Fire Door Heat Distributors for Homogeneous Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fire-resistant doors face challenges in maintaining prolonged resistance and homogeneous temperature increase during fire tests, particularly at weak points like edges and corners, where temperature rises excessively, compromising insulation and safety standards.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a hollow or U-shaped heat-conducting element with a vaporizing and/or intumescent layer, combined with an internal guide means for vaporizable gases, distributes heat away from hot spots, using materials like aluminum, copper, or thin steel, and insulating materials to delay heat transfer and promote vaporization, thereby reducing local temperature increases and extending fire resistance time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional fire door construction with rigid metal frame and thermal insulation is used, then basic fire resistance is achieved, but temperature increases excessively at edges and corners (hot spots), compromising insulation standards
Solution Approach 1:
A heat distributor element acts as an intermediary between the hot metal frame and the insulating material. This mediator redistributes concentrated heat from edges and corners across the broader insulating layer, preventing localized overheating and maintaining temperature homogeneity throughout the fire door assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The heat distributor changes the thermal parameter distribution by transforming concentrated heat flow at edges into distributed heat flow across the insulating material. This parameter transformation ensures that no single location exceeds critical temperature thresholds, thereby maintaining fire resistance reliability
2Reliability
If thermal insulation material is placed between panels and spacers, then some heat protection is provided, but localized heat concentration at weak points still causes excessive temperature rise
Solution Approach 1:
The heat distributor serves as a thermal intermediary positioned between the heat source (metal frame edges) and the insulating material. It mediates heat transfer by redistributing thermal energy, preventing direct concentration of heat at vulnerable points and thereby reducing local temperature increases
3Ease of manufacture
If fire door passes insulation tests with thermocouples positioned 2.5cm from edges, then basic insulation standard I1 is met, but hot spots at corners and edges still represent safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The heat distributor converts the harmful concentrated heat at edges and corners into beneficial distributed heat across the insulating material. By transforming the harmful thermal concentration into a distributed pattern, it maintains compliance with measurement standards while eliminating the dangerous hot spots that would otherwise exist
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 solution significantly improves fire resistance time by distributing heat over a larger area, reducing local temperature spikes and achieving more homogeneous temperature increases, as demonstrated in official tests, with improvements of at least 10% in fire resistance without altering the structure of existing construction elements.
Implementation Method 1
a (first) insulating, vaporizing and/or intumescent layer is placed between the panels and the spacers
Implementation Method 2
the vaporizing and/or intumescent layer on at least one of its inner faces
Implementation Method 3
one or more heat distributors each comprising a hollow or U-shaped heat-conducting element
Implementation Method 4
a (first) insulating, vaporizing and/or intumescent layer is placed between the panels and the spacers
Implementation Method 5
a (first) insulating, vaporizing and/or intumescent layer is placed between the panels and the spacers
Data Source
Figure 1~7
Figure 5~8
AI summary
Fire stop building element, particularly fire door leaf, comprising two panels, spacer pieces positioned between said panels and to which said panels are fixed, in which a layer that is insulating, vaporizing expanding and/or intumescent is placed between the panels and the spacer pieces. The fire stop building element also comprises, at certain locations between said panels, one or more heat distributors each comprising a hollow or U-shaped thermally conducting element comprising a vaporizing and/or intumescent layer on at least one of the interior faces of the hollow or U-shaped thermally conducting element, the heat distributor or distributors each further comprising internal guide means for the vaporizable gases of the vaporizing and/or intumescent interior layer, and a layer that is insulating, vaporizing expanding and/or intumescent is positioned between the panels and the heat distributor or distributors.