Helium gas total flood fire suppression system

• US 6,935,433 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gupta, Alankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORMAN, DARREN W
• Application Number:
  US10/209,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 169/46, 169/11, 169/16, 169/26, 169/62, 169/5, 169/9, 169/54, 169/56, 169/60, 169/61, 169/65, 169/66, 169/68, 239/67, 239/68, 239/303, 239/304, 137/68.13, 137/81.2
• US Class Current: 169/46
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/002 for warehouses, storage areas or other installations for storing goods
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/08 in aircraft A62C3/0207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 99/0018 using gases or vapours that do not support combustion, e.g. steam, carbon dioxide

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods adaptable to all gaseous agents including Helium to suppress fire in at least one enclosed space. Suppressants are delivered by a dedicated subsystem connected to cargo compartments or to engine nacelles, or by an integrated system connected to cargo compartments and engine nacelles. For example, at least a first reservoir stores fire suppressant composition for knocking down a fire in an enclosed space. Piping delivers the composition from the at least first reservoir to the enclosed space. A pressure sensor senses pressure of the composition in the piping, and a controllable purging device permits air to exit the enclosed space responsive to sensed pressure in the piping of the composition.

Claims

1. A fire suppression system comprising:

at least a first reservoir for storing a fire suppressant composition for knocking down fire in an enclosed space;

piping arranged to deliver the fire suppressant composition from the at least first reservoir to the enclosed space;

a pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure of the fire suppressant compositions in the piping; and

a controllable purging device that permits air to exit the enclosed space responsive to sensed pressure in the piping of the fire suppressant composition.

2. The fire suppression system of claim 1, wherein the controllable purging device opens a normally shut exit defined in the enclosed space when sensed pressure in the piping of the fire suppressant composition is greater than a first predetermined threshold pressure.

3. The fire suppression system of claim 2, wherein the controllable purging device includes one of a flapper valve, a butterfly valve, and guide vanes.

4. The fire suppression system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second reservoir for storing the fire suppressant composition for suppressing the fire in the enclosed space, the piping being arranged to further deliver the fire suppressant composition from the second reservoir to the enclosed space; and

a pressure regulating valve that maintains pressure in the piping from flow of the fire suppressant composition from the second reservoir below a second predetermined threshold pressure that is lower than the first predetermined threshold pressure.

5. The fire suppression system of claim 4, further comprising a first normally shut actuator that actuates to permit the fire suppressant compositions to flow from the first reservoir.

6. The fire suppression system of claim 5, further comprising:

a timer that begins timing when the first actuator is actuated; and

a second actuator that actuates after the timer reaches a predetermined time to permit the fire suppressant compositions to flow from the second reservoir.

7. The fire suppression system of claim 4, further comprising:

a first orifice that is arranged to limit flow of the fire suppressant compositions from the first reservoir to a first flow rate; and

a second orifice that is arranged to limit flow of the fire suppressant compositions from the second reservoir to a second flow rate that is less that the first flow rate.

8. The fire suppression system of claim 4, wherein the fire suppressant composition includes inert gases.

9. The fire suppression system of claim 8, wherein the inert gases include Helium.

10. The fire suppression system of claim 9, wherein the fire suppressant composition includes halogenated derivatives of methane.

11. The fire suppression system of claim 4, wherein the enclosed space includes a cargo compartment in an airplane.

12. A fire suppression system comprising:

first and second reservoirs for storing a fire suppressant composition;

enclosed space piping arranged to deliver a first flow of the fire suppressant composition from the first reservoir to an enclosed space at a first flaw rate, the enclosed space piping being further arranged to deliver a second flow of the fire suppressant composition from the second reservoir to the enclosed space at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate;

unenclosed space piping arranged to deliver the fire suppressant composition from the first and second reservoirs to an unenclosed second space;

a pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure in the enclosed space piping of the fire suppressant composition;

a controllable purging device that permits air to exit the enclosed space responsive to sensed pressure in the enclosed space piping of the fire suppressant composition; and

first and second unenclosed space squibs that actuate to permit the fire suppressant composition to flow from the first and second reservoirs, respectively, to the unenclosed space responsive to first and second signals, respectively, that are selected by a user.

