Fire-Rated In-Ground Raceway for Jointless Coil Tube Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency systems, such as Firefighter Air Replenishment Systems, face vulnerabilities due to unstructured and poorly designed electrical and air connections, which are susceptible to corrosive and emergency forces, posing risks to personnel and system integrity.
Innovation Solution
An in-ground raceway system with a horizontal sleeve element, curved elbow elements, and compression-based fittings is used to seamlessly transition a metallic coil tube across perpendicular directions, creating a fire-rated enclosure for electrical and breathable air connections, ensuring stability and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional unstructured electrical and air connections are used, then installation is simpler and device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to vulnerability to corrosive forces and emergency forces
Solution Approach 1:
The raceway system is divided into multiple segmented components including horizontal sleeve elements, curved elbow elements, vertical sleeve elements, and adapter elements. Each segment serves a specific function in guiding and protecting the metallic coil tube, allowing for modular installation while maintaining overall system reliability through structured protection against corrosive and emergency forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The raceway system acts as an intermediary protective structure between the metallic coil tube and the external environment. It provides a fire-rated enclosure that mediates exposure to corrosive forces, physical damage, and emergency conditions, thereby enhancing connection reliability without requiring direct exposure of the connections to harsh conditions.
2Ease of operation
If metallic coil tube connections are exposed to environment, then accessibility and ease of operation is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to corrosion and emergency forces
Solution Approach 1:
The raceway system employs a continuous fire-rated enclosure that acts as a protective shell around the metallic coil tube. This enclosure protects the tube from corrosive forces and physical damage while maintaining accessibility at designated connection points, thereby reducing harmful environmental exposure without completely compromising ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The raceway transitions from horizontal to vertical orientation through curved elbow elements, creating a three-dimensional pathway that guides the metallic coil tube through different spatial dimensions. This dimensional transition allows the system to navigate around obstacles and reach accessible connection points while maintaining continuous protection throughout the entire pathway.
3Reliability
If fire rated enclosure is provided for metallic coil tube, then reliability and safety is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire-rated enclosure is segmented into standardized components (horizontal sleeves, curved elbows, vertical sleeves, adapters) that can be manufactured independently using consistent processes. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing by allowing each component to be produced to the same fire rating specification through repetitive, standardized procedures rather than creating a custom complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional requirements are merged into single components. For example, the horizontal sleeve element simultaneously provides structural support, fire rating, and corrosion protection. The curved elbow element combines directional transition with continuous fire-rated enclosure. This merging reduces the total number of separate manufacturing steps while maintaining comprehensive fire safety.
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 system provides a stable, fire-rated pathway for electrical and air connections, enhancing safety and reliability by minimizing exposure to corrosive forces and maintaining system integrity during emergencies.
Implementation Method 1
In accordance with compression based fitting, the metallic coil tube is sealed to a stable position thereof within the male connector element proximate the end of the curved elbow element as a result of a compression element also receiving the metallic coil tube therethrough locking on to the male connector element
Implementation Method 2
one or more ferrule element(s) encircling the metallic coil tube gripping an outer surface of the metallic coil tube
Data Source
AI summary
A raceway includes a horizontal sleeve element carrying a metallic coil tube therethrough below a ground level associated with a structure such that the horizontal sleeve element is directly embedded in a base layer under the ground level and immediately below a first layer of the ground level. and a curved elbow element directly connected to the horizontal sleeve element at each of both ends of the horizontal sleeve element to transition the metallic coil tube across perpendicular directions. The raceway establishes a pathway for an electrical and/or a breathable air connection between components of a safety system implemented within the structure based on seamlessly and jointlessly drawing the metallic coil tube out of the curved elbow element on the each of both the ends of the horizontal sleeve element. Components of the raceway create a fire rated enclosure for the metallic coil tube.