Storage Container with Gravity-Feed Fire Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fire-resistant storage containers may not adequately contain fires involving lithium-based batteries, as they can generate oxygen, leading to prolonged fires that may spread beyond the container, especially in unattended situations.
Innovation Solution
A storage container design featuring a lower compartment for flammable materials and an upper compartment for a fire-fighting agent, with an automatically opening connection allowing the agent to flow down and extinguish the fire, utilizing water as the agent to cool and smother the flames, and incorporating thermal and electrical activation mechanisms for valve operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional fire-resistant storage containers are used, then the container structure can withstand fire for a certain period, but the fire may last longer and spread beyond the container because lithium batteries produce their own oxygen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention pre-positions a large quantity of extinguishing agent (water) in an upper reservoir, ready to be automatically released into the fire compartment when a fire occurs. This preliminary preparation ensures that sufficient extinguishing material is immediately available to counteract the oxygen-producing combustion process of lithium batteries, addressing the limitation of conventional containers that rely only on passive structural fire resistance.
2Reliability
If fire suppression systems are added to storage containers, then fire can be fought more effectively, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to automatically detect fire conditions and release the extinguishing agent without requiring external intervention or complex control systems. The valve mechanism opens automatically when fire conditions are detected, allowing the pre-positioned water reservoir to self-activate and suppress the fire, thereby achieving effective fire suppression with minimal added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage container is divided into distinct functional zones: a lower compartment for storing lithium batteries, an upper compartment housing the water reservoir, and a connection passage with an automatically opening valve. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall system design while maintaining effective fire suppression capability.
3Extent of automation
If automatic fire suppression is implemented, then fire can be fought in the absence of supervisors, but the system requires additional components and activation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The fire suppression system automatically activates itself when fire conditions are detected, without requiring external power sources, control systems, or human intervention. The valve mechanism is designed to open automatically based on fire detection, allowing the pre-positioned water to flow into the fire compartment and suppress the fire autonomously, achieving high automation with minimal additional complexity.
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
Ensures effective fire suppression and containment, even in the absence of supervision, by using a large volume of water to cool and extinguish fires, and provides a reliable and inexpensive solution for safe storage of flammable materials.
Implementation Method 1
The extinguishing agent container (11) is arranged above the storage trough (7)... allowing the extinguishing agent located above it to flow downwards and into this space
Implementation Method 2
In addition to the heat capacity of the water, which leads to a cooling of the accumulator, the evaporative cooling of the water supports the cooling effect of the extinguishing agent
Implementation Method 3
the heat capacity of the water, which leads to a cooling of the accumulator
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention proposes a storage container (1) for combustible material, • with a storage tray (7) designed to hold the combustible material, • and with an extinguishing agent container (11) designed to hold a material which has fire-fighting properties in the event of a fire, wherein the extinguishing agent container (11) is arranged higher than the storage tray (7), • and wherein the extinguishing agent container (11) is connected to the storage tray (7) via a connection permeable to the extinguishing agent, • and wherein the connection is interrupted by means of at least one valve which is normally closed and opens automatically in the event of a fire.