Fire prevention systems and methods

• US 9,457,209 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optimal Fire Prevention Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Optimal Fire Prevention Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Piegari, William A, Appelbaum, Mel
• Primary Examiner(s): HWU, DAVIS D
• Application Number:
  US13/841,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20130312984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 169/43, 169/45, 169/5, 169/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/00 Fire prevention or containment A62C3/00 takes precedence; flame traps A62C4/00
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/00 Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in oil wells E21B29/08, A62C35/00; in mines or tunnels E21F5/00 ; for nuclear reactors G21C9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 99/0018 using gases or vapours that do not support combustion, e.g. steam, carbon dioxide

Abstract

A system or method that has an air distribution system configured to provide nitrogen into a room to reduce an oxygen concentration level within the room below a desired oxygen concentration level such that the atmosphere in the room fails to provide sufficient oxygen to sustain combustion.

Claims

1. A system for fire prevention, comprising:

an air distribution system configured to provide nitrogen into a room to reduce an oxygen concentration level within the room below a desired oxygen concentration level such that the atmosphere in the room fails to provide sufficient oxygen to sustain combustion;

the air distribution system comprising a first Nitrogen generator configured to operate during a first period of time and a second Nitrogen generator system configured to operate at a second period of time that is different than the first period of time;

the air distribution system comprising a compressed air control panel configured to control an output of a first and second air compressor and the inputs to the first and the second nitrogen generators; and

the first nitrogen generator and the second nitrogen generator configured to operate in an alternating manner after a selected operating time period has expired in a lead-lag sequence to provide nitrogen after reaching the desired oxygen concentration level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the air distribution system ceases to provide nitrogen into the room when the oxygen concentration level is at or below the desired oxygen concentration level.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the air distribution system begins providing nitrogen into the room upon detecting that the oxygen concentration level within the room is higher than the desired oxygen concentration level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the desired oxygen concentration level is 14.1% to 14.6% of the atmosphere within the room.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor located within the room and configured to detect the oxygen level within the room.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least two sensors for detecting oxygen and the at least two sensors may be placed at two nonadjacent walls or the same side of the room.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a controller configured to control the air distribution system based on an average or the lowest or the highest of the detected oxygen levels by the at least two sensors after removing from the calculation of any defective sensors.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising sensors for monitoring the performance of the first nitrogen generator and sensors for monitoring the performance of the second nitrogen generator;

and

responsive to detecting a failure in the first air compressor, activating the second air compressor.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least two sensors for detecting oxygen and the at least two sensors may be placed at two nonadjacent walls or the same side of the room.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least two sensors for detecting oxygen and the at least two sensors placed to be at two nonadjacent walls of the room.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a controller configured to control the air distribution system based on an average or the lowest or the highest of the detected oxygen levels by the at least two sensors after removal from the calculation of any defective sensors.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the first period of time is at least 168 hours.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first Nitrogen generator is idle during the second time period.

19. The system of claim 1,

wherein the compressed air control panel receives the output from the first and second air compressor;

and

wherein the compressed air control panel outputs the compressed air from the first and second air compressor to the first and second nitrogen generator.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the first period of time and the second period of time are prescheduled to be about 168 hours.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the first period of time and the second period of time are prescheduled to be one of 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks or 4 weeks.

9. A system comprising:

a first air compressor configured to provide compressed air to a first nitrogen generator;

a second air compressor configured to provide compressed air to a second nitrogen generator; and

the first and second nitrogen generators configured to provide nitrogen to a room until a desired oxygen concentration level is reached in the room;

the first Nitrogen generator configured to operate during a first period of time and a second Nitrogen generator system configured to operate at a second period of time that is different than the first period of time;

the air distribution system comprising a compressed air control panel configured to control an output of a first and second air compressor and the inputs to the first and the second nitrogen generators;

the first nitrogen generator and the second nitrogen generator configured to operate in an alternating manner after a selected operating time period has expired in a lead-lag sequence to provide nitrogen after reaching the desired oxygen concentration level.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the desired oxygen concentration level is 14.1% to 14.6% as required by the type of material to be protected, of the atmosphere within the room.

14. A method, comprising:

measuring a percentage oxygen in a room using at least two sensors located within the room;

adjusting the percentage of oxygen within the room by infusing a high percentage of Nitrogen into the room, using a Nitrogen generator system, such that the Nitrogen displaces the oxygen within the room;

wherein the Nitrogen generator system comprising a first Nitrogen generator and a second Nitrogen generator;

infusing a high percentage of Nitrogen into the room using the first Nitrogen generator system during a first period of time; and

infusing a high percentage of Nitrogen into the room using the second Nitrogen generator system during a second period of time that is different than the first period of time;

controlling inputs to the first and the second nitrogen generators and outputs from the first and second compressors using a compressed air control panel;

operating the first Nitrogen generator and the second Nitrogen generator in an alternating manner after a selected operating time period has expired in a lead-lag sequence to provide nitrogen after reaching the desired oxygen concentration level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the desired percentage of oxygen is approximately between 95% and 96% by volume.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the high percentage of Nitrogen is approximately between 14.1% and 14.4% by volume.