Real Fire Simulation Device With Active Combustion Air Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current real fire simulation devices face challenges in simulating realistic fires without causing damage, meeting environmental regulations, and accurately replicating complex fire scenarios due to limitations in heat release rates, smoke layering, and pollutant emissions.

Innovation Solution

A real fire simulation device with a gas burner unit that actively supplies combustion air for complete combustion, regulated by a control unit to optimize fuel and air supply, producing a vertical hot gas flow with minimal radiant heat and high convective heat, allowing for adjustable heat release rates and simulation of various fire scenarios.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If powerful oil burners are used to generate high heat release rates, then the fire simulation power is improved, but pollutant emissions increase and environmental regulations are violated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat release rateVSAvoidpollutant emissions
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fuel type from oil to gas (propane, butane, or natural gas), fundamentally altering the combustion parameters to achieve complete combustion. This parameter change eliminates soot and harmful emissions while maintaining high heat release rates, directly resolving the contradiction between power and pollutant emissions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent ensures complete combustion by providing sufficient oxygen supply and optimizing the air-fuel ratio. The gas fuel burns completely with atmospheric oxygen, producing only carbon dioxide and water vapor. This accelerated oxidation process eliminates incomplete combustion products like soot and carbon monoxide, resolving the emission problem while maintaining high power output

Inventive Principle:
Principle #38Strong oxidants (Accelerated oxidation)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If liquid gas is burned directly for clean combustion, then pollutant emissions are reduced, but complete combustion cannot be guaranteed and harmful substances remain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepollutant emissionsVSAvoidcomplete combustion
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a control unit that monitors and regulates the air-fuel ratio to ensure complete combustion. By actively controlling the combustion process and adjusting parameters in real-time, the system guarantees reliable complete combustion while maintaining low emissions, resolving the contradiction between emission reduction and combustion reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent pre-mixes the gas fuel with air in the correct proportion before combustion occurs. This preliminary preparation of the optimal air-fuel mixture ensures that when combustion takes place, complete burning is achieved reliably, eliminating harmful substances while maintaining consistent clean performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If hot smoke tests are used to create realistic fire simulation, then smoke layering is improved, but contamination and damage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesmoke layeringVSAvoidcontamination and damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fuel from oil-based to gas-based, fundamentally altering the combustion products. Gas combustion produces clean flue gases without soot or heavy contaminants, allowing realistic hot smoke tests to be conducted without causing damage or severe contamination, thus resolving the contradiction between smoke layering quality and harmful effects

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts what would normally be harmful combustion byproducts into beneficial clean flue gases. By using gas fuel, the combustion process produces only carbon dioxide and water vapor, which are harmless in the context of fire simulation. This allows the full benefits of hot smoke testing (realistic smoke layering) to be realized without the harmful side effects of contamination and damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

4Adaptability or versatility

If known fire simulation devices are used, then basic fire simulation is possible, but they cannot simulate complex fires with multiple sources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire scenario simulation capabilityVSAvoidsystem configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the fire simulation system into multiple independent gas burner units, each capable of operating autonomously. This segmentation allows each unit to simulate a separate fire source, and by coordinating multiple units, complex fire scenarios with multiple sources can be created. The modular design maintains relative simplicity while enabling high versatility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent designs the gas burner units to be universal and multi-functional, capable of simulating various fire types and conditions. The same basic gas burner design can be configured for different fire scenarios by adjusting fuel flow rates and positioning, eliminating the need for specialized equipment for each fire type. This universality achieves high adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Ensures optimal, soot-free, and low-pollutant combustion, compliant with emission limits, preventing damage and allowing for realistic fire simulations with adjustable heat release rates and the ability to simulate complex fire scenarios.

Implementation Method 1

a gas burner for direct process air heating for the generation of a hot gas flow

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 2

producing a vertical hot gas flow with minimal radiant heat and high convective heat

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 3

Ensures optimal, soot-free, and low-pollutant combustion, compliant with emission limits

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectComplete combustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 4

a fog generator for the introduction of a marker fog into the hot gas flow

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAerosol formation: Aerosol

Data Source

PatentEP2857791B1Real fire simulation device and method for simulating a real fire
Publication Date: 2018.07.04 BASLER & HOFMANN AG
  • EP2857791B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2857791B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2857791B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a real fire simulation device comprising a gas burner unit (1) with a gas burner (2) for directly heating the process air to generate a hot gas stream; a fog generator (4) for introducing a marker fog into the hot gas stream; and a fuel supply (10, 16) for supplying fuel to the gas burner (2); wherein the gas burner is provided with a device (9) for actively supplying at least the quantity of combustion air necessary for complete combustion. It further relates to a method for simulating a real fire.