Fire extinguishing apparatus

• US 6,637,518 B1
• Filed: 02/17/1998
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Invention Technologies Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Invention Technologies Pty Limited
• Inventors: Hillier, Kenneth, Byfield, Mitchell Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANS, ROBIN OCTAVIA
• Application Number:
  US08/403,745
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 169/46, 169/56, 169/60, 169/61, 169/7, 169/19, 169/5, 169/16, 169/54
• US Class Current: 169/46
• 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 99/0072 using sprayed or atomised water

Abstract

A fire extinguishing apparatus (10) producing a mist of water vapour with a median droplet diameter of between 50 and 500 micron for extinguishing fires in a confined risk area. The mist being generated through nozzles (18) operating at <2000 kPa (i.e. low pressure). The fire extinguishing apparatus using less than 1.0 litres of water per cubic meter of the risk area in which the fire is contained (i.e. a small volume of water).

Claims

1. A fire extinguishing apparatus for extinguishing a fire located in a risk area, the fire extinguishing apparatus comprising:

spray means for spraying non-flammable liquid therefrom into the risk area,

delivery means for passage of the non-flammable liquid for delivery thereof under pressure to said spray means,

detector means for detecting the presence of a fire in the risk area, and

fluid delivery control means to allow delivery of the non-flammable liquid via said delivery means to said spray means following actuation of said fluid delivery control means,

wherein, in use,

said spray means sprays the non-flammable liquid therefrom to form a mist having a median droplet size of substantially 500 microns or less,

said non-flammable liquid is sprayed from said spray means at a rate of substantially 1 liter or less per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area, and

said non-flammable liquid is sprayed from said spray means into said risk area to form said mist the non-flammable liquid,

such that said mist of non-flammable liquid droplets can be applied to the fire to extinguish the fire.

2. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the median droplet size is between 250 and 400 micron.

3. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spray means comprises a plurality of nozzles, the number of nozzles required for the risk area being determined as a function of the air volume of the risk area, the flow rate of the nozzles and a compensating factor, the function being:

4. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the nozzles each have a discharge rate of <

2 liters/minute.

5. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the nozzles each have a spray angle of >

70°

.

6. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the nozzles each have a hollow spray pattern.

7. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in use, the nozzles are spaced about 1 meter apart in the risk area.

8. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises a temperature detector set to become active at between 60-100°

C.

9. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises a rate of temperature rise detector set to detect rates of temperature rise of greater than about 9°

C./min.

10. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises a smoke detector.

11. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mist is breathable.

12. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein propelling means is provided for propelling the non-flammable liquid via said delivery means to said spray means and said propelling means comprises dry nitrogen stored under pressure in a storage reservoir.

13. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-flammable liquid is water.

14. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said non-flammable liquid is sprayed from said spray means at a rate in the range from 0.1 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area to 0.63 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area.

15. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said non-flammable liquid is sprayed from said spray means at a rate in the range from 0.25 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area to 0.44 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area.

16. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the median droplet size is between substantially 50 and 500 microns.

17. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in use, said spray means operates for substantially 90 seconds or less to extinguish the fire.

18. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in use, the non-flammable liquid is delivered from a storage reservoir means via said delivery means to said spray means.

19. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said storage reservoir means comprises a container.

20. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein propelling means is provided for propelling the non-flammable liquid via said delivery means to said spray means.

21. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, in use, said propelling means propels the non-flammable liquid at a pressure of substantially 2000 kPa or less.

22. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the propelling means comprises a pressurized gas.

23. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control means is provided and enables actuation of said fluid delivery control means from a location remote from said fluid delivery control means.

24. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said control means is provided in operative association with said detector means for controlling delivery of said non-flammable liquid to said spray means.

25. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein upon said detector means detecting the presence of a fire in the risk area, said detector means initiates said control means to actuate said fluid delivery control means.

26. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fluid delivery control means comprises at least one valve.

27. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-flammable liquid is an aqueous solution.

28. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-flammable liquid contains additives.

29. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each said nozzle comprises a swirl chamber to increase atomization of the non-flammable liquid that passes therethrough.

30. A fire extinguishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in use, said nozzles are arranged such that non-flammable liquid is sprayed to all areas of the risk area.

31. A method of extinguishing a fire in a risk area comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence of a fire in the risk area,

actuating fluid delivery control means for delivery of a non-flammable liquid,

delivering the non-flammable liquid under pressure to spray means, and

directing a spray of the non-flammable liquid from the spray means into the risk area, characterized by

spraying the non-flammable liquid into the risk area to form a mist having a median droplet size of substantially 500 microns or less,

spraying the non-flammable liquid at a rate of substantially 1 liter or less per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area, and

spraying the non-flammable liquid into the risk area to form said mist of the non-flammable liquid,

such that said mist of non-flammable liquid droplets is applied to the fire to extinguish the fire.

32. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid is sprayed from the spray means at a rate in the range from 0.25 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area to 0.44 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area.

33. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid is sprayed from the spray means at a rate in the range from 0.25 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area to 0.44 liter per minute per cubic meter of volume of the risk area.

34. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid is sprayed from the spray means into the risk area to form a mist having a median droplet size between substantially 50 and 500 microns.

35. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid is sprayed from the spray means into the risk area to form a mist having a median droplet size between substantially 250 and 400 microns.

36. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising operating the spray means for substantially 90 seconds or less to extinguish the fire.

37. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising delivering the non-flammable liquid from a storage reservoir means via delivery means to said spray means.

38. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising propelling the non-flammable liquid under pressure to the spray means.

39. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid is propelled at a pressure of substantially 2000 kPa or less.

40. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising actuating said fluid delivery control means from a location remote from said fluid delivery control means.

41. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising initiating control means to actuate said fluid delivery control means upon detecting the presence of a fire in the risk area by detector means.

42. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the spray means comprises a plurality of nozzles, and determining the number of nozzles required for the risk area as a function of the air volume of the risk area, the flow rate of the nozzles and a compensating factor, the function being:

43. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 42, wherein the non-flammable liquid is sprayed from the nozzles at a discharge rate of less than substantially 2 litres/minute.

44. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 42, wherein the non-flammable liquid is sprayed from each nozzle at a spray angle of greater than substantially 70°

.

45. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 42, wherein the non-flammable liquid is sprayed from each nozzle with a hollow spray pattern.

46. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 42, wherein the nozzles are spaced about 1 meter apart in the risk area.

47. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 42, further comprising arranging the nozzles such that the non-flammable liquid is sprayed to all areas of the risk area.

48. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising detecting the presence of a fire by detecting an increase in temperature above a predetermined temperature.

49. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 48, wherein said predetermined temperature is in the range of substantially 60°

to 100°

C.

50. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising detecting the presence of a fire by detecting rates of temperature rise of greater than about 9°

C./min.

51. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, further comprising detecting the presence of a fire by detecting smoke in the risk area.

52. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid is water.

53. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid is an aqueous solution.

54. A method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 31, wherein the non-flammable liquid contains additives.