Hypoxic fire prevention and fire suppression systems and breathable fire extinguishing compositions for human occupied environments

A breathable fire-extinguishing gas composition for continuous use in human-occupied environments as an artificial fire-preventive atmosphere, said gas composition comprising:

• a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen at an atmospheric pressure being ambient or positive for location of use;
• said mixture having oxygen content in a range above 12% but below 18%;
• said mixture having nitrogen content above 82% but not exceeding 87.6%;
• said mixture containing water vapors, carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases in quantities that are acceptable for the breathing process;
• said mixture having controllable temperature and humidity.

A fire extinguishing gas agent and fire suppression system for use in enclosed and partially enclosed human-occupied spaces for fire suppression, said system and gas agent comprising:

• a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and other optional atmospheric gases contained in a high-pressure gas container;
• said mixture having oxygen content in a range from 0.01% to 16%,
• said mixture having nitrogen content ranging from 84% to 99.99%;
• the amount of said gas agent detained in or released from said container being so calculated that when gas agent is released into said enclosed space, it provides a breathable fire-suppressive atmosphere inside said space having oxygen concentration in a range from 10% to 16%.

An automatic system for providing breathable fire-suppressive atmosphere for transportation and communication tunnels, industrial and non-industrial buildings and structures, said system comprising:

• an interior space restricted by a wall structure having an entry and exit, and multiple isolating partitions defining selected segments of the interior space;
• said isolating partitions being selectively closable in case of fire so that when closed, the segments are substantially isolated from the outside environment;
• an oxygen-extraction device having an intake and first and second outlets, said device taking in ambient air through said intake and emitting a reduced-oxygen gas mixture, having a lower concentration of oxygen than ambient air, through said first outlet and enriched-oxygen gas mixture, having a greater concentration of oxygen than ambient air, through said second outlet;
• a gas storage container having receiving conduit and distribution conduit and containing said reduced-oxygen gas mixture under higher than ambient barometric pressure, said receiving conduit being operatively associated with said first outlet and receiving said reduced-oxygen gas mixture after intermediate compression therefrom;
• said distribution conduit communicating with said interior space so that the reduced-oxygen gas mixture is emitted in case of fire into one or multiple segments inside said interior space;
• said second outlet communicating with the outside atmosphere and releasing said enriched oxygen mixture into the outside environment;
• said reduced oxygen gas mixture having oxygen concentration below 16%;
• said reduced oxygen gas mixture, being released inside selected segments of said interior space in case of fire and providing a breathable fire-suppressive composition with oxygen content preferably ranging from 12% to 16%;
• said composition emitting from said interior space in amounts necessary to equalize atmospheric pressure inside said interior space with the outside atmospheric pressure.

An automatic system for providing fire-preventive hypoxic atmosphere for transportation and communication tunnels, industrial and non-industrial buildings and structures, said system comprising:

• an enclosed space comprising an entry, exit and a wall structure defining said enclosed space, said entry and exit having doors being selectively closable so that when closed, the enclosed space is substantially isolated from the outside environment;
• a gas processing device having an intake and first and second outlets, said device taking in ambient air through said intake and emitting a reduced-oxygen gas mixture, having a lower concentration of oxygen than ambient air, through said first outlet and enriched-oxygen gas mixture, having a greater concentration of oxygen than ambient air, through said second outlet;
• said first outlet communicating with a gas distribution piping having multiple discharge nozzles inside the enclosed space so that reduced oxygen gas mixture is transmitted into said enclosed space;
• said reduced oxygen gas mixture having oxygen content below 17% and above 12%;
• said gas processing device comprising an air pump, receiving ambient air through the intake from the outside atmosphere, and an oxygen-extraction module receiving compressed air from the pump, said oxygen-extraction module having a reduced oxygen mixture conduit and an enriched oxygen mixture conduit;
• said first outlet being operatively associated with said reduced oxygen mixture conduit and receiving said reduced oxygen gas mixture therefrom, said second outlet being operatively associated with said enriched oxygen mixture conduit and receiving said enriched oxygen gas mixture therefrom and releasing said mixture into the outside environment;
• said reduced oxygen gas mixture emitting from said enclosed space in amounts necessary to equalize atmospheric pressure inside said space with the outside atmospheric pressure.

A method and equipment for automatically maintaining a breathable fire-preventive composition on board a human-occupied hermetic object, said system comprising:

• an initial introduction of said composition containing nitrogen into said hermetic object, said introduction provided by an oxygen-extraction apparatus directly or via an intermediate gas storage container, so when said composition completely replaces air inside said object and an internal atmosphere is created, the object being sealed and further air regeneration provided by an on-board life-support system;
• said life-support system maintaining constant barometric pressure on board and regenerating said internal atmosphere by providing desired levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity, but not affecting the nitrogen content in any way;
• said internal atmosphere containing a ballast, preventing oxygen content from rising above 16%;
• said ballast being inert nitrogen being constantly present in said internal atmosphere in a range between 84% and 88%;
• said atmosphere having oxygen concentration in a range from 12 to 16%.