Fire Extinguishing Assembly With Deflecting Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water-based fire extinguishing assemblies face issues such as clogging due to contamination, high weight, high inlet pressure requirements, complexity, increased costs, and poor mist spreading, limiting their effectiveness and reliability, especially in large installations and vessels.
Innovation Solution
A fire extinguishing assembly with large flow-through openings, designed to operate across a wide pressure range without dynamic seals, featuring an adapter section with a circular cross-section, a nipple section with circular bores, and a deflecting surface that guides liquid jets at varying angles to create a wide mist pattern, reducing clogging and weight while maintaining efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If small nozzle openings are used to create fine mist, then fire extinguishing efficiency is improved, but clogging by water contaminations occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the nozzle by using a laser to melt and form a smooth, rounded opening in the sintered metal foam. This parameter change (smoothing the nozzle surface and controlling pore size distribution) prevents contamination accumulation and clogging while maintaining fine mist generation capability, thus resolving the contradiction between fire extinguishing efficiency and clogging resistance
2Reliability
If traditional fire extinguishing assemblies are used, then fire suppression function is achieved, but weight is relatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sintered metal foam as the core component, which is a porous material that allows water to pass through while providing structural integrity. This porous structure enables the assembly to maintain effective fire suppression function with significantly reduced weight compared to traditional solid metal assemblies, as the porous structure provides strength-to-weight advantage
3Productivity
If high inlet pressure is applied to function properly, then mist generation is improved, but complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sintered metal foam structure inherently creates capillary pressure and surface tension effects that facilitate mist generation at lower inlet pressures. The porous structure's capillary channels and surface area promote liquid breakdown into fine droplets without requiring high pressure, thus improving mist generation performance while reducing piping complexity and operational pressure requirements
4Ease of operation
If dynamic seals are used in the assembly, then liquid flow control is achieved, but leaks may occur disrupting mist pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes dynamic seals from the system by using a static sintered metal foam structure where water flows through fixed porous channels. The sintered metal foam acts as a permanent, seal-free flow control mechanism where capillary forces and surface tension regulate liquid flow without moving parts, eliminating leak risks and maintaining consistent mist pattern while still achieving effective liquid flow control
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 assembly effectively disperses a large volume of mist with reduced sensitivity to pressure and contamination, providing efficient fire extinguishing in larger areas with reduced weight and complexity, enhancing reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a first, circular deflecting surface having an outer circumference for guiding the liquid is located in a position around the outlets of the bores... straight liquid jets flowing through the bores will hit the deflecting surface with at least a bevel angle
Data Source
Figure 1~7
Figure 8~15
Figure 10
AI summary
The present invention relates to a fire extinguishing assembly for transforming a liquid into a liquid mist. The assembly includes an adapter section (3a, 14a) having at least one liquid inlet (3b, 14b) and a nipple section (6a, 9a) that connects to the adapter section. The nipple section includes a plurality of bores (6c, 9c) extending between an internal duct (12g) that connects to the liquid inlet (3b, 14b), and outlets on an outside of the nipple section (6a, 9a). The bores (6c, 9c) are located around the nipple section (6a, 9a). A deflecting surface (3d, 12d) for guiding the liquid is positioned around the outlets of the bores (6c, 9c). The deflecting surface (3d, 12d) includes recesses extending in a direction substantially from the nipple section (6a, 9a) to a circumference of the deflecting surface (3d, 12d). The bores (6c, 9c) and deflecting surface (3d, 12d) have a mutual positioning so that straight liquid jets flowing through the bores (6c, 9c) will hit the deflecting surface (3d, 12d) with at least a bevel angle a.