Apparatus and method for suppressing a fire

• US 5,609,210 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• 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): Pike, Andrew C.
• Application Number:
  US08/468,678
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 169/5, 169/6, 169/7, 169/9, 169/11, 169/12, 169/26, 169/27, 169/28, 169/30, 169/35, 169/60, 169/61, 169/62, 169/71, 169/72, 169/77, 169/78, 169/84, 169/85, 149/19.6, 149/35, 149/36, 149/61, 149/77, 252/2, 252/4, 252/5
• US Class Current: 169/26
• 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 provided an apparatus for suppressing a fire. The apparatus includes a gas generator charged with a combustive propellant. Upon ignition, the combustive propellant generates a copious volume of gas. The gas is directed by a first conduit to a chamber containing a packed powder that is effective to suppress a fire. A second conduit directs the gas driven packed powder to the fire. In one embodiment, the fire suppressing packed powder is magnesium carbonate.

Claims

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

a) a gas generator having a combustive propellant effective to produce a gas yield in excess of 1.5 moles per 100 grams of propellant;

b) a packed powder contained within a chamber and selected from the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, potassium sulfate, and mixtures thereof;

c) a first conduit providing a passageway between said gas generator and said chamber; and

d) a second conduit providing a passageway between said chamber and said fire.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gas generator contains a mixture of a nitrogen rich fuel and an oxidizer in a fuel to oxidizer ratio, by weight, of from about 1:

1 to about 1;

2.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said fuel is 5-aminotetrazole and said oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of strontium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and mixtures thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said packed powder is magnesium carbonate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the packed powder has a particle size from 5 to 100 microns.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein particle size is from about 10 to 50 microns.