US 2009/0014187 A1 · Method and device for preventing and/or extinguishing fires in enclosed spaces

Abstract

The invention relates to a preventing and extinguishing fires in enclosed spaces in which the internal air atmosphere is not permitted to exceed a predefined temperature value. In order not to have to increase the cooling capacity of an air conditioning system when inert gas is added to the internal air atmosphere to set or maintain a specific inertization level within an enclosed space, a system for the regulated discharging of inert gas into same is provided. The system includes a container for the provision and storage of the inert gas in liquified form, and a vaporizer connected to the container for vaporizing at least a portion of the inert gas and discharging same into the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space. The vaporizer thereby directly or indirectly extracts the heat energy needed to vaporize the liquid inert gas from the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method for preventing fires and extinguishing fires in an enclosed space in which an internal air atmosphere is not permitted to exceed a predefined temperature value, comprising:

providing a liquefied inert gas, in particular nitrogen, in a container;
supplying at least a portion of the provided inert gas to a vaporizer;
vaporizing said at least portion of the provided inert gas in same;
and
supplying a regulated amount of the inert gas vaporized in the vaporizer to the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space such that an oxygen content in the atmosphere of the enclosed space one of drops to a specific inertization level and is maintained at same or is maintained at a specific, preset inertization level,
wherein a heat energy needed to vaporize the liquid inert gas in the vaporizer is extracted from the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space.

3 more elements

A device for for preventing fires and extinguishing fires in an enclosed space in which an internal air atmosphere is not permitted to exceed a predefined temperature value, comprising:

an oxygen-measuring mechanism for measuring an oxygen content in the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space;
a system for a regulated discharging of inert gas into the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space,
wherein the system comprises:
a container preferably configured as a cooling tank for provision and storage of the inert gas in liquefied form, and
a vaporizer connected to said container for vaporizing at least a portion of the inert gas provided in the container and discharging the vaporized inert gas into the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space;
and
a controller designed to control the system providing the regulated discharging of the inert gas subject to the measured oxygen content such that the oxygen content in the atmosphere of the enclosed space either one of drops to a specific inertization level or is maintained at the same level or is maintained at a specific preset inertization level,
wherein the vaporizer is configured to extract heat energy needed to vaporize the fluid inert gas from the internal air atmosphere of the enclosed space.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and device for preventing and/or extinguishing fires in enclosed spaces

Life of this patent

Method and device for preventing and/or extinguishing fires in enclosed spaces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24