# US 10,118,058 B2 · Fire suppression systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,058 B2 - Document ID: US10118058B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/411,079 - Filed: 2017-01-20 - Published: 2017-05-11 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2005-01-12 - Assignees: Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. - Applicants: Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. - Inventors: Peter D. Haaland; Ken Harness - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118058B2 ## CPC - A62C 3/06: of highly inflammable material, e.g. light metals, petroleum products - A62C 3/065: {for containers filled with inflammable liquids} - A62C 3/08: in aircraft {(A62C3/0207 takes precedence)} - A62C 99/0009: {Methods of extinguishing or preventing the spread of fire by cooling down or suffocating the flames} - A62C 99/0018: {using gases or vapours that do not support combustion, e.g. steam, carbon dioxide} - A62C 99/009: {Methods or equipment not provided for in groups A62C99/0009 - A62C99/0081} - B64D 25/00: Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for - F02C 7/25: Fire protection or prevention (in general A62) - F05D 2260/80: Diagnostics - A62C: FIRE-FIGHTING (fire-extinguishing compositions, use of chemical substances in extinguishing fires A62D1/00; spraying, applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces in general B05; alarm arrangements G08B, e.g. fire alarms actuated by smoke or gases G08B17/10) - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A method of fire suppression may include injecting a reactive agent into a reaction zone to produce a catalytically active species for fire suppression and conveying the catalytically active species to a fire to catalytically interfere with flame chemistry of the fire. Fire in a fuel tank may be suppressed by injecting the reactive agent into a convective flow of a mixture of fuel and oxidizer in a fuel tank, the reactive agent reacting in the fuel tank to release a species which catalytically interferes with flame chemistry to suppress fire in the fuel tank. Fire at an airplane crash may be suppressed by releasing the reactive agent from the container at the crash site to produce an active species to catalytically interfere with a fire at the crash site. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fire suppression system, comprising: a structure having a source of fuel, an air intake and an outlet so that air flows in an air flow path through the structure between the air intake and the outlet, wherein the structure defines a volume, one or more flame holding regions capable of sustaining a spatially stable flame in the presence of an oxidizer and fuel, and one or more predetermined natural flows of at least one of an oxidizer and a fuel within the volume that respectively pass through one or more predetermined said flame holding regions; a fire suppressing agent; and an injection point disposed at the structure with respect to at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows so that releasing the fire suppressing agent at the injection point into the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows causes the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows to transport the fire suppressing agent to at least one of the one or more predetermined flame holding regions and so that a minimum amount of the fire suppressing agent sufficient to suppress a fire at the at least one of the one or more predetermined flame holding regions when injected into the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows is less than a minimum amount of the fire suppressing agent sufficient to suppress the fire by flooding the volume. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fire suppressing agent is transportable by the air flow path to at least one area of recirculation in the structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows passes through two said predetermined flame hold regions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the structure defines multiple said predetermined flame holding regions and at least one respective said predetermined natural flow for each said predetermined flame holding region of the multiple said predetermined flame holding regions, and further comprising a respective said injection point for each said at least one respective said predetermined natural flow. ### Claim 5 A fire suppression system, comprising: a structure having a source of fuel, an air intake and an outlet so that air flows in an air flow path through the structure between the air intake and the outlet, wherein the structure defines a volume, one or more flame holding regions capable of sustaining a spatially stable flame in the presence of an oxidizer and fuel, and one or more predetermined natural flows of at least one of an oxidizer and a fuel within the volume that respectively pass through one or more predetermined said flame holding regions; a fire suppressing agent; an injection point disposed at the structure with respect to at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows so that releasing the fire suppressing agent at the injection point into the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows causes the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows to transport the fire suppressing agent to at least one of the one or more predetermined flame holding regions and so that a minimum amount of the fire suppressing agent sufficient to suppress a fire at the at least one of the one or more predetermined flame holding regions when injected into the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows is less than a minimum amount of the fire suppressing agent sufficient to suppress the fire by flooding the volume; and at least one fire detector positioned in an area that includes a said predetermined flame holding region along a respective said one or more predetermined natural flow. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, further comprising a control system for automatically injecting the fire suppressing agent at the injection point in response to actuation of the fire detector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises an internal combustion engine that defines the volume. ### Claim 8 A fire suppression system, comprising: a jet engine having a source of fuel, an engine air intake and an outlet through which a combusted air fuel mixture is exhausted at a high speed along a first flow path to apply thrust; a streamlined enclosure forming a volume around the jet engine, the volume having an air intake and an outlet so that air flows in an air flow path at a speed through the volume between the streamlined enclosure air intake and the streamlined enclosure outlet that is lower than the high speed, wherein the streamlined enclosure defines one or more flame holding regions capable of sustaining a spatially stable flame in the presence of an oxidizer and fuel, and one or more predetermined natural flows of at least one of an oxidizer and a fuel within the volume that respectively pass through one or more predetermined said flame holding regions; a fire suppressing agent; and an injection point disposed at the streamlined enclosure with respect to at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows so that releasing the fire suppressing agent at the injection point into the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows causes the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows to transport the fire suppressing agent to at least one of the one or more predetermined flame holding regions and so that a minimum amount of the fire suppressing agent sufficient to suppress a fire at the at least one of the one or more predetermined flame holding regions when injected into the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows is less than a minimum amount of the fire suppressing agent sufficient to suppress the fire by flooding the volume. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fire suppressing system as in claim 8, wherein the volume formed by the streamlined enclosure comprises a nacelle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the fire suppressing agent is transportable by the air flow path to at least one area of recirculation in the volume. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one of the one or more predetermined natural flows passes through two said predetermined flame hold regions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the streamlined enclosure defines multiple said predetermined flame holding regions and at least one respective said predetermined natural flow for each said predetermined flame holding region of the multiple said predetermined flame holding regions, and further comprising a respective said injection point for each said at least one respective said predetermined natural flow.