Fire Damper Actuator for Controlled Blade Closure Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire dampers lack the ability to control the speed of the butterfly valve blade's movement from the open to closed position, resulting in sudden closure during fires, and require manual access for activation, which is inconvenient and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A remotely controllable drive system is integrated into the fire damper, allowing for controlled and slow movement of the butterfly valve blade between open and closed positions, with the option to override the thermal triggering device's sudden closure mechanism, enabling remote operation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermal release device is used to automatically close the damper blade in fire scenarios, then the closing functionality is maintained, but the closing movement occurs abruptly without speed control
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a purely mechanical abrupt closing mechanism to a dynamically controllable system. The actuator enables variable speed control during closing operations, allowing the damper blade to move slowly for controlled closure while maintaining the ability to close abruptly when triggered by the thermal release device through the holding area mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If manual triggering is used to move the damper blade, then access to the fire damper is required, but the speed of closing cannot be influenced and routine checks require physical access
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical triggering system is replaced with an actuator that can be controlled remotely. The actuator receives control signals from external sources (such as building management systems) and automatically moves the damper blade without requiring physical access to the fire damper, enabling routine functional tests and position adjustments from remote locations.
3Ease of operation
If the actuator torque is increased to overcome the spring element restoring force for controlled movement, then the damper blade can be moved slowly and controllably, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator serves multiple functions: it provides controlled opening movement against the spring element restoring force, enables remote operation for routine checks, and can be decoupled during fire scenarios when the thermal release device triggers abrupt closing. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by consolidating multiple operational requirements into a single component.
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 solution allows for controlled and slow movement of the butterfly valve blade, enhancing safety and convenience by enabling remote operation and maintenance, while maintaining the sudden closure functionality in fire scenarios, thus improving the overall performance and usability of fire dampers.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element (7), in particular a coil spring, for generating a restoring force acting on the butterfly valve blade (2) in the closed position direction
Implementation Method 2
a thermally triggered release device (12), in particular with a fusible link (26), for triggering the movement of the butterfly valve blade (2) from its open position to its closed position
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fire damper with a housing (1) and with a butterfly valve blade (2) pivotably mounted therein, in particular centrally with respect to the housing cross-section, between an open position and a closed position about a rotational axis, which can be pivoted from its closed position to its open position against the restoring force of a spring element (7), wherein a retaining element (10) is provided to fix the butterfly valve blade (2) in its open position, which in the open position of the butterfly valve blade (2) interacts with a retaining area (11) of a thermally releasable release device (12), wherein the retaining area (11) can be released from its retaining position by heat or the like and automatically moved into its release position.wherein the action of the holding element (10) and the holding area (11) in the holding position holds the damper blade (2) in its open position, and wherein, after triggering the release device (12) and thus after moving the holding area (11) from its holding position to its release position, the damper blade (2) is moved into its closed position by the restoring force of the spring element (7). In order to specify a fire damper whose damper blade can also be moved, for example, slowly and in a controlled manner from its open position to its closed position, the fire damper shall have a mechanism for moving the damper blade (2) between its closed position and its open position and vice versa, which is directly or indirectly connected to the damper blade (2).The actuator (29) is arranged on the outside of the housing (1) and can be remotely controlled to release the fixation between the holding area (11) of the release device (12) and the holding element (10) for the subsequent displacement of the butterfly valve leaf (2) from its open position to its closed position by means of a remotely controllable release device (28), the speed of displacement of the butterfly valve leaf (2) from its open position to its closed position being determined by the actuator (29).