Dry Sprinkler Delay Mechanism for Storage Fire Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dry sprinkler systems face design penalties due to fluid delivery delays, leading to larger piping and pumping requirements, and are inferior to wet systems in terms of fire protection effectiveness, especially in storage occupancies where rapid water delivery is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A dry pipe sprinkler system with a mandatory fluid delivery delay period is designed to surround and drown fires, minimizing the number of sprinkler activations and water discharge volume, allowing the fire to grow and thermally activate additional sprinklers, forming a sufficient operational area for effective fire control without the need for oversized systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a dry pipe sprinkler system is used, then the system can be installed in storage occupancies, but fluid delivery delays occur leading to larger piping and pumping requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the timing parameter by implementing a controlled delay in water delivery. Instead of immediate water delivery upon sprinkler activation, the system delays water delivery for a predetermined period (typically 15-30 seconds) to allow fire growth and additional sprinkler activation, thereby reducing the number of simultaneously operating sprinklers and the required piping capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by allowing the fire to grow and additional sprinklers to activate before water delivery begins. This preliminary fire growth phase ensures that when water is delivered, it activates a broader area of sprinklers, creating a more effective fire suppression pattern without requiring oversized piping
2Quantity of substance
If water delivery is delayed to allow fire growth, then fewer sprinklers need to be activated, but fire protection effectiveness may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action through controlled water delivery timing. Water is delivered in a specific sequence: first allowing fire growth for a predetermined delay period, then delivering water to activate sprinklers in a coordinated manner. This periodic timing ensures optimal sprinkler activation patterns while maintaining fire protection effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses thermal feedback from fire growth to trigger sprinkler activation. As the fire grows during the delay period, it generates heat that activates additional sprinklers thermally. This feedback mechanism ensures that sprinklers are activated in response to actual fire conditions, maintaining reliability while reducing the total number of activations needed
3Stress or pressure
If the system allows fire to grow before water delivery, then hydraulic demand is reduced, but water discharge volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temporal parameter of water delivery by implementing a delay period. This timing change allows fire growth and additional sprinkler activation before water delivery begins, which distributes water discharge over a longer period and reduces peak hydraulic demand, thereby allowing for smaller piping and pumping components despite increased total water volume
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
This approach reduces the hydraulic demand of the sprinkler system, allowing for smaller piping and pumping components, eliminates design penalties, and achieves fire protection equivalent to wet systems, while minimizing sprinkler skipping and water discharge inefficiencies.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the fire to grow and thermally activate additional sprinklers
Implementation Method 2
thermally activate additional sprinklers
Implementation Method 3
fluid flow lines containing air or other gas
Implementation Method 4
water supply to flow into the fluid flow lines of the dry pipe sprinkler grid (displacing the air therein)
Implementation Method 5
water discharge volume, allowing the fire to grow and thermally activate additional sprinklers
Implementation Method 6
surround and drown fires, minimizing the number of sprinkler activations and water discharge volume
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling-only dry sprinkler system configured to address a storage occupancy fire event with a sprinkler operational area sufficient in size to surround and drown the fire. The system and method preferably provide for the surround and effect by activating one or more initial sprinklers, delaying fluid flow to the initial activated sprinklers for a defined delay period to permit the thermal activation of a subsequent one or more sprinklers so as to form the preferred sprinkler operational area. The sprinklers of the operational area are preferably configured so as to provide sufficient fluid volume and cooling to address the fire-event with a surround and drown configuration. The defined delay period is of a defined period having a maximum and a minimum. The preferred sprinkler system is adapted for fire protection of storage commodities and provides a ceiling only system that eliminates or otherwise minimizes the economic disadvantages and design penalties of current dry sprinkler system design.