Elevator Thermal Sensors for Hazard Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency elevator inspections during fires are time-consuming and hazardous due to the need for physical assessments of fire intensity and evacuation planning, which current systems do not adequately address for efficient and safe operations.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system equipped with thermal sensors that communicate to process and transmit data to create thermal images of hazard conditions, displayed on call panels and electronic displays, and stored on servers, enabling safer and quicker evacuation and fire suppression planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If physical inspection of fire intensity is performed during emergency, then accurate hazard assessment is achieved, but time consumption and hazard to personnel increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical inspection by personnel with thermal sensors mounted on the elevator car that automatically detect and transmit thermal radiation data. This substitution eliminates the need for human inspectors to physically assess fire conditions, thereby reducing time consumption and hazard to personnel while maintaining accurate hazard assessment through automated thermal imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevator system performs self-assessment of hazard conditions through onboard thermal sensors during emergency situations. The sensors automatically detect thermal radiation, generate images, and transmit data without requiring external inspection personnel, enabling the system to serve its own safety assessment needs rapidly and safely.
2Loss of information
If physical inspection for evacuation planning is conducted, then evacuation strategy is obtained, but hazard and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces dangerous physical inspection with automated thermal sensing. The thermal sensors mounted on the elevator car capture thermal radiation images that provide critical information for evacuation planning without exposing personnel to fire hazards, thereby eliminating the harmful factors while preserving essential planning information.
3Reliability
If thermal sensors are installed on elevator car and counterweight, then real-time thermal imaging capability is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates thermal sensors into the existing elevator infrastructure, utilizing the elevator car and counterweight as mounting platforms. This multi-functional approach allows the same elevator system to perform both its primary transportation function and emergency thermal imaging function, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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 provides first responders with dynamic thermal radiation information for rapid and safe evacuation and fire suppression by displaying thermal images on call panels and electronic displays, and storing them for remote access, enhancing safety and efficiency in emergency situations.
Implementation Method 1
the plurality of sensors are thermal sensors
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an elevator system having a first sensor in communication with an elevator in a multi-level hoistway, wherein during an emergency the elevator instructs the first sensor to sense conditions and transmit sensor data representing the sensed conditions, and the transmitted sensor data is processed to obtain an image representing an intensity of hazard conditions on at least a subset of levels serviced by the multilevel hoistway.