Method for delivering a liquid pressurised by the combustion gases from at least one pyrotechnic charge

• US 10,159,861 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArianeGroup SAS
• Original Assignee: ArianeGroup SAS
• Inventors: Nadeau, Jean-Paul, Marlin, Frederic, Borg, Evrard
• Primary Examiner(s): Boeckmann, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/392,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20160175628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 169 46, 169 44, 169 12, 169 72, 169 84, 169 85
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 13/22 with incendiary substances producing pressure gas
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/023 the extinguishing material being expelled by compressed gas, taken from storage tanks, or by generating a pressure gas for foam generation A62C5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/08 Containers destroyed or opened by bursting charge

Abstract

A method for delivering a liquid contained in a reservoir, the reservoir having a port for delivering the liquid which is closed off by a blow-out disk that is removable at a threshold pressure applied to the liquid, includes: the combustion of a pyrotechnic charge to generate combustion gases, the pressurization of the liquid by the combustion gases, and the removal of the removable blow-out disk from the delivery port and the delivery of the pressurized liquid. The flow rate of generated combustion gases during the delivery of the liquid ensures virtually constant pressurization of the liquid and thus the delivery of the liquid at a virtually constant flow rate. The pressure of the liquid during the delivery of the liquid varying only by a maximum of +/−30% with respect to its initial value at the time at which the blow-out disk is removed.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a liquid contained in a reservoir, said reservoir having at least one delivery port for delivering said liquid which is closed off by a blow-out disk that is removable at a threshold pressure applied to said liquid, comprising:

carrying out a combustion of at least one pyrotechnic charge in order to generate combustion gases;

pressurizing said liquid under the action of said combustion gases, and

removing said removable blow-out disk from said at least one delivery port and delivering said pressurized liquid, wherein a flow rate of generated combustion gases during the delivery of said liquid ensures a virtually constant pressurization of said liquid, a pressure of said liquid during the delivery of said liquid varying only by a maximum of +/−

30% with respect to its initial value at a time at which said blow-out disk is removed, and thus the delivery of said liquid at a virtually constant flow rate, a flow rate of said liquid during the delivery of said liquid varying only by a maximum of +/−

30% with respect to its initial value at a time at which said blow-out disk is removed,

wherein said method is implemented in a device comprising said reservoir and at least one pyrotechnic gas generator containing said at least one pyrotechnic charge said at least one pyrotechnic gas generator being connected to said reservoir and a mobile member for separating the generated combustion gases and said liquid being provided within said device, and

wherein the at least one pyrotechnic charge, which is of the solid monolithic block type or of the stack of disks type, has a shape of a right cylinder with a circular cross section and a lateral surface extending along its entire length between two end faces, the lateral surface being combustion-inhibited along a part of the length of the cylinder starting from one of the two end faces, which is itself combustion-inhibited, and not being combustion-inhibited along the complementary part of the length of the cylinder starting from the other end face of the two end faces which is not combustion-inhibited, so that during the pressurization of said liquid, said at least one pyrotechnic charge is end-burning and side-burning while during the delivery of said liquid the at least one pyrotechnic charge is end-burning only.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combustion of said at least one pyrotechnic charge is implemented with the combustion pressure being regulated.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pressurized liquid is delivered in a dispersed form.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liquid is a fire extinguishing agent, a lubricant, a cooling agent, or a cleaning and/or dispersant agent.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device comprises a one-piece body in which said reservoir and said at least one gas generator are arranged, or wherein, within said device, said at least one gas generator is arranged in said reservoir.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device comprises a body with a sliding piston as the mobile member;

said piston delimiting two chambers, a first chamber that forms said reservoir and a second chamber that contains said at least one pyrotechnic charge forming the pyrotechnic gas generator.

7. A pyrotechnic charge, suitable for implementing the method as claimed in claim 1, having a shape of a right cylinder with a circular cross section and having a lateral surface extending along its entire length between two end faces, of the solid monolithic block type or of the stack of disks type, wherein one of the two end faces is combustion-inhibited, while the other of the two end faces is not combustion-inhibited, and the lateral surface is combustion-inhibited only along a part of its length starting from said combustion-inhibited end face.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure of said liquid during the delivery of said liquid varies only by a maximum of +/−

20% with respect to its initial value at the time at which said blow-out disk is removed.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure of said liquid during the delivery of said liquid varies only by a maximum of +/−

10% with respect to its initial value at the time at which said blow-out disk is removed.