13. The fire suppression system of claim 12, wherein the controllable purging device opens a normally shut exit defined in the enclosed space when sensed pressure in the enclosed space piping of the fire suppressant composition is greater than a first predetermined threshold pressure.

14. The fire suppression system of claim 13, wherein the controllable purging device includes one of a flapper valve, a butterfly valve, and guide vanes.

15. The fire suppression system of claim 12, further comprising a pressure regulating valve that maintains pressure in the enclosed space piping from the second flow of the fire suppressant composition from the second reservoir below a second predetermined threshold pressure.

16. The fire suppression system of claim 12, further comprising a first enclosed space squib that actuates to permit the first flow of the fire suppressant composition to flow from the first reservoir to the enclosed space.

17. The fire suppression system of claim 16, further comprising:

a timer that begins timing when the first enclosed space squib is activated; and

a second enclosed space squib that actuates after the timer reaches a predetermined time to permit the second flow of the fire suppressant composition to flow from the second reservoir to the enclosed space.

18. The fire suppression system of claim 12, wherein the fire suppressant composition includes inert gases.

19. The fire suppression system of claim 18, wherein the inert gases include Helium.

20. The fire suppression system of claim 12, wherein the fire suppressant composition includes halogenated derivatives of methane.

21. The fire suppression system of claim 12, wherein the enclosed space includes a cargo compartment in an airplane.

22. The fire suppression system of claim 12, wherein the unenclosed space includes a nacelle of an aircraft engine.

23. The fire suppression system of claim 12, further comprising:

a first orifice that is arranged to limit the first flow of the fire suppressant composition to the first flow rate; and

a second orifice that is arranged to limit the second flow of the fire suppressant composition to the second flow rate.

24. A method for suppressing fire in an enclosed space, the method comprising:

delivering a first flow of a fire suppressant composition from a first reservoir through piping arranged to deliver the fire suppressant composition to an enclosed space to knock down fire in the enclosed space;

sensing pressure of the first flow of the fire suppressant composition in the piping; and

controllably permitting air to exit the enclosed space when sensed pressure in the piping of the first flow of the fire suppressant composition is greater than a first predetermined threshold pressure.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

timing when delivery of the first flow of the fire suppressant composition is actuated; and

after a predetermined time period, delivering a second flow of the fire suppressant composition from a second reservoir through the piping to the enclosed space to maintain suppressed the fire in the enclosed space.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sensing pressure of the second flow of the fire suppressant composition; and

regulating pressure of the second flow of the fire suppressant composition below a second predetermined threshold pressure.

27. An airplane comprising:

a fuselage with a cargo compartment; and

a fire suppression system including;

at least a first reservoir for storing a fire suppressant composition for knocking down fire in the cargo compartment;

piping arranged to deliver the fire suppressant composition from the at least first reservoir to the cargo compartment;

a pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure of the fire suppressant composition in the piping; and

a controllable purging device that permits air to exit the cargo compartment responsive to sensed pressure in the piping of the fire suppressant composition.

28. An airplane comprising:

a fuselage with a cargo compartment;

an engine with a nacelle; and

a fire suppression system including;

first and second reservoirs for storing a fire suppressant composition;

cargo compartment piping arranged to deliver a first flow of the fire suppressant composition from the first reservoir to the cargo compartment at a first flow rate, the cargo compartment piping being further arranged to deliver a second flow of the fire suppressnt composition from the second reservoir to the cargo compartment at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate;

nacelle piping arranged to deliver the fire suppressant composition from the first and second reservoirs to the nacelle;

a pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure in the cargo compartment piping of the fire suppressant composition;

a controllable purging device that permits air to exit the cargo compartment responsive to sensed pressure in the cargo compartment piping of the fire suppressant composition; and

first and second nacelle squibs that actuate to permit the fire suppressant composition to flow from the first and second reservoirs, respectively, to the nacelle responsive to first and second signals, respectively, that are selected by a user.