Firestop Collar Insulation for Post-Fire Water and Gas Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional firestop systems fail to maintain water-tightness and integrity after fire exposure, especially in high-pressure marine applications, due to degradation from intense heat, requiring longer sleeves that add weight and space challenges.
Innovation Solution
A firestop assembly with a tube containing intumescent material and heat reduction insulation, such as chemically bound water-releasing materials, is positioned around pipes to maintain sealing integrity by minimizing heat exposure, eliminating the need for extended sleeves and reducing weight and installation complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional firestop systems are used, then fire sealing is provided, but water-tightness is lost after fire exposure due to seal degradation from intense heat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces heat reduction insulation as an intermediary layer positioned between the firestop sealing element and the heat source. This insulation layer absorbs and redirects heat away from the sealing element, protecting it from thermal degradation while maintaining fire sealing capability. The intermediary prevents direct heat exposure to the seal, preserving water-tightness after fire exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat reduction insulation is pre-installed around the sealing element before fire exposure occurs. This preliminary protective measure ensures that when fire exposure happens, the sealing element is already shielded from intense heat, preventing thermal degradation and maintaining water-tightness throughout and after the fire event.
2Reliability
If longer sleeves are used to protect sealing elements from heat, then fire sealing is improved, but weight and installation complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using long sleeves that extend far from the sealing element, the patent applies heat reduction insulation locally only where needed - directly around the sealing element at the penetration point. This localized approach provides effective heat protection precisely where the sealing element is most vulnerable, while avoiding the unnecessary weight and complexity of extended sleeve lengths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential protective function from the long sleeve concept and isolates it to only the necessary location - the immediate vicinity of the sealing element. By taking out the heat protection function and applying it locally rather than through extended sleeves, the design eliminates excess weight and installation complexity while maintaining fire sealing reliability.
3Reliability
If longer sleeves are used to push sealing systems away from heat source, then seal protection is improved, but installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent concentrates heat protection locally at the sealing element location rather than extending protection through long sleeves. The heat reduction insulation is applied precisely where thermal damage would occur - around the sealing element at the penetration point - eliminating the need for extended sleeve lengths and reducing the volume space required for installation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of protecting the sealing element by extending it longitudinally away from the heat source (one-dimensional approach), the patent protects it by surrounding it with heat reduction insulation (three-dimensional approach). This dimensional change allows the sealing element to remain in its optimal position for fire sealing while being protected from heat exposure in all directions, eliminating the need for extended sleeve lengths.
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 firestop assembly effectively maintains a water-tight seal and protects the sealing element from heat damage, allowing for compact installation without extended sleeves, saving space and labor, and ensuring continued integrity post-fire exposure.
Implementation Method 1
heat reduction insulation is supported by the tube such that the heat reduction insulation extends about the sealing element and minimizes heating of the sealing element
Implementation Method 2
the heat reduction insulation is an endothermic material configured to release chemically bound water
Implementation Method 3
An intumescent material is positioned within the tube
Data Source
AI summary
A firestop assembly configured for sealing about a pipe extending through a passage in a building structure division with a sealing element sealing the passage about the pipe. The firestop assembly includes a tube configured to be positioned about the pipe and secured relative to the building structure division. An intumescent material is positioned within the tube. A heat reduction insulation is supported by the tube such that the heat reduction insulation extends about the sealing element and minimizes heating of the sealing element.