Automatic response building defense system and method

• US 6,293,861 B1
• Filed: 09/03/1999
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth M. Berry
• Original Assignee: Kenneth M. Berry
• Inventors: Berry, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US09/389,218
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 454/255, 454/256, 454/194, 454/195, 454/902
• US Class Current: 454/255
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0004 to create overpressure in a room
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/44 Protection from terrorism or theft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 454/902 Air raid shelter ventilation

Abstract

A building protection system and method is provided which is responsive to the release of hazardous agents both outside and inside of a protected building. For an outside release, an array of sensors surrounding the perimeter of the building is triggered to provide and indication that an external release has occurred. These external sensors operate in real time and are set at relatively high thresholds to prevent false positives. Upon initial detection of a release in a concentration above the threshold level of a perimeter sensor, a central processor connected to receive a release signal from the sensor will shut down all external air exchanges for the building and activate an over-pressure system for the building interior to insure that contaminated external air does not enter. Exterior sampling inlets are monitored to determine if high agent concentrations exist as a confirmation of the indication given by the perimeter sensors. Should an internal attack occur in the entrance area, or other internal area of a protected building, an internal sensor system will cause the central processor to close off the affected area, and activate the over-pressure system to pressurize unaffected areas. Sampling inlets connected in various areas within the building will monitor these areas to determine if they have been contaminated and the concentration and type of contaminating agent. The processor can activate a decontaminant spray system to decontaminate the contaminated areas.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a building against a personnel attack by one or more biological, chemical and nuclear hazardous airborne contaminants, the building having one or more external air communication openings between a building interior and a building exterior, the method including:

sensing exteriorly of the building the concentration of one or more of said hazardous airborne contaminants at one or more perimeter locations spaced from the building,

determining when the concentration of any hazardous airborne contaminant sensed at a perimeter location is at or above a first contamination level for said hazardous airborne contaminant,

immediately closing and sealing said external air communication openings when the concentration level for any of said hazardous airborne contaminants at a perimeter location reaches or exceeds said first contamination level for the respective hazardous airborne contaminant, and

pressuring the interior of the building to a pressure above the pressure externally of the building after closing and sealing said air communication openings.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the interior of the building is pressurized within range from 3 to 10 PSI.

3. The method of claim 1 which includes sensing interiorly of the building the concentration of one or more of said hazardous airborne contaminants in the interior of the building,

determining when the concentration of any hazardous airborne contaminant in the interior of the building is at or above a second contamination level for said hazardous airborne contaminant, said second contamination level for each said hazardous airborne contaminant being less than first contamination level for the respective hazardous airborne contaminant.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said second contamination level for each such hazardous airborne contaminant is the minimum level at which said hazardous airborne contaminant is injurious to humans.

5. The method of claim 4 which includes maintaining the external air communications openings closed and sealed and the interior of the building pressurized above the pressure externally of the building until the concentration of all internally sensed hazardous airborne contaminants drops below the second contamination level therefor.

6. The method of claim 4 which includes operating after said external air communications openings have been closed and sealed to sense at one or more exterior building locations adjacent to the building and spaced from the perimeter locations the concentration of each said hazardous airborne contaminant at said exterior building location,

sensing interiorly of the building the concentration of each said hazardous airborne contaminant,

determining if the concentration of each hazardous airborne contaminant at said exterior building location and interiorly of the building is at or above said second contamination level therefor, and opening said external air communication openings and depressurizing the interior of the building when the concentration of all said hazardous airborne contaminants sensed at said one or more exterior building locations adjacent to the building and interiorly of the building is below the second concentration level for said hazardous airborne contaminant.

7. The method of claim 6 which includes identifying each hazardous airborne contaminant sensed at a perimeter location having a concentration level at or above the first concentration level therefor,

providing a notification within said building of the identity of each such identified hazardous airborne contaminant having a concentration level at or above the first concentration level therefor,

identifying each hazardous airborne contaminant sensed interiorly of the building having a concentration level at or above the second concentration level therefor, and

providing a notification within said building of the identity of each such identified hazardous contaminant sensed within the building interior having a concentration level at or above the second concentration level therefor.

8. The method of claim 1 which includes operating after said external air communications openings have been closed and sealed to sense at one or more exterior building locations adjacent to the building and spaced from the perimeter locations the concentration of each said hazardous airborne contaminant at said exterior building location,

determining if the concentration of each said hazardous airborne contaminant at an exterior building location is at or above a second contamination level for said hazardous airborne contaminant, and

opening said external air communication openings and depressurizing the interior of the building when the concentration of all of said hazardous airborne contaminants at the exterior building location is below said second contamination level therefor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said second contamination level is less than said first contamination level.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said second contamination level for each such hazardous airborne contaminant is the minimum level at which said hazardous airborne contaminant is injurious to humans.

