Fire Extinguishing System Phase Control for Safety and Gas Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fire extinguishing systems in enclosed spaces face challenges in achieving the required extinguishing gas concentration quickly and safely, posing risks to personnel and requiring large, costly installations to meet time constraints for achieving the extinguishing effect within 10, 60, or 120 seconds.
Innovation Solution
The system divides the gas flooding process into a pre-flooding phase with a predefined gas concentration below the NOAEL value and a main flooding phase, allowing immediate gas introduction during the alarm period, ensuring personnel safety and reducing the need for large gas supplies by extending the flooding time, and optionally using different gas compositions during each phase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional fire extinguishing systems introduce large amounts of extinguishing gas quickly to achieve required concentration within 10, 60, or 120 seconds, then the extinguishing effect is achieved, but personnel safety is compromised and large, costly installations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flooding process is divided into two distinct phases: a pre-flooding phase during the alarm period where gas is introduced at a controlled rate below NOAEL concentrations, and a main flooding phase after evacuation where gas is introduced at full rate to achieve extinguishing concentration. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing safe, controlled introduction during the alarm period and rapid achievement of extinguishing concentration after personnel have evacuated.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by introducing extinguishing gas at a safe, controlled rate during the alarm period (pre-flooding phase) before full evacuation is complete. This preliminary introduction establishes a safe baseline concentration that prevents harmful effects to personnel while preparing the system for rapid achievement of full extinguishing concentration once the alarm period ends.
2Loss of time
If conventional systems use large gas supplies to achieve quick extinguishing concentration, then the extinguishing effect is achieved, but the system cost and installation size increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the flooding process into pre-flooding and main flooding phases, the system optimizes gas usage. During the pre-flooding phase, gas is introduced at a lower rate, and during the main flooding phase, the remaining gas is introduced more efficiently. This segmentation reduces the total gas quantity required compared to conventional systems that must provide for worst-case rapid flooding scenarios throughout the entire response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the gas introduction rate based on the operational phase. During the alarm period, the introduction rate is controlled to maintain concentrations below NOAEL. After the alarm period, the rate increases to achieve full extinguishing concentration. This dynamic adjustment optimizes both time and gas quantity by matching the introduction rate to the actual needs of each phase.
3Quantity of substance
If the system extends the flooding time to reduce gas usage, then gas quantity is reduced, but the time to achieve extinguishing concentration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by structuring the flooding process into distinct time periods with different introduction rates. The pre-flooding phase operates at a controlled, lower rate, followed by the main flooding phase that operates at a higher rate to achieve full concentration. This periodic structure resolves the contradiction by allowing extended initial flooding at safe rates while maintaining the capability for rapid completion when conditions permit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of gas introduction rate based on the operational phase. During pre-flooding, the rate is limited to maintain safety concentrations. During main flooding, the rate parameter is increased to achieve rapid achievement of extinguishing concentration. This parameter change allows the system to optimize both gas quantity and time by adapting the introduction rate to current conditions.
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 approach enables earlier achievement of the extinguishing gas concentration, reduces gas usage, and allows for smaller pressure relief systems, enhancing safety and cost-effectiveness while ensuring effective firefighting and preventing re-ignition.
Implementation Method 1
Such extinguishing gases extinguish fires by essentially displacing the atmospheric oxygen from the site of the fire
Implementation Method 2
maintain the extinguishing gas concentration until hot surfaces cool down enough so that deep-seated fires will be extinguished
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system as well as a method for extinguishing fire in an enclosed room (6) in which the enclosed room (6) is flooded with extinguishing gas at least until an extinguishing gas concentration capable of providing an extinguishing effect (a) is set in the flood zone. In order to achieve the realizing of a maximum extinguishing gas concentration (b) as quickly as possible without the flooding of the room (6) thereby posing a danger to people, it is inventively provided for the flooding of the enclosed room (6) to be divided into a pre-flooding phase and a main flooding phase subsequent thereto. The pre-flooding phase corresponds to an interval of time between the time (t1) the alarming starts to warn people of impending danger and a predefined time (t2). The main flooding phase corresponds to an interval of time between the predefined time (t2) and the time (t4) at which a maximum extinguishing gas concentration (b) is reached. The enclosed room (6) is flooded such that during the entire pre-flooding phase, the concentration of extinguishing gas in the enclosed room (6) does not exceed a predefined or predefinable value for the extinguishing gas employed which is below the critical NOAEL value.