Compact Fire Extinguisher Using Laminated EVOH Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic fire extinguishing systems are difficult to install in limited spaces and are costly, making them unsuitable for compact, long-term maintenance-free fire protection in areas like vehicle engine rooms where lithium ion batteries are prone to fires.
Innovation Solution
A compact automatic fire extinguishing equipment using a sealed container filled with a fire extinguishing agent having a boiling point less than 75°C, formed by laminations of a gas barrier layer and thermoplastic resin, which forms a jet port by heat and pressure to release the agent and extinguish fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a compact automatic fire extinguishing system is installed in limited spaces, then the fire protection coverage is improved, but the system complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fire extinguishing system is segmented into multiple independent container units, each capable of autonomous operation. Each container is a self-contained module with its own extinguishing agent reservoir and discharge mechanism, allowing multiple units to be distributed throughout limited spaces without requiring complex interconnections or centralized control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The container units are designed to be self-activating through heat-sensitive materials that automatically respond to fire conditions. The thermoplastic resin container wall melts at elevated temperatures to form discharge openings, and the gas barrier layer provides automatic pressure containment and release, eliminating the need for external sensors, power sources, or manual activation mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a sealed container with laminated structure is used, then the maintenance-free long-term storage ability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs a laminated composite structure combining a gas barrier layer and a thermoplastic resin layer. The gas barrier layer (such as aluminum foil or metallized film) provides impermeability to prevent extinguishing agent migration and ensures long-term storage reliability, while the thermoplastic resin layer provides structural integrity and automatic discharge functionality through heat-induced melting.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design utilizes parameter changes in the thermoplastic resin material properties in response to temperature variations. At normal storage temperatures, the resin maintains structural integrity to contain the extinguishing agent. Upon exposure to fire heat, the resin's melting point is reached, causing it to soften and form discharge openings, thereby transforming the container from a sealed storage vessel to an active discharge mechanism.
3Measurement precision
If an electrical thermo-sensitive sensor system is installed, then the fire detection accuracy is improved, but the installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces electrical thermo-sensitive sensors and electronic detection systems with a purely thermal-mechanical response mechanism. The thermoplastic resin container wall directly responds to heat through physical melting and deformation, eliminating the need for electrical components, sensors, wiring, or electronic control systems while maintaining effective fire detection and response capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed as a disposable, single-use component that provides fire protection through its structural transformation rather than through expensive electronic sensors. The thermoplastic resin container serves as both the storage vessel and the detection/discharge mechanism, eliminating the need for costly electrical thermo-sensitive sensors and complex installation infrastructure.
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 equipment maintains fire extinguishing ability over a long time without maintenance, ensuring immediate fire suppression by forming a jet port to release the agent effectively, even in confined spaces.
Implementation Method 1
forming a jet port made by the heat of the fire and the pressure of the extinguishing agent in part of the sealed container
Implementation Method 2
using a compound being liquid at at least 25 degrees Celsius (room temperature) and having the boiling point less than 75 degrees Celsius
Implementation Method 3
the container being formed by the laminations of the gas barrier layer and the thermoplastic resin layer
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a compact automatic fire extinguishing equipment that can be installed near an object of fire extinguishing for which there is limited space therearound for a long term in a state of maintenance-free and that can extinguish a fire immediately on the occasion of a fire. The fire extinguishing equipment consists of a fire extinguishing agent 14 and a sealed container 12 filled with the fire extinguishing agent 14. The fire extinguishing agent 14 is comprised with a compound that is liquid at 25 degrees Celsius (room temperature) at least and that has a boiling point of at least 75 degrees Celsius or less, having fire extinguishing effect. The container 12 is formed with lamination of a gas barrier layer 16 and a thermoplastic resin layer 20, and the gas barrier layer 16 preferably consists of ethylene-vinyl-alcohol copolymer resin (ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer: EVOH).