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US 5,511,621 AGranted
Local flooding fine water spray fire suppression system using recirculation principles
AssigneeFactory Mutual Research Corporation
InventorCheng Yao
Life of this patent
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AssigneeFactory Mutual Research Corporation
InventorCheng Yao
Estimating the term…
In a fire extinguishment system, aspiration type fine water spray nozzles are distributed under the ceiling of a structure to be protected. The nozzles contain venturi housings to draw combustion gases from under the ceiling and to discharge combustion gases along with steam and mist downwardly from the nozzles. The discharge from the lower end of the venturi housing is delayed by twirlers sufficiently for the water droplets sprayed within the housing to be converted to steam. The steam and combustion products provide a localized flooding effect to extinguish the fire. The water is supplied to the nozzles in a dry pipe system wherein the discharge of water in the nozzles over a fire is delayed sufficiently for at least one to two rows of nozzles (4 to 12) around the fire to be actuated. In this manner, a vortex is achieved wherein the upward thrust of the fire plume is balanced by the downward jetting action of the steam mist and combustion products to achieve an effective curtain to prevent ambient air from reaching the fire.
A fire extinguishment system for the extinguishment of a fire within a structure having a ceiling comprising a multiplicity of nozzles distributed over an area within said structure adjacent to and under said ceiling, each of said nozzles including means to actuate such nozzle in response to the presence of a fire in the area of said structure under said nozzle, each of said nozzles including means operable when such nozzle is actuated to discharge extinguishing fluid downwardly from said nozzle and to draw combustion gases from adjacent to said ceiling below said ceiling and project said combustion gases downwardly with said extinguishing fluid, the improvement wherein said system includes means to delay the discharge of extinguishing fluid from actuated nozzles until at least one ring of nozzles around a fire causing actuation of said nozzles have been actuated.
A method of fire extinguishment for extinguishing a fire within a structure having a ceiling and employing a plurality of nozzles distributed within said structure adjacent to said ceiling below said ceiling, said nozzles being of the aspiration type wherein each of said nozzles comprises means to spray extinguishing fluid downwardly and means to draw combustion gases from below said ceiling projected downwardly with said extinguishing fluid, comprising actuating nozzles only near the area of the fire in said structure in response to the presence of a fire and delaying the discharge of extinguishing fluid through actuated nozzles until at least one ring of nozzles around said fire have been actuated whereby an effective vortex of recirculating combustion gases is generated surrounding said fire to bar incoming air from reaching said fire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.