Method of preventing fire in computer room and other enclosed facilities

• US 20060213673A1
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firepass Corporation
• Original Assignee: Igor K Kotliar
• Inventors: Kotliar, Igor K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,207,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 169/45
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/16 in electrical installations, e.g. cableways

Abstract

Methods are provided for a provision of hypoxic hypercapnic and hypoxic hypocapnic fire-extinguishing compositions for continuous use in human occupied environments. Breathable fire preventative atmospheres can be created using air separation and having increased or decreased carbon dioxide content.

Claims

1. A method for providing a breathable fire-prevention atmosphere in a computer room, warehouse and other occupied facilities, such method comprising:

making said room substantially airtight by minimizing its leakage rate;

utilization of an air separation device for separation of the internal atmosphere in said room into oxygen enriched and oxygen depleted fractions;

extracting said oxygen enriched fraction out of said internal atmosphere and transmitting it to a location where it does not mix with the internal atmosphere, whereby the same amount of the outside air enters said room due to its leakage and pressure equalization effect;

releasing said oxygen depleted fraction inside said room so it mixes with said internal atmosphere and depleting it to a low set oxygen concentration level;

said low set oxygen level being detected by an oxygen monitoring device that triggers a control panel to shut down the air separation device;

the oxygen content in said room starts gradually raising and in a certain period of time, depending on the leakage rate of the room, reaches a high set oxygen concentration level, which is detected by the monitoring device and triggers said control panel to turn the air separation device on;

the oxygen enriched fraction is extracted from the room atmosphere and the oxygen concentration inside the room drops again to the low set level, which triggers the panel to turn the air separation device off;

this cycle continues repeatedly, allowing to keeping the oxygen content in the internal room atmosphere at a desired concentration between the low set level and the high set level;

said low set level corresponding to an oxygen concentration in a range between 9% and 16%;

said high set level corresponds to an oxygen concentration in a range between 10% and 17%.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said air separation device being placed inside of the protected room.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said air separation device being placed outside of the protected room.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said air separation device being pressure swing adsorption apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said air separation device being membrane separation apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said air separation device being cryogenic apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said breathable atmosphere being temperature controlled by a split air-conditioning unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

an ambient air being selectively supplied into said room by a fan or blower in order to maintain the internal oxygen content in a preset range.

9. A method for providing a breathable hypoxic hypercapnic fire-prevention atmosphere in a computer room, warehouse and other occupied facilities, such method comprising:

making said room substantially airtight by minimizing its leakage rate;

utilization of an air separation apparatus for separation of the internal atmosphere of said room into oxygen enriched and oxygen depleted fractions;

extracting said oxygen enriched fraction out of said internal atmosphere and transmitting it to a location where it does not mix with the internal atmosphere;

said apparatus producing the oxygen enriched fraction having carbon dioxide content below 0.035% and said oxygen depleted fraction having carbon dioxide content greater than 0.035%;

releasing said oxygen depleted fraction inside said room so it mixes with said internal atmosphere and depleting it until a desired breathable hypoxic hypercapnic environment is created having fire-preventative quality;

diluting said breathable environment with ambient atmospheric air entering said room;

maintaining automatically the oxygen content in said breathable hypoxic hypercapnic environment in a range greater than 12% and below 18%.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

an ambient air being selectively supplied into said room by a fan or blower in order to maintain the internal oxygen content in a preset range.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

an ambient air being selectively drawn into said room due to pressure difference and said air separation apparatus being selectively turned on and off by an automatic control in order to maintain the internal oxygen content in a preset range.

12. A method for providing a breathable hypoxic hypocapnic fire-prevention atmosphere in a computer room, warehouse and other occupied facilities, such method comprising:

making said room substantially airtight by minimizing its leakage rate;

utilization of an air separation apparatus for separation of the internal atmosphere of said room into oxygen enriched and oxygen depleted fractions;

extracting said oxygen enriched fraction out of said internal atmosphere and transmitting it to a location where it does not mix with the internal atmosphere;

said apparatus producing the oxygen enriched fraction having carbon dioxide content greater than 0.035% and said oxygen depleted fraction having carbon dioxide content below 0.035%;

releasing said oxygen depleted fraction inside said room so it mixes with said internal atmosphere and depleting it until a desired breathable hypoxic hypocapnic environment is created having fire-preventative quality;

diluting said breathable environment with ambient atmospheric air entering said room;

maintaining automatically the oxygen content in said breathable hypoxic hypocapnic environment in a range greater than 12% and below 18%.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

an ambient air being selectively supplied into said room by a fan or blower in order to maintain the internal oxygen content in a preset range.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

an ambient air being selectively drawn into said room due to a pressure difference and said air separation apparatus being selectively turned on and off by an automatic control in order to maintain the internal oxygen content in a preset range.

15. A breathable hypoxic hypercapnic fire-preventative composition for use in an enclosed environment,

said composition—

said composition being produced by the dilution of an internal atmosphere with hypercapnic hypoxic air and mixing it with ambient air introduced into said enclosed environment;

said composition being a blend of hypoxic hypercapnic air and atmospheric air ambient for current location and having oxygen content in a range above 9% to 17% and carbon dioxide content greater than 0.035%;

said composition being used as a fire suppressive atmosphere in computer rooms, warehouses and other occupied and non-occupied enclosed environments.

16. A breathable hypoxic hypocapnic fire-preventative composition for use in an enclosed environment,

said composition—

said composition being produced by the dilution of an internal atmosphere with hypocapnic hypoxic air and mixing it with ambient air introduced into said enclosed environment;

said composition being a blend of hypoxic hypocapnic air and atmospheric air ambient for current location and having oxygen content in a range greater than 9% to 17% and carbon dioxide content below 0.035%;

said composition being used as a fire suppressive atmosphere in computer rooms, warehouses and other occupied and non-occupied enclosed environments.