11. The method of claim 10 which includes sensing hazardous airborne contaminants including biological agents.

12. The method of claim 10 which includes sensing hazardous airborne contaminants including chemical agents.

13. The method of claim 10 which includes sensing hazardous airborne contaminants including alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

14. The method of claim 10 which includes sensing hazardous airborne contaminants including biological agents, chemical agents and alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

15. The method of claim 1 which includes identifying each hazardous airborne contaminant sensed at a perimeter location having a concentration at or above the first contamination level for said respective hazardous airborne contaminant and

providing a notification within said building of the identity of each such identified hazardous airborne contaminant.

16. A method for protecting a building against a personnel attack by one or more biological chemical or nuclear hazardous airborne contaminants, the building having an interior divided into a plurality of separate, enclosed areas, each enclosed area having one or more communicating openings to the exterior of the enclosed area, the method including:

sensing for the concentration of one or more of said hazardous airborne contaminants in each enclosed area,

determining when the concentration of any hazardous airborne contaminant in any enclosed area is at or above a first contamination level for the respective hazardous airborne contaminant to render each enclosed area containing a hazardous airborne contaminant with a concentration level at or above the first contamination level therefor a contaminated area,

immediately closing and sealing the communicating openings to the exterior of each contaminated area when the concentration level for any hazardous airborne contaminant therein is at or above the first contamination level for said hazardous airborne contaminant, and

pressurizing to a pressure above the pressure in each contaminated area enclosed uncontaminated areas within the interior of the building in which no hazardous airborne contaminant with a concentration level at or above the first concentration level therefor is sensed.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein one or more of said separate, enclosed areas includes an outside communicating opening to the exterior of the building, the method further including sensing exteriorly of the building the concentration of said hazardous airborne contaminants at one or more perimeter locations spaced from the building,

determining when the concentration of the hazardous airborne contaminant at a perimeter location is at or above a second contamination level,

closing all of said outside communication openings to the exterior of the building when the concentration level at a perimeter location reaches or exceeds said second contamination level, and

pressurizing the interior of the building after closing said outside communication openings.

18. The method of claim 16 which includes providing a notification within the building of the identity of each uncontaminated area.

19. The method of claim 16 which includes maintaining the communicating openings to the exterior of each contaminated area closed and sealed and the pressure in each uncontaminated area above the pressure in each contaminated area until the contamination level for any hazardous airborne contaminant in each contaminated area falls below the first contamination level therefor.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said first contamination level for each said hazardous airborne contaminant is the minimum level at which said hazardous airborne contaminant is injurious to humans.

21. The method of claim 20 which includes providing a notification within the building of the identity of each uncontaminated area and the identity of each hazardous airborne contaminant sensed in each contaminated area.

22. The method of claim 21 which includes tracking the location of each person within the building to identify persons in contaminated and uncontaminated areas.

23. The method of claim 20 which includes pressurizing the uncontaminated areas to a pressure within a range of 3 to 10 PSI.

24. The method of claim 20 which includes introducing a decontaminant into the contaminated area after the communicating openings to the exterior of the contaminated area are closed.

25. The method of claim 24 which includes determining when the decontaminant reduces the hazardous airborne contaminant in the contaminated area to a level below the level at which the hazardous airborne contaminant is injurious to humans.

26. An automatic response building defense system for protecting a building against a personnel attack by one or more biological, chemical or nuclear hazardous airborne contaminants, the building having an interior divided into a plurality of separate, enclosed areas, each enclosed area having one or more communicating openings to the exterior of the enclosed area with some of said communicating openings constituting external openings to the building exterior and the remaining communicating openings constituting interior openings to the building interior, said building defense system comprising:

an external closure assembly for closing and sealing each said external opening, said external closure assembly including an external opening closure and sealing unit mounted for movement between an open position to open said external opening and a closed position to close and seal said external opening and a closure drive unit connected to said external opening closure and sealing unit responsive to a first activation signal to move said external opening closure and sealing unit to said closed position and to a second activation signal to move said external opening closure and sealing unit to said open position,

a building pressurization assembly operative to pressurize the interior of said building to a pressure above ambient pressure external to said building in response to a pressurization signal,

at least one hazardous contaminant sensor assembly including at least one sensor for sensing the presence of said one or more hazardous airborne contaminants, said hazardous contaminant sensor assembly providing sensor assembly output signals in response to sensed hazardous airborne contaminants, and

a control processor connected to receive said sensor assembly output signals and operative in response to sensor assembly output signals to provide a first activation signal to each said external closure assembly to cause the closure drive unit therefor to move said external opening closure and sealing unit to the closed position and a pressurization signal to said building pressurization assembly.

