Compact Fire-Extinguishing System with High-Pressure Foam Proportioning System
AssigneeFire Research Corp.
InventorsRobert L. Hosfield, Michael Dupay, Kurt Merhkens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact, stand-alone fire-extinguishing system for use with a water source is disclosed. The fire-extinguishing system can include an engine, a pump, a foam tank, a flow meter, and a foamant adjustment valve. The flow meter can be a variable area flow meter and indicate an instantaneous concentration of a water-foamant solution. The foamant adjustment valve can be a needle valve. A head injector can be coupled to the pump. The head injector provides foamant to be mixed with water inside the pump to create a water-foamant solution. The fire-extinguishing system may also include an inlet mixing valve assembly and an unloader valve to recirculate the water-foamant solution.
Claims26
A compact, stand-alone fire-extinguishing system for use with a water source, the fire extinguishing system comprising:
- an engine;
- a pump driven by the engine, the pump receiving water from the water source, the pump including an outlet;
- a foam tank that stores foamant;
- a flow meter measuring a flow rate of foamant from the foam tank and indicating an instantaneous concentration of a water-foamant solution to be discharged through the outlet;
- a foamant adjustment valve being adjustable to alter the flow rate of foamant;
- and
- a head injector in fluid communication with the pump, the head injector receiving foamant from the foam tank through the foamant adjustment valve, the head injector providing foamant to be mixed with water inside the pump to create the water-foamant solution that is discharged through the outlet.
A compact, stand-alone fire-extinguishing system for use with a water source, the fire-extinguishing system comprising:
- an engine;
- a pump driven by the engine, the pump in fluid communication with a source of water and a source of foamant, the pump including a first inlet, an outlet, and an inlet mixing valve assembly, the inlet mixing valve assembly including:
- a valve seat,
- a disc,
- and a spring coupled to the disc;
- a foam tank that stores the source of foamant;
- a flow meter measuring a flow rate of foamant from the foam tank and indicating an instantaneous concentration of a water-foamant solution to be discharged through the outlet;
- and
- a foamant adjustment valve being adjustable to alter the flow rate of foamant;
- the pump receiving foamant at the first inlet and mixing the foamant with water to create the water-foamant solution that is discharged through the outlet, the inlet mix valve assembly moving between a closed position with the disc engaging the valve seat and an open position with the disc removed from the valve seat, the inlet mix valve assembly moving between the closed position and the open position based on an amount of fluid pressure in the pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.