The invention concerns a dry alarm valve station of a fire extinguishing installation. According to the invention it is proposed that the dry alarm valve station includes an alarm valve, an alarm line connected to the alarm valve, an alarm alert device, preferably with an alarm pressure switch, which is connected to the alarm line and is configured to trigger an alarm signal when there is a predetermined fluid pressure in the alarm line, and a pressure-operated valve which is interposed between the alarm alert device and the alarm valve, is controlled by a control chamber, and is configured to block the alarm line as long as there is the predetermined control pressure in the control chamber and to open it when the pressure falls below the predetermined control pressure in the control chamber.

A monitoring and testing system which is designed to automatically seal off the system from its gas supply and monitor internal pressure during that time to perform regulatory testing. The scheduling can be automated and can be done without maintenance personnel having to monitor the time passage and pressure manually. The system may also be designed to monitor operation of the air compressor, or related gas supply device, and evaluate if the operation of the gas supply is operating in a fashion indicative of a larger than desired leak. This effectively allows the system to monitor pressure changes during regular operation and on a somewhat continuous basis.

An example system for suppressing a fire condition in an aircraft includes a supply of fire suppressant agent on-board the aircraft, a conduit coupled to the supply of fire suppressant agent and configured to carry fire suppression agent, an inlet located downstream of the conduit that is coupled to the conduit and is configured to be attached to a cargo container in the aircraft to deliver the fire suppression agent directly into the cargo container, a valve connected to the conduit between the supply of fire suppressant agent and the inlet, a detector located inside the cargo container, and a computer controller in communication with the valve and in communication with the detector, and controlling operation of the valve for delivery of the fire suppression agent into the cargo container based on an output received from the detector.

A pilot actuator for controlling the operation of a control valve. The control valve can be part of a dry-type fire suppression sprinkler system in which the sprinkler piping network is filled with pressurized gas such as, for example, air, nitrogen, or another gas. The pilot actuator is a differential valve that actuates the control valve when the gas pressure in the sprinkler piping network is at or below a value for tripping or actuating the pilot valve to the open position. The pilot actuator has a ratio of a change in a trip pressure set point to a change in an inlet pressure that is in a range of 0.007 to 0.045.

A cartridge replacement aid and a fire suppression system for incorporating the same are provided. The cartridge replacement aid helps to ensure that a disposable cartridge is removed and replaced after actuation. The cartridge replacement aid includes an aperture configured to allow a cartridge to pass through the cartridge replacement aid and connect to a valve, and a protrusion configured to perpendicularly extend from the cartridge replacement aid. The protrusion of the cartridge replacement aid, in certain instances, is configured to break when the fire suppression system is actuated. The protrusion of the cartridge replacement aid, in certain instances, is configured to prevent the cam of the fire suppression system from being reset without removing the cartridge replacement aid.

A corrosion prevention process to protect the piping of a dry pipe sprinkler system from corrosion is described. The process includes the selection and application of suitable corrosion inhibitors to interior portions of the piping. The corrosion inhibitors used in this process may include volatile corrosion inhibitors.

In a nitrogen generator, multiple, concurrent gas pressure monitors constantly and simultaneously monitor gas pressures at key points in the nitrogen generation process, and a controller generates an alarm when the pressure at any point falls below a respective predetermined pressure level, and remains there for longer than a respective predetermined duration. In some embodiments, a run time of the nitrogen separation unit is additionally monitored. Additionally, in some embodiments, if the output pressure of nitrogen gas falls below a predetermined pressure level, a bypass route is activated to route compressed air directly to the output, thus sacrificing nitrogen gas purity but maintaining required minimum pressure for downstream systems.

An air maintenance device for a dry pipe Fire Protection System (FPS) is capable of measuring an FPS piping network pressure leak rate. The air maintenance device includes a normally-open solenoid isolating it from all gas sources, and a pressure sensor in gas flow communication with the FPS piping network. An electronics module initiates a pressure leak rate measurement operation by reading the pressure sensor, and closing the solenoid, at the beginning of a predetermined duration. At the expiration of the predetermined duration at least a final pressure reading is taken, and the solenoid is opened. A FPS piping network pressure leak rate is calculated by subtracting the final pressure reading from the initial pressure reading, and dividing by the predetermined duration. If intermediate readings indicate a pressure below a threshold, the measurement is aborted and the solenoid is opened to allow the gas sources to maintain system pressure.

A pressure maintenance device is connected to a fire protection sprinkler system having downstream piping that is exposed to freezing temperatures, and supplies a pressurized fluid to the downstream piping when the sprinkler system is in an inactivated state. When an outlet pressure sensor near an outlet of the pressure maintenance device detects that a pressure of the pressurized fluid downstream of an outlet regulator falls below a first predetermined pressure, the pressure maintenance device supplies the pressurized fluid in a primary supply mode or a secondary supply mode. The pressure maintenance device automatically switches from the primary supply mode to the secondary supply mode if a supply pressure sensor detects that a pressure of the pressurized fluid downstream of a first pressurized fluid valve, and upstream of the outlet pressure regulator, falls below a second predetermined pressure.

A valve assembly includes a pipe fitting through which a gas is configured to flow. The inlet of the pipe fitting is configured to connect to an open port of a fire suppression sprinkler system so that gas flows from the fire suppression sprinkler system into the pipe fitting. The valve assembly also includes a vent valve. The inlet of the vent valve is connected to the outlet of the pipe fitting. The vent valve is operable to move between an open position and a shut position. The valve assembly includes an inert gas analyzer and at least one vent port upstream of the inert gas analyzer. The inert gas analyzer is positioned to measure the inert gas content of gas flowing in front of the inert gas analyzer and through the vent port to an outside environment.