Modular Water Mist Fire Extinguisher for Microgravity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fire suppression methods in isolated and enclosed environments, such as spacecraft and vehicles, face challenges due to the toxicity of carbon dioxide and the environmental impact of halon-based systems, which require alternative solutions that are effective in microgravity and various orientations.
Innovation Solution
A modular fine water mist fire suppression system using a separation member in a containment vessel to separate a carrier gas from a suppression liquid, allowing for the formation of a suppression fluid in the form of droplets dispersed in the carrier gas, which can be discharged effectively in any gravitational field or orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carbon dioxide is used for fire suppression, then fire suppression effectiveness is improved, but crew safety deteriorates due to toxicity requiring breathing apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful CO2 gas from the fire suppression system and replaces it with water as the suppression agent. The system uses a pump to deliver water through hoses and spray nozzles, eliminating toxic CO2 discharge while maintaining fire suppression capability. This directly resolves the contradiction by removing the harmful substance while preserving the useful function.
2Reliability
If halon-based systems are used for fire suppression, then fire suppression effectiveness is improved, but environmental harm worsens due to ozone layer depletion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes halon and other environmentally harmful fire suppression agents from the system and substitutes them with water. This extraction of harmful substances eliminates ozone-depleting emissions while maintaining effective fire suppression through water-based cooling and smothering mechanisms.
3Reliability
If complex piping systems are used for fire suppression, then suppression coverage is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fire suppression system into modular components: a pump unit, flexible hoses, and spray nozzles. This segmentation allows the system to achieve wide suppression coverage through flexible hose routing without requiring complex rigid piping networks, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
4Reliability
If orientation-specific discharge systems are used, then discharge effectiveness is improved, but adaptability worsens due to inability to operate in various orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the spray nozzle system to function effectively in multiple orientations (upright, inverted, sideways) through omnidirectional spray capability. The nozzle assembly includes spray heads that can discharge water in various directions, making the system universally applicable regardless of installation orientation, thus achieving both discharge effectiveness and adaptability.
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 reliable, self-contained, and portable fire extinguisher that can operate in microgravity environments, effectively suppressing fires without the need for complex piping or orientation considerations, using a water mist that is environmentally friendly and non-toxic, with droplet sizes optimized for rapid vaporization and heat absorption.
Implementation Method 1
water mist can take away heat from the fire as both sensible and latent heat. However, the heat of vaporization is still important in removing energy from the fire.
Implementation Method 2
water mist can act to wet surfaces, which reduces the volatilization of solids and thus the amount of fuel present. An additional mechanism by which water mist can inhibit fires is through the attenuation of infrared radiation. A water aerosol becomes an optically dense medium that prevents the infrared heating of unburned surfaces by burning surfaces.
Implementation Method 3
the nitrogen gas used in the generation and propulsion of the fine water mist displaces the oxygen, thereby removing a combustion component from the fire.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a suppression system in which a carrier gas and suppression liquid are contained in a common containment vessel and separated by a separation member. The separation is one or more of movable, deformable, or shape changing in response to pressure exerted by the stored gas.