Fire suppressing apparatus for generating steam from a water-ice mixture

• US 5,465,795 A
• Filed: 04/03/1995
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aerojet-General Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OLIN Corporation
• Inventors: Holland, Gary F., Mitchell, Robert M., Galbraith, Lyle D., Poole, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pike, Andrew C.
• Application Number:
  US08/415,802
• Time in Patent Office: 225 Days
• Field of Search: 169/5, 169/6, 169/7, 169/8, 169/9, 169/11, 169/12, 169/26, 169/27, 169/28
• US Class Current: 169/11
• 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 99/0018 using gases or vapours that do not support combustion, e.g. steam, carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C06D 5/06 by reaction of two or more solids

Abstract

There is disclosed an a flame suppressing composition and an apparatus for suppressing a fire. The composition contains a propellant and an effective amount of magnesium carbonate. One apparatus directs the effluent of a propellant at a mixture of ice and water to generate superheated steam. Preferably, the effluent is a mixture of hot gases and solid particulate directed by a nozzle to impinge upon the mixture of ice and water.

Claims

1. An apparatus for suppressing a fire, said apparatus comprising:

a gas generator containing a propellant and a fire suppressant;

a tank containing a mixture of water and ice;

a first conduit providing a passageway between said gas generator and said tank; and

a second conduit providing a passageway between said tank and said fire.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said propellant generates an effluent mixture of hot gases and solid particulate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said hot gases have a temperature in excess of about 925°

C.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said effluent mixture contains in excess of about 20% by weight solid particulate.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said solid particulate is MgO.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein an outlet burst disc is incorporated into said second conduit, said outlet burst disc having a rupture pressure effective to cause said hot gases to vaporized and superheat said water.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said outlet burst disc ruptures at a pressure in excess of about 13.8 MPa.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first conduit terminates at a nozzle configured to impinge said hot gases and solid particulate on said mixture of ice and water.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein an additive effective to reduce the heat of fusion of ice is present in said water.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said additive is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol and methyl cellulose.