27. The automatic response building defense system of claim 26 wherein said at least one hazardous contaminant sensor assembly includes an exterior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly mounted externally of said building and an interior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly mounted in at least one of said separate enclosed areas in the interior of said building.

28. The automatic response building defense system of claim 27 wherein said exterior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly provides sensor assembly output signals in response to sensed hazardous airborne contaminants at or in excess of a first threshold level, and said interior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly provides sensor assembly output signals in response to sensed hazardous airborne contaminants at or in excess of a second threshold level, said second threshold level being lower than said first threshold level.

29. The automatic response building defense system of claim 26 which includes at least one external hazardous contaminant sensor assembly mounted externally of said building.

30. The automatic response building defense system of claim 29 wherein said at least one external hazardous contaminant sensor assembly includes at least one perimeter hazardous contaminant sensor assembly spaced outwardly from said building.

31. The automatic response building defense system of claim 26 which includes at least one internal hazardous contaminant sensor assembly mounted internally within said building.

32. The automatic response building defense system of claim 31 which includes a plurality of internal hazardous contaminant sensor assemblies mounted internally within said building with at least one internal hazardous contaminant sensor assembly being mounted in each of said separate enclosed areas.

33. The automatic response building defense system of claim 31 which includes at least one external hazardous contaminant sensor assembly mounted externally of said building.

34. An automatic response building defense system for protecting a building against a personnel attack by one or more biological, chemical or nuclear hazardous airborne contaminants, the building having an interior divided into a plurality of separate, enclosed areas, each enclosed area having one or more communicating openings to the exterior of the enclosed area with some of said communicating openings constituting external openings to the building exterior and the remaining communicating openings constituting interior openings to the building, said building defense system comprising:

an external closure assembly in each separate enclosed area having an external opening mounted to selectively close and seal or open said external opening, each said external closure assembly operating in response to a first external closure signal to close and seal said external opening,

an internal closure assembly in each separate enclosed area to selectively close and seal the interior openings from said separate enclosed area to the building interior, each said internal closure assembly operating in response to a first internal closure signal to close and seal said interior openings,

a building pressurization assembly connected to each of said plurality of separate enclosed areas and operative to pressurize one or more of said separate enclosed areas above ambient pressure in response to a pressurization signal,

at least one internal hazardous contaminant sensor assembly in at least one of said plurality of separate enclosed areas for sensing the presence of said one or more hazardous airborne contaminants and providing internal sensor output signals in response to sensed hazardous airborne contaminants within said separate enclosed area,

a control processor connected to receive said internal sensor output signals and operative in response thereto to provide a first external closure signal to each external closure assembly within the separate enclosed area containing the sensed hazardous airborne contaminant, a first internal closure signal to each internal closure assembly with the separate enclosed area containing the sensed airborne contaminant and a pressurization signal to cause said pressurization unit to pressurize each separate enclosed area other than the separate enclosed area containing the sensed hazardous airborne contaminant.

35. The automatic response building defense system of claim 34 which includes a decontaminant system connected to provide a decontaminant to said separate enclosed areas, said decontaminant system operating in response to a decontaminant signal to selectively provide decontaminant to one or more of said separate, enclosed areas, said control processor operating in response to said sensor output signals to provide a decontaminant signal to cause said decontaminant system to provide decontaminant to the separate enclosed area containing the sensed, hazardous airborne contaminant.

36. The automatic response building defense system of claim 34 which includes at least one exterior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly mounted externally of said building for sensing the presence of said one or more hazardous airborne contaminants externally of said building and providing external sensor signals in response to sensed hazardous airborne contaminants,

said control processor being connected to receive said external sensor signals and operative in response thereto to provide a first external closure signal to all external closure assemblies within all separate enclosed areas.

37. The automatic response building defense system of claim 36 wherein said control processor operates in response to external sensor signals to provide a pressurization signal to cause said pressurization unit to pressurize all separate enclosed areas.

38. The automatic response building defense system of claim 37 wherein said exterior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly provides sensor assembly output signals in response to sensed hazardous airborne contaminants at or in excess of a first threshold level, and said interior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly provides sensor assembly output signals in response to sensed hazardous airborne contaminants at or in excess of a second threshold level, said second threshold level being lower than said first threshold level.

39. The automatic response building defense system of claim 37 wherein said at least one exterior hazardous contaminant sensor assembly is a perimeter assembly located in spaced relationship outwardly from said building.