Fire extinguishers – Mount – cabinet or guard – Movable relative to fire
Patent
1983-12-29
1986-08-26
Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
Fire extinguishers
Mount, cabinet or guard
Movable relative to fire
239587, A62C 2700
Patent
active
046077022
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to fire monitors for projecting water long distances for extinguishing fires. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to fire monitors to be mounted on fire-fighting vessels for use in extinguishing fires on oil-rig platforms.
2. Background of Invention
Fire monitors currently in use comprise a water conduit, inlet means connected to the water conduit, and an outlet nozzle connected to the water conduit. Maximum jet throw in fire monitors of this construction is dependent on good inlet conditions to the outlet nozzle and so it is advantageous that flow into the nozzle is free of swirl and of low turbulence level. The water conduit may therefore be provided with flow straightening vanes. However, the inlet means normally comprise bends in two planes in the form of a "ram's horn" inlet. These bends cause swirl which should be dissipated by the straightening vanes, but in practice insufficient space is available for straightening out the flow after the bends and for reducing turbulence levels. The result is poor performance in terms of water jet throw distance. Difficulty is therefore encountered when attempting to scale up existing designs of fire monitors in order to obtain the long distance water jet throw that has now become necessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fire monitor capable of much longer water jet throw than hitherto possible.
According to the invention, there is provided a fire monitor for projecting water, comprising a water conduit having at least two coaxially arranged tubular parts; inlet means and a coaxially extending outlet nozzle connected to the radially innermost and radially outermost tubular parts of the water conduit; and flow deflectors at axially adjacent ends of each radially adjacent pair of coaxially arranged tubular parts providing semi-toroidal bends to effect reversal of flow so that water flows along radially adjacent tubular parts in opposite directions.
A fire monitor constructed in this manner is capable of providing a high performance water jet. If the monitor is to be used with a variable water supply, it is preferred that the outlet nozzle be adjustable so that its discharge cross-section area can be varied to match the number of supply pumps connected to the fire monitor.
In order to improve the performance of the fire monitor apparatus, guide vanes may be provided between at least two radially adjacent tubular parts and the guide vanes provided in at least the tubular part connected to the outlet nozzle may be adjustable flow controlling vanes. This alllows the characteristics of the jet to be controlled by causing atomization or disruption of the water jet. The jet can thus be controlled so as to make use of environmental conditions, such as wind, which may require the jet to atomise at a particular height above sea-level so that the wind carries water droplets on to the platform of an oil-rig or on to escaping oil or gas jets. The resultant control on the size of water droplets which are deposited on the fire can be used to protect personnel or apparatus in the zone in which the water is deposited. Where structures have become heated as a result of fire, it is important to minimise the impact pressure of the water directed on to these structures in order to prevent damage to equipment.
In one simply constructed form of the apparatus according to the invention, the tubular parts of the water conduit are arranged so that the radially innermost tubular part is connected to the outlet nozzle.
Fire monitors according to the invention may also be easily installed by providing the inlet means with swivel mounting means which allow angular movements of the water conduit about at least two perpendicular axes for adjustment of the axis of the fluid conduit.
To reduce the flow loss in water flowing through the water conduit, the flow deflectors may include a baffle plate extending between each pair of radially adjacent tub
REFERENCES:
patent: 422017 (1890-02-01), Harris et al.
patent: 477824 (1982-06-01), Robinson
patent: 1713259 (1929-05-01), Chandler
patent: 1994389 (1935-03-01), Frisco
patent: 2259500 (1941-10-01), Thompson
patent: 4195692 (1980-04-01), Dion-Biro
Edelbrock Daniel R.
Peters Jr. Joseph F.
The British Hydromechanics Research Association
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