Autonomous Hydro Fire Mitigation System for Structure Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wildfires pose a significant threat to structures due to the inability of existing technologies to effectively mitigate fires caused by lightning strikes, ember ignition, and other factors, with current fire protection systems primarily focusing on interior sprinkler systems rather than exterior fire prevention and control.
Innovation Solution
A hydro fire mitigation system employing external sprinklers with a control system that communicates with sensors to automatically activate water and fire retardant distribution, using a self-contained water supply and power source, allowing for remote operation and integration with municipal water and solar power, to create a fire-defensible zone around structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If exterior sprinkler systems are used to mitigate wildfires, then the structure's resistance to fire is improved, but the complexity of the system increases due to separate water supply and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the water supply into two independent sources: a primary municipal/well water supply for normal operation and a separate storage tank for backup operation. This segmentation ensures that if one supply fails, the other can maintain fire protection functionality, thereby improving reliability while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically changes operational parameters based on detected conditions. When municipal water pressure is sufficient, the system operates normally; when pressure drops or fails, the system automatically transitions to using the storage tank. This parameter-based control simplifies decision-making logic while maintaining high reliability through adaptive response to supply conditions.
2Reliability
If the sprinkler system operates continuously to create a fire-defensible zone, then fire protection is improved, but water consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-wets the structure and surrounding landscape before wildfire embers or flames arrive. This preliminary action creates a fire-defensible zone in advance, reducing the intensity of fire exposure when it does occur. By applying water proactively rather than reactively, the system achieves better fire protection with potentially less total water consumption during the actual fire event.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system operates the sprinklers in periodic cycles rather than continuously, wetting the structure and landscape at intervals sufficient to maintain protection while allowing evaporation and drainage between cycles. This periodic operation maintains fire-defensible zones effectively while significantly reducing overall water consumption compared to continuous operation.
3Reliability
If the system uses a separate storage tank for water supply, then reliability during water outages is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storage tank is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides backup water supply during municipal water outages, serves as a pressure buffer during low-pressure conditions, and can be used for system testing and maintenance. This multi-functionality justifies the space requirement by maximizing the utility of the stored water and the tank infrastructure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage tank capacity is sized to provide sufficient backup water for a predetermined period during outages, rather than attempting to store enough water for indefinite operation. This partial action approach provides adequate reliability for typical outage scenarios while avoiding the excessive space requirements that would result from designing for extreme, prolonged outage 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
The system effectively prevents structure ignition by creating a fire-defensible zone, directing advancing wildfires away from structures, and maintaining functionality during power and water outages, providing prolonged protection against wildfires.
Implementation Method 1
The spray heads of the sprinkler system may provide a spray or a mist and are placed in locations on the structure that could harbor an ember
Implementation Method 2
The sprinkler system is activated when an infrared flame detector detects a flame from an approaching fire
Implementation Method 3
Exterior sprinklers are also designed to soak the surrounding landscape with water and fire retardant so that moisture is released into the air to lower the ambient temperature and increase the humidity of the immediate area
Data Source
AI summary
A hydro fire mitigation system is provided that is associated with a structure. The system employs a number of sensors that detect an oncoming fire, which directs a controller to initiate fluid flow through a number of sprinklers. The system is fully autonomous and does not require municipal water or power during use.