# US 10,441,830 B2 · Wet fire protection systems and methods for storage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,830 B2 - Document ID: US10441830B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/319,190 - Filed: 2015-06-18 - Published: 2017-04-27 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-18 - Assignees: Tyco Fire Products LP; Tyco Fire & Security GmbH - Applicants: Tyco Fire Products LP; Tyco Fire & Security GmbH - Inventors: Zachary L. Magnone; Daniel G. Farley; John Desrosier; Donald D. Brighenti - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441830B2 ## CPC - A62C 3/002: {for warehouses, storage areas or other installations for storing goods} - 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) - A62C 31/02: Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing - A62C 35/58: Pipe-line systems - A62C 35/60: wet, i.e. containing extinguishing material even when not in use - A62C 37/36: an actuating signal being generated by a sensor separate from an outlet device - A62C 37/40: with electric connection between sensor and actuator - A62C 99/0072: {using sprayed or atomised water} - 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) ## Abstract Fire protection systems and methods of fire protection systems for protection of a stored commodity. The systems and methods included a plurality of fluid distribution devices disposed above the stored commodity and configured for selective identification and controlled actuation in response to a fire. The systems have a hydraulic demand defined by at least one of: i) a hydraulic design area having a minimum operational area of less than 768 square feet; or ii) less than twelve hydraulic design devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fire protection system for protection of a storage occupancy having a ceiling defining a nominal ceiling height, the system comprising: a plurality of fluid distribution devices disposed beneath the ceiling and above a high-piled storage commodity in the storage occupancy having a nominal storage height greater than twelve feet (12 ft.), each of the plurality of fluid distribution devices being arranged for selective identification and controlled actuation in response to a fire; wherein the system is configured to identify a select number of the fluid distribution devices above and about the fire and operate the identified fluid distribution devices to effectively address the fire, wherein the system is configured to supply a maximum amount of fluid to meet a maximum hydraulic demand caused by operation of the identified fluid distribution devices, and wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when at least one of: (i) the identified fluid distribution devices have an operational area of less than 768 square feet; (ii) the identified fluid distribution devices include standard coverage sprinklers, and the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than twelve; (iii) the identified fluid distribution devices include extended coverage sprinklers on 12 ft.×12 ft. spacing, and the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than eight; and (iv) the identified fluid distribution devices include extended coverage sprinklers on 14 ft.×14 ft. spacing, and the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than six. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the identified fluid distribution devices have an operational area ranging from about 400 square feet to about 600 square feet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the identified fluid distribution devices have an operational area of 256 square feet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than twelve and at least four. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices ranges from eight to six. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices is fewer than eight and the identified fluid distribution devices are on 12 ft.×12 ft. spacing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices ranges from six to four. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices is fewer than six and the identified fluid distribution devices are on 14 ft.×14 ft. spacing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fluid distribution devices includes a frame body and an electrically operated solenoid valve to control the flow of fluid to the frame body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the frame body has a nominal K-factor of any one of 11.2 GPM/PSI1/2; 14.0 GPM/PSI1/2; 16.8 GPM/PSI1/2; 19.6 GPM/PSI1/2; 22.4 GPM/PSI1/2; 25.2 GPM/PSI1/2; 28.0 GPM/PSI1/2; and 33.6 GPM/PSI1/2. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the nominal K-factor is 25.2 GPM/PSI1/2. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the fluid distribution devices includes a frame body and an electrically operated actuator arranged with the frame body to control the flow of fluid from the frame body. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the frame body includes an internal sealing assembly supported in place by a support structure, the actuator being arranged to remove the support structure in response to an electrical signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the nominal storage height ranges from a nominal twenty feet (20 ft.) to a maximum nominal storage height of fifty-five feet (55 ft.). ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the nominal ceiling height is 45 feet and the nominal storage height is 40 feet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the nominal ceiling height is 30 feet and the nominal storage height is 25 feet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the stored commodity is arranged as any one of rack, multi-row rack and double-row rack, on floor, rack without solid shelves, palletized, bin box, shelf, or single-row rack storage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the storage commodity is any one of Class I, II, III or IV, Group A, Group B, or Group C plastics, including any one of exposed or unexposed expanded plastics, elastomers, or rubber commodities. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid distribution device includes a deflector member having a deflector position at a deflector-to-ceiling distance greater than eighteen inches (18 in.). ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the deflector-to-ceiling distance is at least 20 inches. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid distribution devices are selectively identified for controlled actuation at an incipient stage of the fire. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a fluid distribution system including a network of pipes interconnecting the fluid distribution devices to a supply of firefighting fluid; a plurality of detectors to monitor the occupancy for the fire; and a controller coupled to the plurality of detectors to detect and locate the fire, the controller being coupled to each of the fluid distribution devices to identify and control operation of the select number of fluid distribution devices above and about the fire. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the controller includes an input component coupled to each of the plurality of detectors for receipt of an input signal from each of the detectors, a processing component for determining a threshold moment in growth of the fire; and an output component to generate an output signal for operation of each of the identified fluid distribution devices in response to the threshold moment. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of detectors includes two detectors for each fluid distribution device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein the two detectors are disposed above and about the fluid distribution device. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein each detector is axially aligned with one fluid distribution device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of fluid distribution devices includes a frame body and an electrically operated actuator coupled to the frame body and configured to selectively permit fluid discharge from the frame body, and wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of each actuator individually such that each fluid distribution device can be operated individually.