Stream-wise Vortex Fire Extinguisher for Cleanroom Contamination Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire extinguishing technologies are ineffective in controlled environments like cleanrooms and microgravity settings, as they can contaminate sensitive equipment and pose risks, and are not suitable for combustion reactions that do not produce visible flames or occur under diffusion-limited conditions.
Innovation Solution
The use of stream-wise vortex generators, including vortex whips, to direct a flow with forced advection near the combustion reaction, reducing the Damköhler number and inhibiting the reaction's self-sustainability by dispersing volatile fuel and reducing heat flux, rather than relying on chemical or bulk thermal means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carbon dioxide-based powder or chemical fire-retardants are used to extinguish combustion, then the combustion reaction is suppressed, but the equipment is contaminated and clean-down procedures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical fire suppression systems with a mechanical flow control system using inert gas. The system uses precisely controlled gas flow rates and velocity profiles to mechanically disrupt the combustion process by preventing volatile fuel from reaching the flame front, eliminating chemical contamination while maintaining fire suppression effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an inert atmosphere using controlled flow of inert gas (such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide) through the material being processed. The inert gas displaces oxygen and suppresses combustion without contaminating the material, as it can be easily removed by continuing the inert gas flow after combustion stops
2Reliability
If chemical fire-retardants are deployed in controlled environments, then combustion is suppressed, but the efficiency of processes is reduced due to clean-down procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical fire suppression with a mechanical inert gas flow system that suppresses combustion through controlled fluid dynamics. The system adjusts gas flow rates and velocities to mechanically prevent volatile fuel transport to the flame front, eliminating the need for clean-down procedures and maintaining continuous process operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous combustion suppression by maintaining a steady state inert gas flow through the material. The system can continuously suppress combustion without interrupting the manufacturing process, and the inert gas can be continuously removed after use, allowing uninterrupted production
3Illumination intensity
If conventional fire suppression methods are used in diffusion-limited combustion, then visible flames may be suppressed, but the underlying combustion reaction persists as heat is radiated in the infrared spectrum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by controlling inert gas flow to prevent volatile fuel from reaching the flame front before combustion can propagate. The system uses predictive flow rate and velocity control to intercept fuel transport early in the combustion process, addressing the root cause rather than just suppressing visible flames
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the combustion environment by precisely controlling inert gas flow rates and velocities. The system adjusts these parameters to create specific flow regimes that disrupt volatile fuel transport and heat transfer, suppressing both visible flames and infrared radiation by fundamentally altering the combustion dynamics
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
This method effectively extinguishes combustion reactions by reducing the conversion fraction and quenching the reaction, without contaminating the environment, even in situations where chemical fire retardants are not feasible, by enhancing convective mass transport and mixing.
Implementation Method 1
a vortex generator positioned to interact with the flow and to form a stream-wise vortex external to the nozzle
Implementation Method 2
directing a stream-wise vortex toward the combustion reaction... inducing forced advection at a surface undergoing a combustion reaction
Implementation Method 3
enhancing convective mass transport and mixing... dispersing volatile fuel and reducing heat flux
Implementation Method 4
enhancing convective mass transport and mixing
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for extinguishing fires are provided. A device for extinguishing fires may include a nozzle defining a flow channel. The device may include a convector fluidly coupled with the flow channel and configured to introduce a flow through the flow channel. The device may also include a vortex generator disposed within the nozzle, the vortex generator positioned to interact with the flow and to form a stream-wise vortex external to the nozzle.