Patent Application
20060289175
The present invention generally relates to fire detection and suppression, and more particularly to a portable, wireless, intelligent fire alarm and suppression system for detecting and suppressing a fire in one or more locations.
Fires that cause injury, loss of life, and property occur daily. Fire detection/prevention systems to minimize or prevent such tragedies are well known. Though these systems may be voluntary, many times such a system is required by one or more governmental agency to meet a standard, such as that of the National Fire Protection Association's codes, standards, and regulations.
Known fire detection/prevention systems typically comprise a sensor that senses a toxic gas (e.g., smoke), flames, and temperature (e.g., excessive heat). Some known systems may also include a camera. This sensed information activates an alarm at the site of the sensor or in a general area, and may be transmitted to a central location that monitors the sensors. Some systems may also alert a fire and/or police department.
When a fire is sensed and an alarm given, people in the vicinity may evacuate. Some systems include a fire suppression means, e.g., a sprinkler system that sprays water in the general area of the fire, or a device that releases a gas that displaces oxygen from the fire.
While some fire alarm devices are portable, conventional alarm/suppression systems are integrated into a structure. For example, the well known overhead water sprinkler system includes an infrastructure of pipes for carrying the water throughout the structure.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a portable, wireless, intelligent fire alarm and suppression system for detecting and suppressing a fire in a plurality of locations. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.
A portable, wireless, intelligent fire alarm and suppression system is provided for detecting and suppressing a fire in a plurality of locations. The system comprises a portable unit including a sensor for measuring data relating to a characteristic of a fire. A control logic determines the type of fire in response to the data and also determines an action for responding to the type of fire. A transmitter wirelessly transmits at least one of the data and the action. A fire suppression element includes one or more types of fire suppression materials, wherein at least one is actuated in response to the action. In a first embodiment, a central control includes a second transmitter/receiver for receiving the at least one of the data and the action from the portable unit. A second control logic coupled to the second transmitter/receiver determines a strategy to suppress the fire in response to the at least one of the data and the action, and may transmit instructions to another portable unit for activating a suppressant based on the strategy. In a second embodiment, the portable unit communicates directly with the other portable units, determining a strategy to suppress the fire.
The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description of the invention.
The portable fire detection and suppression system described herein has wireless connectivity with a central authority for providing an alert to the central authority and receiving instructions therefrom, and for coordinating a fire suppression strategy with other sensor and suppression units. Alternatively, each unit may communicate directly with other units and determine a strategy for fighting the fire, without the need for a central authority.
The portable unit, in one embodiment, distinguishes between different types of fires and selects the best suppression agent for the type of fire detected. Each sensor and suppression unit is portable without any physical connections therebetween, e.g., no piping structure as used in known overhead sprinkler systems. As used herein, the terms “suppress”, “suppression”, and various other tenses thereof mean to extinguish, “put out”, impede progress, delay the advance, reduce intensity, etc. of the fire. Each sensor and suppression unit is portable and may be moved to different locations, whether for home, commercial, industrial, or military applications, and could be integrated with an existing suppression system, e.g., a water sprinkler system. As used herein, “portable” means a unit capable of being carried by one person from one location to another and that functions in either location.
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The sensor 18 comprises one or more sensing devices and may include any type of sensor device known in the industry that senses, for example, smoke, heat, flames, and odors. Typical smoke sensors include photoelectric sensors that are very sensitive and can detect smoldering fires such as cigarettes burning in beds or couches, and ionization sensors that can detect smoke from a paper or grease fire, for example. Typical heat sensors include thermal and IR sensors. Typical flame sensors include a UV sensor. Additionally, the sensor 18 may include a device with the ability to sense motion (e.g., people movement), the temperature (heat), and the percent of oxygen in the air for making an intelligent choice as to how to suppress the fire. This aspect will be subsequently discussed in more detail.
The transmitter/receiver 22 may comprise a known device for wirelessly sending data to the central control 24 (
The control logic 20 includes a microprocessor for receiving data from the sensor 18, sending instructions to the fire suppression element 14 to activate or deactivate release of one or more suppression materials, and sending and receiving information to and from the transmitter 22. The control logic 20 provides intelligence, in response to date sensed by the sensor 18, by determining the type of fire and transmitting the location and state of the fire to central control 24 (
The fire suppression element 14, upon instructions from the control logic 20, disperses a fire suppression material in the area in which it is positioned. There are many types of fire suppression material in use today that may be used in the element 14, including foam, dry chemicals, and gas. The preferred fire suppression material comprises non-sodium azide, which is an excellent suppression agent for electrical boxes, appliances, electrical equipment, and storage cabinets. The fire suppression element 14 may comprise a solid propellant gas generator wherein solid propellant tablets, upon ignition, discharge the gas generated directly into the ambient air. A typical solid propellant gas generator also includes an ignitor to initiate the combustion, a filter system to minimize the release of particulates from the combustion, a heat transfer mechanism to cool the gas before being discharged, and an exhaust mechanism to disperse the gas efficiently. A further description of a convention solid propellant gas generator may be found in “Gas Generator Induced Flow and its Effect on Fire Flame Extinction”, NIST-GCR-98-745, U.S. Department of Commerce, Feb. 1998. An additional advantage of the fire suppression element 14 in the portable unit 10 is that after the suppressant is discharged, the fire suppression element 14 may be recharged (suppressant replaced) at the location at which it was discharged, or taken to a recharging location and then returned.
The power element 16 preferably would comprise a battery, but may simply be a connector for accessing power available in the area in which the portable unit 10 is placed. Other power sources might include photovoltatic or thermocouple.
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While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
