Inertization method for reducing the risk of fire

• US 7,854,270 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amrona AG
• Original Assignee: Amrona AG
• Inventors: Wagner, Ernst-Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): CERNOCH, STEVEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/584,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20080011492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 169/45, 169/47, 169/49, 169/67, 169/69, 169/11, 169/16, 169/43, 169/46, 169/54
• US Class Current: 169/45
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 99/0009 Methods of extinguishing or preventing the spread of fire by cooling down or suffocating the flames

Abstract

In the event of a failure of a fire prevention or extinguishing system, an inertization method reduces the fire risk in an enclosed protected area, where the oxygen content in the area can be maintained on a control concentration that lies below an operating concentration for a certain time period, so that the emergency operation phase is sufficiently long to prevent the ignition and/or re-ignition of combustible materials therein. The control concentration is maintained for an emergency operation period by a redundant secondary source. Alternatively, the control concentration and the operating concentration, while forming a safety margin, can be lowered so far below the design concentration that in the event of a primary source failure, the growth curve of the oxygen content reaches a limit concentration determined for the area in a predefined period, which is sufficiently long to continue to prevent the ignition and/or re-ignition of the combustible materials.

Claims

1. An inertization method for reducing the risk of fire in an enclosed protected area, in which the oxygen content in the protected area is maintained for a defined period at a control concentration (RK) below an operating concentration (BK) by feeding an oxygen-displacing gas from a primary source;

wherein the control concentration (RK) and the operating concentration (BK) are lowered so far below the design concentration (AK) defined for the protected area that the growth curve of the oxygen content reaches a limit concentration (GK) defined for the protected area only in a predefined time when the primary source fails, the margin between the design concentration (AK) and the operating concentration (BK) corresponding to a failure safety margin (ASA), and

wherein the control concentration (RK) corresponds to the limit concentration (GK) less the failure safety margin (ASA) and a safety margin (S), such that the oxygen content in the protected area is reduced to the control concentration (RK) which is so much lower than the limit concentration (GK) that the growth curve of the oxygen content reaches the limit concentration (GK) only after a certain period of time in the event that the primary source fails.

2. An inertization method according to claim 1, wherein the failure safety margin (ASA) is determined by taking an air change rate applicable for the protected area, in particular the n₅₀ value for the protected area, and/or the pressure differential between the protected area and the surrounding area into consideration.

3. An inertization method according to claim 1, wherein a detector is provided for detecting a fire parameter, and wherein the oxygen content in the protected area is lowered quickly to the control concentration upon detecting an incipient fire or a fire when the oxygen content was previously at a higher level.

4. An inertization method according to claim 1, wherein a control range of about ±

0.2% by volume oxygen content is provided around the control concentration (RK).

5. An inertization method according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen content in the protected area is controlled with respect to the air change rate, in particular the n₅₀ value of the protected area, and/or the pressure differential between the protected area and the surrounding area.

6. An inertization method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the extinguishing agent for maintaining the control concentration (RK) in the protected area is calculated with respect to the air change rate of the target area, in particular the n₅₀ value of the protected area, and/or the pressure differential between the target area and the surrounding area.

7. A device for implementing the method according to one of claims 1, 2 and 3 to 6, wherein the primary source is at least a machine that is designed for producing oxygen-displacing gas, an array of compressed inert gas bottles, a buffer volume or a deoxydation machine.