High speed automatic fire suppression system and method

• US 9,440,102 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire Products LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire Products LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Fernstrum, Marvin B., Ehlers, Joshua L., Counts, Brian L., Biehl, Richard J., Hackl, Richard J., Kreft, Anthony J., Thorell, Marvin D., Beyerl, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JONAITIS, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US14/028,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20140069665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 169/16, 169/56, 169/60, 169/61, 169/62, 340/577, 340/584
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/07 in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/04 with electrically-controlled release
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/36 an actuating signal being generated by a sensor separate from an outlet device
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/44 only the sensor being in the danger zone

Abstract

An automatic fire suppressing system is preferably provided onboard a vehicle and is supplied with one or more fire suppressing agents that are discharged in response to detecting a fire threat. Preferred embodiments include high-speed valves for discharging the fire suppressing agent(s), optical detectors for detecting and evaluating fire threat conditions, and modules for monitoring and controlling the automatic fire suppressing system.

Claims

1. A system for suppressing fire in a plurality of vehicle compartments, the system comprising:

an electronic control module;

a first sensor configured to detect fire in a first compartment;

a second sensor configured to detect fire in a second compartment;

a first data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with the first and second sensors in a first electrical loop completed by a first terminator module;

a first node configured to release a first fire suppressing agent in the first compartment;

a second node configured to release a second fire suppressing agent in the second compartment; and

a second data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with the first and second nodes in a second electrical loop completed by a second terminator module, the second data bus communicating with the first and second nodes independently of the first data bus communicating with the first and second sensors;

wherein polls on the first data bus from the electronic control module to the first and second sensors include smaller size messages that occur more frequently than polls on the second data bus from the electronic control module to the first and second nodes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, the first node and the second node includes a processor communicating status of the device to the electronic control module in response to polling by the electronic control module.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic control module prioritizes messages received from the first and second nodes.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the electronic control module includes a discharge manager coupled to the second data bus and configured to prioritize significance of messages sent to the first and second nodes.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second sensors detects a fire in less than 10 milliseconds and each of the first and second nodes releases fire suppressing agent in less than 100 milliseconds following inception of the fire.

2. A system for suppressing fire, the system comprising:

an electronic control module;

a first data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with at least one sensor configured to detect fire, the electronic control module and at least one sensor being coupled in a first electrical loop completed by a first terminator module; and

a second data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with at least one node configured to release a fire suppressing agent, the electronic control module and at least one node being coupled in a second electrical loop completed by a second terminator module;

wherein the electronic control module polls the at least one sensor on the first data bus at a first polling frequency and polls the at least one node on the second data bus at a second polling frequency that is slower than the first polling frequency.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein the electronic control module includes at least one cache and the electronic control module compares a poll of the at least one sensor with a preceding poll stored in the cache for the at least one sensor.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the electronic control module analyzes the poll only if it differs from the preceding poll stored in the cache for the at least one sensor.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein first polling frequency is at least approximately 10 times faster than the second polling frequency.

3. A system for suppressing fire, the system comprising:

an electronic control module;

a first data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with at least one sensor configured to detect fire, the at least one sensor consisting of at least one optical sensor, the electronic control module and at least one sensor being coupled in a first electrical loop completed by a first terminator module;

a second data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with at least one node configured to release a fire suppressing agent, the electronic control module and at least one node being coupled in a second electrical loop completed by a second terminator module; and

wherein the electronic control module polls the at least one optical sensor on the first data bus with first messages having a first size and polls the at least one node on the second data bus with second messages having a second size, and the second size of the second messages is greater than the first size of the first messages.

12. The system of claim 3 wherein the second size is at least approximately two times larger than the first size.

13. The system of claim 3 wherein the electronic control module communicates a third message having a third size to an individual sensor along the second data bus for at least one of:

re-polling the individual sensor to obtain further information about an error returned in response to the first message; and

confirming fire detection by the individual sensor;

wherein the third size is greater than the first size.

4. A system for suppressing fire, the system comprising:

an electronic control module;

a first data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with at least one sensor configured to detect fire, the electronic control module and at least one sensor being coupled in a first electrical loop completed by a first terminator module;

a second data bus operatively coupling the electronic control module with at least one node configured to release a fire suppressing agent, the electronic control module and at least one node being coupled in a second electrical loop completed by a second terminator module;

wherein the electronic control module is configured to communicate first polling messages to the at least one sensor and to communicate second polling messages to the at least one node, and neither the first data bus nor the second data bus communicate both the first and second polling messages.

14. The system of claim 4 wherein there are more nodes than sensors.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein there are eight or fewer sensors.

5. A system configured to suppress a fire with a suppressing agent, the system comprising:

a sensor on a first electrical loop completed by a first terminal modulator and configured to detect the fire; and

a suppressor on a second electrical loop completed by a second terminal modulator, the suppressor being in communication with the sensor and configured to extinguish a simulated fire with the suppressing agent in less than 300 milliseconds after inception of the simulated fire, the simulated fire including Jet Propellant 8 fuel being preheated to approximately 180-190°

Fahrenheit, pressurized to approximately 1200 pounds per square inch, introduced into an approximately 260 cubic foot compartment, ignited for approximately 250 milliseconds after being introduced into the compartment, and flowing into the compartment for approximately 1.25 seconds.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein Hydrogen Fluoride developed in the compartment is less than approximately 1000 parts per million.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein Hydrogen Fluoride developed in the compartment is less than approximately 746 parts per million.

18. The system of claim 5 wherein the suppressor is configured to extinguish the fire in less than approximately 200 milliseconds after the inception of the fire.

19. The system of claim 5 wherein the suppressor is configured to disperse the suppressing agent in the compartment in a concentration not greater than a Lowest Observed Adverse Effects Level in accordance with Sections 1.4 and 1.5 of NFPA 2001.