Fire extinguishers – Special applications – Condition responsive control
Patent
1998-06-15
2000-09-19
Morris, Lesley D.
Fire extinguishers
Special applications
Condition responsive control
169 5, 169 9, 169 16, A62C 3708
Patent
active
061197858
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a fire-extinguishing device and to a valve block for a fire-extinguishing device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Practical examples of fire-extinguishing devices are known which are designed as spark-extinguishing systems for pipes which carry dust-laden gases. With these fire-extinguishing devices, pipes, which can have branches, run from a respective extinguishant reservoir each to at least one fire-extinguishing site. At the fire-extinguishing sites are located extinguishant nozzles which are fed from the extinguishant pipe and produce a fine spray in order to extinguish sparks.
In order to be able to achieve a desired extinguishing of sparks, the supply of extinguishant, particularly the supply of extinguishing water, is controlled by magnetic valves. The magnetic valves are connected to a control device in which signals supplied by spark detectors are evaluated and control signals for the magnetic valves are produced on the basis of the results of the evaluation.
The safety which is aimed for with such a fire-extinguishing device against dust explosions which can occur through unquenched sparks depends decisively not only upon the need for sparks which occur to be reliably detected, but also on the fact that after the detection of sparks an extinguishing of the sparks should follow immediately. It has been shown however that with the known fire-extinguishing devices noticeable time elapses between the first sensing of sparks and the complete formation of a spray.
It is an object of the invention to make available a fire-extinguishing device which has a short reaction time up to the triggering of the fire-extinguishing process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, in the case of a fire-extinguishing device having an extinguishant pipe and an extinguishant outlet nozzle, there is provided in the region of the extinguishant outlet nozzle an extinguishant container from which extinguishant flows into the extinguishant pipe in the event of a pressure drop in the extinguishant pipe. A pressure drop which prevents a fully effective formation of a spray occurs particularly if at the beginning of the extinguishing process extinguishant exits from the extinguishant outlet nozzle without sufficient extinguishant following it through the extinguishant pipe. This phenomenon, caused by the inertia of the extinguishant in the extinguishant pipe, is compensated so that extinguishant is supplied from the extinguishant container in the region of the extinguishant outlet nozzle, so that the time between the first ejection of extinguishant from the extinguishant outlet nozzle and the complete formation of a spray is considerably shortened. By the supply of extinguishant provided in the extinguishant container decentralized from the extinguishant reservoir, the reaction time of the fire-extinguishing device is now independent of the length of the extinguishant pipe and of its cross-section.
Preferably, the extinguishant container is formed as an expansion tank. In this way it is possible to fill the extinguishant container afresh by way of the extinguishant pipe after the termination of an extinguishing process, so that one can avoid the need for separate filling pipes and for additional operating procedures arising from the refilling. The extinguishant container is filled simply with the extinguishant transported by way of the extinguishant pipe, as soon as the pressure in the extinguishant pipe 14 is sufficient, and then compensates for an extinguishant demand at the beginning of a new extinguishing process.
A particularly simply embodiment of extinguishant container is produced if the compensating container comprises a pressure reservoir. This pressure reservoir, which preferably comprises a pressurized gas-filled cell with a flexible membrane, enables one to achieve, with little technical difficulty, a particularly reliable availability of extinguishant which can be supplied without great expense in terms of apparatus. By means of the pressure reservoir the extinguishant is
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GreCon Funkenloschanlagen (No Date Available).
Total Sicherheit und Feuerschutz (No Date Available).
Henze Wilfried
Reise Wulf
Fagus-GreCon Greten BmbH & Co. KG
Marsh Robert L.
Morris Lesley D.
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