Organic Rankine Cycle Fire Suppression With Agent Phase Cycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fire extinguishing equipment using nitrogen gas requires significant storage space and has high introduction costs, while liquid fire extinguishing agents with cooling capabilities are economically inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system is utilized to circulate a fire extinguishing agent, incorporating a condenser, booster pump, vaporizer, and expansion turbine to liquefy and vaporize the agent, with supply lines to fire prevention areas, enhancing economic efficiency by utilizing the agent as a working medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nitrogen gas is used for fire extinguishing, then fire extinguishing capability is achieved, but occupied storage space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the fire extinguishing agent from gas (nitrogen) to liquid (refrigerant), allowing the same mass to occupy significantly less volume while maintaining fire extinguishing capability through both cooling and oxygen deficiency mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant system serves multiple functions: it acts as both a fire extinguishing agent and a working medium for the ORC power generation system, eliminating the need for dedicated storage space for separate fire suppression systems
2Reliability
If liquid fire extinguishing agents are used, then fire extinguishing capability by cooling is improved, but introduction cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the fire extinguishing agent itself as the working medium for power generation during normal operation, allowing the system to generate its own operational energy and reduce external energy input requirements, thereby improving economic efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the previously wasted thermal energy from fire extinction into useful power generation through the ORC system, transforming a harmful event into a beneficial energy recovery opportunity that offsets the higher initial cost
3Ease of manufacture
If fire extinguishing agent is circulated through ORC cycle, then economic efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ORC system components serve dual purposes: the evaporator also acts as a fire detection zone, the condenser provides cooling, and the expansion turbine generates power while enabling fire suppression agent delivery, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the fire suppression system with the ORC power generation system into a single integrated framework, where the same circulating agent serves both power generation and fire extinction functions, reducing overall system complexity despite the advanced 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
The ORC system improves economic efficiency by reducing storage space requirements and enabling effective fire extinguishment through cooling or oxygen deficiency, while generating power from recovered energy.
Implementation Method 1
a condenser provided on the ORC cycle and configured to transfer cold energy from a first heat medium to a gaseous fire extinguishing agent that is the fire extinguishing agent in a gas state to liquefy the gaseous fire extinguishing agent
Implementation Method 2
a booster pump provided on a downstream side of the condenser on the ORC cycle and configured to pressurize a liquid fire extinguishing agent obtained by liquefying the gaseous fire extinguishing agent in the condenser
Implementation Method 3
a vaporizer provided on a downstream side of the booster pump on the ORC cycle and configured to transfer heat energy from a second heat medium to the liquid fire extinguishing agent to vaporize the liquid fire extinguishing agent
Implementation Method 4
an expansion turbine provided on a downstream side of the vaporizer and on an upstream side of the condenser on the ORC cycle and configured to be driven by a gaseous fire extinguishing agent obtained by vaporizing the liquid fire extinguishing agent
Data Source
AI summary
An ORC configured to circulate a fire extinguishing agent and at least one fire extinguishing agent supply line. The ORC cycle includes a condenser provided on the ORC cycle and configured to liquefy a gaseous fire extinguishing agent that is the fire extinguishing agent in a gas state, a booster pump provided on a downstream side of the condenser on the ORC cycle and configured to pressurize a liquid fire extinguishing agent obtained by liquefying the gaseous fire extinguishing agent in the condenser, a vaporizer provided on a downstream side of the booster pump on the ORC cycle and configured to vaporize the liquid fire extinguishing agent, and an expansion turbine provided on a downstream side of the vaporizer and on an upstream side of the condenser on the ORC cycle and configured to be driven by a gaseous fire extinguishing agent obtained by vaporizing the liquid fire extinguishing agent.