Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft structure – Details
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-28
2004-01-13
Swiatek, Robert P. (Department: 3643)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft structure
Details
C169S046000, C169S062000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06676081
ABSTRACT:
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application is based on and claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Patent Application 101 52 964.3, filed on Oct. 26, 2001, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system for extinguishing a fire that has broken out in an enclosed space, such as the passenger cabin or a freight compartment in a passenger aircraft, and then achieving ongoing fire suppression.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A great variety of different systems using different extinguishing agents are known for fighting fires, i.e. extinguishing and/or suppressing fires, in different situations or applications. For example, at the present date, fires in aircraft are typically combated by a space flooding system using Halon 1301 as the extinguishing agent. In the field of fire protection in buildings and in marine applications, systems using water sprinklers or spray nozzles, or carbon dioxide (CO
2
) extinguishing systems are typically used. In various industrial applications, and especially in spaces containing sensitive electronics or other technical equipment, for example computer systems and installations, fire extinguishing is now typically carried out by means of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) since the use of Halon has been banned.
A method and system for suppressing or extinguishing a fire in an enclosed space is described in the German Patent Laying-Open Document DE 100 51 662 A1 (published May 8, 2002), and in the corresponding counterpart U.S. Published Application U.S. Ser. No. 2002/0070035 A1 (published Jun. 13, 2002), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In the system and method according to that publication, nitrogen is introduced into the enclosed space in order to displace the oxygen required for sustaining the fire, whereby the fire is extinguished and/or suppressed. Particularly, the method and system according to the above publication aim to achieve a rapid extinguishing of the fire as well as an ongoing fire suppression in the enclosed space during a nearly unlimited time period after a fire has broken out. After detection of a fire in the enclosed space, the initial concentration of the nitrogen inert gas within the enclosed space is rapidly increased in a sudden shock-like manner, such that the oxygen content in the air within the enclosed space is rapidly reduced to a maximum oxygen concentration that is effective for extinguishing the fire. Preferably, the oxygen content within the enclosed space is reduced to and maintained at approximately 12 vol. %. Then, for maintaining this maximum oxygen concentration effective for fire extinguishing or suppression, nitrogen is continuously supplied in a prescribed quantity or prescribed rate into the enclosed space. To provide these two different phases or rates of supplying nitrogen, the system preferably includes nitrogen tanks or nitrogen generators to rapidly supply a limited quantity of nitrogen with a high flow rate, as well as a membrane system to supply an essentially unlimited quantity of nitrogen for a long duration at a lower supply rate.
Published European Patent Application EP 0,234,056 A1 discloses an extinguishing system for extinguishing a fire that has broken out in a passenger cabin or a cargo space of a passenger aircraft. The disclosed fire extinguishing system includes a supply container for storing and supplying pressure-liquified Halon, which may be supplied from the container through a duct system to extinguishing nozzles arranged in the passenger cabin or the cargo space. Thus, the Halon is supplied through the extinguishing nozzles into the cabin or the cargo space in order to establish an effective concentration thereof for extinguishing the fire in a relatively short time.
German Patent DE 41 22 446 C2 discloses a system for fire and explosion prevention, as well as breathing air supply for personnel, in armored vehicles such as military tanks. This system includes an air separating device that separates an airflow of the ambient air into a first oxygen enriched airflow that is provided to air breathing masks for the armored vehicle personnel, and a second nitrogen enriched airflow that is delivered into the interior space of the vehicle as well as interior spaces of containers therein, for fire and explosion prevention, whereby air inlets are connected to the respective spaces.
German Patent DE 198 24 300 C1 discloses a fire suppression system for rapidly evolving and progressing fires in a volume space that is to be monitored, which comprises one or more extinguishing agent containers, which contain a gaseous halogenated hydrocarbon as the extinguishing agent. The system further includes a monitoring and control arrangement that monitors the volume space and accordingly controls the fire suppression system, e.g. to actuate the system so as to distribute the extinguishing agent into the volume space through respective extinguishing agent distributor nozzle arrangements connected to the extinguishing agent storage containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,260 (Miller) discloses a fire suppression system including two Halon storage bottles, wherein the first bottle relatively rapidly discharges Halon and the second bottle relatively slowly discharges Halon, in order to rapidly achieve an initial higher Halon concentration and to thereafter maintain a somewhat lower Halon concentration in the enclosed space in which a fire is to be suppressed. The disclosed system also includes a molecular sieve as a filter and dryer in the duct between the second bottle and a flow regulator, to trap particles and to adsorb water from the extinguishant.
While the above described systems have all been found to be effective at extinguishing or suppressing fires in enclosed spaces, it has been found that improvements are still possible, particularly in view of the special considerations that apply for fire suppression and extinguishing in an aircraft. For example, Halon systems necessarily have a limited supply of the Halon extinguishing agent, so they are able to provide fire suppression for only a limited duration. Also, carrying along the stored Halon supply is a constant weight penalty, which is a critical consideration in the operation of a commercial aircraft. The Halon agent is also relatively expensive, and presents health risks at high concentrations. On the other hand, the Halon agent has been found to be fast-acting and highly effective at extinguishing and suppressing fires in enclosed spaces. In comparison, a fire suppression system using only nitrogen as the extinguishing agent is generally not as rapidly acting, and the nitrogen must be provided in a higher concentration (in comparison to Halon) in the enclosed space in order to be effective. Advantageously, however, the nitrogen gas as an extinguishing agent can be continuously provided in an essentially unlimited quantity, and does not need to be stored and carried constantly in the aircraft. There is no known fire combating system that avoids the various disadvantages, yet achieves the various advantages of the different known fire suppression and extinguishing agents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, it is an object of the invention to provide a system and method for extinguishing and suppressing fires in an enclosed space, which uses different extinguishing agents in combination or in succession. It is a further object of the invention to provide a fire extinguishing and suppression system and method that achieve a rapid fire extinguishing or flame knockdown, together with a long-term continuous fire suppression thereafter. The invention further aims to avoid or overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, achieve the advantages of the prior art, and achieve additional advantages, as apparent from the present specification. The attainment of these objects is, however, not a required limitation of the claimed invention.
The above objects have been achieved according to the invention in a system and method for extinguishing and suppressing a fire
Grabow Thomas
Kallergis Konstantin
Scheidt Alexander
Airbus Deutschland GmbH
Fasse W. F.
Fasse W. G.
Swiatek Robert P.
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