during normal operation and fire suppression when activated. The fan coil units serve dual purposes as both HVAC air handlers and fire suppression discharge devices, reducing installation complexity while maintaining system optimization for both functions.
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
The system effectively consolidates HVAC and fire suppression functions, providing reliable fire protection without water-related issues, enhancing distribution and suppression efficacy while simplifying maintenance and installation.
Implementation Method 1
clean agents (also known as waterless fire suppression agents) have been found to provide highly effective fire suppression when released into the air via the discharge plenum, since they evaporate swiftly to form fire suppressing gases
Implementation Method 2
a fan for movement of air over the coil in order to transfer heat from the air to the heat exchange fluid in the coil
Implementation Method 3
a network of piping holding a heat exchange fluid and arranged for chilling the heat exchange fluid via a chiller connected to the piping
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A combined HVAC and fire suppression system is disclosed. The system comprises a HVAC apparatus and a fluid outlet 32 for release of heat exchange fluid into a discharge plenum 34 of the HVAC system. The heat exchange fluid is a clean agent, such that release of the heat exchange fluid into the discharge plenum 34 provides a fire suppressant effect for a conditioned space 22. The HVAC apparatus includes: a network of piping 28 holding a heat exchange fluid and arranged for chilling the heat exchange fluid via a chiller 30 connected to the piping 28; a fan coil unit 10 connected to the network of piping28 , wherein the fan coil unit 10 includes a coil 14 for passage of the heat exchange fluid chilled by the chiller 30, a fan f16 or movement of air over the coil 14 in order to transfer heat from the air to the heat exchange fluid in the coil 14, and the discharge plenum 34, which is for passage of air into the conditioned space 22 after it has moved over the coil 14.