Fire Engine Liquid Nitrogen Spray Gun Atomization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fire engines using liquid nitrogen as an extinguishing agent face inefficiencies in water consumption and pressure management, lacking effective thermal insulation and atomization techniques for enhanced firefighting capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A fire engine design incorporating a liquid nitrogen storage tank with zirconia foil insulation, a gasification device, and a mixed spray gun with contraction, expansion, and acceleration sections to atomize a nitrogen-water mixture, achieving high velocity and flow rate for efficient firefighting, while maintaining pressure and reducing water consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If liquid nitrogen is pressurized by a pump and mixed with water for firefighting, then firefighting capability is achieved, but water consumption is excessive and pressure management is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of liquid nitrogen from liquid to gas state. Liquid nitrogen is stored in cryogenic storage tanks and then vaporized through gasification devices, expanding approximately 700 times in volume. This phase transition provides the driving force for atomizing water into fine droplets, enabling efficient fire suppression with reduced water consumption while maintaining effective firefighting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using pressurized nitrogen gas to drive water through nozzle systems. The gasified nitrogen acts as a propellant to atomize water droplets and propel the extinguishing agent toward the fire source, replacing traditional pump-based pressurization systems and improving pressure management efficiency.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional liquid nitrogen storage is used without effective insulation, then storage simplicity is maintained, but thermal loss occurs and storage efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite insulation structures for cryogenic storage tanks, combining multiple insulation layers including vacuum insulation, reflective insulation barriers, and thermal shielding materials. This composite approach minimizes heat transfer into the liquid nitrogen while maintaining practical storage system design, thereby reducing thermal loss and improving storage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes thin film insulation barriers and flexible thermal shielding materials within the storage tank structure. These thin films provide effective thermal isolation between the cryogenic liquid nitrogen and the external environment, preventing heat ingress while maintaining structural integrity and storage simplicity.
3Device complexity
If liquid nitrogen is directly sprayed without atomization, then device complexity is reduced, but firefighting efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs nozzle systems that segment the liquid nitrogen and water streams into fine droplets through atomization. The spray devices incorporate multiple nozzle elements that break up the continuous fluid streams into dispersed droplet patterns, significantly increasing the surface area of the extinguishing agent and improving heat transfer efficiency to the fire source.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the rapid phase transition of liquid nitrogen to gas as an atomization mechanism. As liquid nitrogen expands and vaporizes, it creates turbulence and shear forces that naturally atomize the accompanying water stream into fine droplets, achieving effective spray patterns without requiring complex mechanical atomization devices.
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 design enables efficient firefighting with reduced water usage, continuous nitrogen supply, and superior thermal insulation, achieving high-speed atomized jets for effective fire suppression and decontamination.
Implementation Method 1
the liquid nitrogen is gasified and then mixed with water to form an atomized jet fluid
Implementation Method 2
the phase change expands the volume of the nitrogen, and the driving force is produced
Implementation Method 3
a liquid nitrogen storage tank with zirconia foil insulation
Implementation Method 4
a mixed spray gun with contraction, expansion, and acceleration sections to atomize a nitrogen-water mixture, achieving high velocity and flow rate
Implementation Method 5
atomize a nitrogen-water mixture, achieving high velocity and flow rate for efficient firefighting
Data Source
AI summary
A fire engine including a vehicle frame, a liquid nitrogen storage tank, a liquid nitrogen conveying pipeline, a gasification device, a plurality of electric valves, a water pipe adapter, a liquid nitrogen spray gun, and a mixed spray gun. The liquid nitrogen conveying pipeline includes a first pipeline and a second pipeline. The first pipeline connects the lower part of the liquid nitrogen storage tank, the gasification device, and the upper part of the liquid nitrogen storage tank sequentially in that order. The second pipeline connects the liquid nitrogen storage tank, an input end of the liquid nitrogen spray gun, and a first input end of the mixed spray gun. The mixed spray gun includes a first input end, a second input end, a liquid nitrogen nozzle, and a spray pipe. The spray pipe includes a contraction section, an expansion section, and an acceleration section.