INFLATOR-BASED FIRE SUPPRESSION

• US 20120085556A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: COX, Matthew A., Smith, Bradley W., Parkinson, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,939,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 169/46
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 5/006 Extinguishants produced by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26017 a cooling agent being added to the inflation fluid

Abstract

A fire suppression apparatus that includes a housing defining a first chamber containing a gas generant. The apparatus further includes an initiator operatively associated with the first chamber and in reaction initiating communication with the gas generant. The initiator, upon actuation, acts to ignite at least some of the gas generant to form gas. The housing further defines a second chamber adjacently disposed to the first chamber. The second chamber contains an endothermically-alterable material and a piston assembly including a piston. Upon actuation, the piston moves to expel at least a portion of the endothermically-alterable material from the second chamber such that the expelled endothermically-alterable material contacts and cools gas formed by the ignition of the gas generant. The housing further has at least one discharge opening to permit cooled gas to exit the housing. Corresponding or associated methods for suppressing a fire are also provided.

Claims

1. A fire suppression apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a housing at least in part defining a first chamber containing a quantity of gas generant;

an initiator operatively associated with the first chamber and in reaction initiating communication with at least a portion of the quantity of gas generant, the initiator, upon actuation, to ignite at least a portion of the quantity of gas generant to form gas;

a second chamber adjacently disposed to the first chamber, the second chamber containing a quantity of a coolant material and a piston assembly including a piston, wherein upon actuation, the piston moves to expel at least a portion of the quantity of coolant material from the second chamber such that the expelled coolant material contacts and cools gas formed by the ignition of the gas generant; and

the housing further having at least one discharge opening to permit cooled gas to exit the housing.

2. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 wherein the piston includes an interior sealed from the quantity of coolant material and wherein upon actuation, the piston moves to unseal the interior of the piston from the coolant material.

3. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 wherein the coolant material comprises at least one endothermically-alterable material

4. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 3 wherein the endothermically-alterable material comprises a liquid that at least one of vaporizes and decomposes upon contact with the gas formed by the ignition of the gas generant to at least cool said gas.

5. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 4 wherein the endothermically-alterable material forms additional gas products upon contact with the gas formed by the ignition of the gas generant.

6. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 3 wherein the endothermically-alterable material comprises water.

7. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 6 wherein the endothermically-alterable material additionally comprises calcium chloride.

8. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 6 wherein the endothermically-alterable material additionally comprises propylene glycol.

9. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a tortuous gas flow passage for gas flow communication from the first chamber to the at least one discharge opening.

10. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 9 wherein the tortuous gas flow passage comprises a plurality of gas flow turns.

11. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 wherein combustion pressure produced by reaction of at least a portion of the quantity of gas generant to form gas serves to move the piston and expel at least a portion of the quantity of coolant material from the second chamber.

12. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second chamber additionally contains at least one active fire suppression compound to suppress fire upon contact therewith.

13. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one active fire suppression compound contained in the second chamber comprises potassium acetate.

14. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one active fire suppression compound contained in the second chamber comprises at least one alkali metal bicarbonate.

15. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is longitudinally extending and the at least one discharge opening is disposed to permit cooled gas to axially exit the housing.

16. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 15 wherein the housing additionally at least in part defines a third chamber and wherein the second chamber is at least in part disposed within the third chamber, the third chamber containing a quantity of a thermally-stable heat sink material solid and a retainer device disposed internally adjacent the at least one discharge opening to retain the heat sink material solid within the third chamber upon exit of the cooled gas from the housing.

17. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one discharge opening is disposed to permit cooled gas to radially exit the housing.

18. The fire suppression apparatus of claim 17 wherein the housing additionally at least in part defines a third chamber, wherein the second chamber is at least in part disposed within the third chamber and the third chamber includes the at least one discharge opening to permit cooled gas to radially exit the housing.

19. A method for suppressing a fire with a fire suppression apparatus comprising:

a housing at least in part defining a first chamber containing a quantity of gas generant;

an initiator operatively associated with the first chamber and in reaction initiating communication with at least a portion of the quantity of gas generant, the initiator, upon actuation, to ignite at least a portion of the quantity of gas generant to form gas;

a second chamber adjacently disposed to the first chamber, the second chamber containing a quantity of an endothermically-alterable material and a piston assembly including a piston, wherein upon actuation, the piston moves to expel at least a portion of the quantity of endothermically-alterable material from the second chamber such that the expelled endothermically-alterable material contacts and cools gas formed by the ignition of the gas generant; and

the housing further having at least one discharge opening to permit cooled gas to exit the housing, the method comprising;

igniting at least a portion of the quantity of gas generant to form gas;

moving the piston to expel at least a portion of the quantity of endothermically-alterable material from the second chamber such that the expelled endothermically-alterable material contacts and cools gas formed by the ignition of the gas generant; and

directing the cooled gas to an area of the fire.