Vehicle Hazard Response Control for Fire Spread Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing vehicle fires, particularly in vehicles and trailers, often rely on driver discretion and experience, leading to increased risks for human life, property, and environmental damage due to the spread of fires, as they do not effectively automate the reduction of hazard risks in real-time.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that utilize sensor technology to detect hazards, determine vehicle functions, and automatically implement actions such as uncoupling trailers and guiding vehicles to safe locations, reducing the risk of fire spread through rapid assessment and processor-based decision-making.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If driver discretion and experience are used to manage vehicle fires, then flexibility in decision-making is maintained, but response time is increased and consistency of safety measures is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary hazard assessment and automatically determines appropriate vehicle functions before the driver can respond. Sensors continuously monitor for hazards and pre-calculate optimal responses, eliminating the time delay inherent in driver decision-making processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical decision-making process (driver's brain and manual controls) with an automated electronic system that processes sensor data and executes vehicle functions directly, substituting human discretion with algorithmic determination for faster, more consistent responses.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manual uncoupling of trailers is performed, then fire spread between vehicle and trailer is reduced, but the complexity of the operation increases and response time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the vehicle to perform the uncoupling operation autonomously without requiring driver intervention. The automated system detects when uncoupling is necessary for fire containment and executes the separation automatically, making the system serve itself rather than requiring external manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the uncoupling function from the driver's manual operations and transfers it to the automated vehicle control system. This separates the hazard mitigation function from human operation, allowing the vehicle to independently perform the necessary separation to prevent fire spread.
3Device complexity
If vehicles remain parked in their original positions during emergencies, then no additional operational complexity is introduced, but the hazard risk to occupants and surrounding area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions the vehicle from a static parked state to a dynamic relocated state based on real-time hazard assessment. Rather than maintaining a fixed position, the vehicle automatically adjusts its location to minimize hazard risk, introducing dynamic repositioning as a safety mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary action to move the vehicle away from hazardous positions before the hazard can fully develop or spread. By proactively relocating the vehicle to safer positions, the system prevents the worsening of the emergency situation rather than reacting after damage occurs.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for, in particular automatically, performing a vehicle function of a vehicle (1) to reduce a hazard risk of the vehicle (1) in the event of an occurring, potentially worsening and/or spreading hazard, in particular a fire of the vehicle (1), comprising: - detecting the potentially worsening and/or spreading hazard of the vehicle (1) by means of a sensor device (9) of the vehicle (1) and determining at least one hazard parameter characteristic of a hazard risk of the vehicle (1) based on the detected hazard; - determining at least one vehicle function of the vehicle (1) and determining at least one predictive parameter characteristic of the hazard risk of the vehicle (1) when the vehicle function is performed; - determining a vehicle function signal characteristic of the determined vehicle function based on the at least one predictive parameter;- Provision of the determined vehicle function signal of at least one hazard parameter for the automatic execution of the vehicle function and/or for output to an occupant of the vehicle (1) by means of an output device, in particular of the vehicle (1).;