Divert Valve Fire Suppression for Tactical Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fire suppression systems for tactical vehicles are not optimized for their smaller and lighter design, requiring more compact and efficient solutions that can differentiate between varying hazard levels within a vehicle to effectively protect both crew and engine compartments.
Innovation Solution
A fire suppression system with a divert valve that selectively directs a fire suppressant agent between two vehicle zones, utilizing a single pressurized bottle to prioritize rapid extinguishment in high-hazard areas like the crew compartment while allowing higher agent concentrations in lower-hazard areas like the engine compartment, with a control system and sensors to manage the distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a single fire suppressant source is used for both crew compartment and engine compartment, then space and weight are conserved, but the system cannot prioritize rapid extinguishment in high-hazard areas
Solution Approach 1:
The divert valve is made dynamically switchable between two positions, allowing the system to adapt its configuration based on the hazard location. This dynamic switching capability enables the single suppressant source to rapidly direct agent to either the crew compartment or engine compartment as needed, resolving the contradiction between system weight and extinguishment speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The divert valve is pre-positioned in the first position (crew compartment) and can be rapidly switched to the second position (engine compartment) upon detection of fire. This preliminary positioning and rapid switching capability ensures that the system is always ready to prioritize the appropriate zone, maintaining fast extinguishment response despite using a single suppressant source.
2Speed
If separate fire suppressant sources are used for crew compartment and engine compartment, then rapid extinguishment can be prioritized for high-hazard areas, but space and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single fire suppressant source is designed with multi-functionality, capable of serving both the crew compartment and engine compartment through the divert valve mechanism. This universal design allows one suppressant source to perform the function that would traditionally require two separate sources, reducing weight while maintaining the ability to rapidly extinguish fires in either zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The divert valve acts as an intermediary device between the single suppressant source and the two distribution networks. It mediates the flow of suppressant agent, directing it to the appropriate zone based on fire location, thereby enabling a single source to effectively protect both high-hazard areas with the same capability as dual sources would provide.
3Volume of stationary object
If a single suppressant source is used for both zones, then space and weight are optimized, but the system cannot provide differentiated agent concentrations for varying hazard levels
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution system is segmented into two separate distribution networks (first and second distribution networks), each serving a specific zone. This segmentation allows the single suppressant source to deliver agent through different pathways with potentially different characteristics, enabling differentiated agent concentrations for varying hazard levels while maintaining a compact single-source design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by providing different agent concentrations to different zones based on their hazard levels. The crew compartment (high hazard) receives rapid, high-concentration agent delivery, while the engine compartment (lower hazard) receives agent at potentially different concentrations, all from a single suppressant source through the divert valve mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A fire suppression system includes a divert valve downstream of a fire suppressant source. The divert valve is selectively movable between an initial first position which communicates extinguishing agent into a first distribution network and a second position which communicates extinguishing agent into a second distribution network.