Fire Sprinkler Pressure Recharge Without a Jockey Pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fire sprinkler systems experience false alarms due to gradual water pressure drops from leaks, leading to unnecessary activation of fire pumps and increased maintenance costs. Existing solutions, such as installing a jockey pump, introduce additional points of failure and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A self-recharging fire sprinkler system that uses integrated circuitry, including a processor, to monitor water pressure changes and automatically recharge the system without a separate jockey pump, thereby reducing false alarms and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a jockey pump is installed to maintain water pressure and reduce false alarms, then the frequency of false alarms is reduced, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pressure maintenance function from a separate jockey pump and integrates it into the existing fire pump controller. The controller monitors system pressure and selectively activates the fire pump in recharge mode when pressure drops below a threshold, eliminating the need for a dedicated jockey pump while maintaining pressure stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire pump controller is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls the fire pump for both fire suppression operations and pressure recharge operations. The controller selectively activates the pump based on whether a fire condition or a pressure maintenance condition exists, making the single controller universal for both purposes.
2Reliability
If a jockey pump is installed to maintain water pressure, then false alarms are reduced, but the reliability decreases due to additional points of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pressure maintenance function with the existing fire pump system. The fire pump and its controller serve dual purposes: fire suppression and pressure recharge. This consolidation reduces the total number of independent components and eliminates the additional failure points that would arise from installing a separate jockey pump.
3Reliability
If a jockey pump is installed to maintain water pressure, then false alarms are reduced, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire pump controller autonomously monitors system pressure and selectively activates the fire pump to recharge pressure when needed. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual pressure monitoring and recharge operations, reducing labor costs and enabling the system to maintain itself without additional expensive components.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may obtain a water pressure measurement associated with a charged fire sprinkler system. The electronic device may determine obtained water pressure measurement is indicative of a slow leak or indicative of the fast leak. The electronic device may, in response to determining that the water pressure is indicative of a slow leak, initiate a system recharge in which a fire pump of the fire sprinkler system is activated to attempt to recharge the water pressure.