Extinguishing method and system using a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent and water

Abstract

A method for extinguishing objects or appliances, in which, once a fire signal has been detected at point in time t1, a first device (17) providing an extinguishing agent is triggered, for discharging a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent (14), via a separating device (8), a common conveying pipe (9) and at least one nozzle (10), and, once a second fire signal has been detected at point in time t2, a second device (18) providing an extinguishing agent is triggered for discharging water (3) or a water-based extinguishing agent via the separating device (8), the common conveying pipe (9) and the at least one nozzle (10) for extinguishing. A system is also provided for extinguishing objects or appliances.

Claims

1. A system for extinguishing objects or devices, comprising: a first extinguishing agent supply device with a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent in an extinguishing agent container, on which a valve is arranged, a second extinguishing agent supply device with a storage container with at least one of a water or a water-based extinguishing agent with a water supply device and a conveying device, which generates a volumetric flow and pressure for the at least one of a water or the water-based extinguishing agent, a separation apparatus and a common pipe and at least one nozzle embodied to provide the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent first from the valve and then, if required, the at least one of a water or a water-based extinguishing agent from the conveying device, at least one event detector, which is connected in a signal-conducting manner to one of a fire alarm or an extinguishing control panel, for detecting the fire signal, wherein the one of a fire alarm or an extinguishing control panel is configured to actuate and open the valve when detecting a first fire signal at the time t.sub.1, for the purposes of discharging the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent from the extinguishing agent container via the common pipe and the at least one nozzle, and it additionally actuates the conveying device if a second fire signal is detected at the time t.sub.2 after complete or partial discharge of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent, said conveying device delivers the at least one of a water or water-based extinguishing agent via the common pipe and the at least one nozzle for extinguishing purposes.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one of a fire alarm or extinguishing control panel is embodied and configured in such a way that, if it detects the second fire signal, it actuates the separation apparatus, prior to actuating the conveying device, for generating a switching position which releases the transport path of the one of a water or water-based extinguishing agent in the direction of the common pipe and the nozzle and which, at the same time, blocks the transport path of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent from the first extinguishing agent supply device in the direction of the pipe and to the nozzle.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of return flow preventers are arranged downstream of the extinguishing agent supply devices.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one nozzle constitutes one of a full-cone nozzle, a hollow-cone nozzle or a fan nozzle.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one nozzle has, at a center, a nozzle bore with a widening opening.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one nozzle is embodied in such a way that the volumetric flow of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent emerging from the nozzle is formed as a target directed extinguishing agent jet with the geometry of a cone such that the synthetic extinguishing agent remains largely liquid in the center of the cone.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one of a fire alarm or extinguishing control panel is configured only to actuate the second extinguishing agent supply device when the second fire signal is detected at the time t.sub.2 if the one of a fire alarm or extinguishing control panel has examined whether the inequality (t.sub.1+t.sub.c)<t.sub.2<(t.sub.1+t.sub.b) is satisfied at the time t.sub.2, where tc represents the discharge time for the complete discharge of the extinguishing agent container, t.sub.k represents checking time following the discharge time tc and tb represents a monitoring duration and wherein the monitoring duration t.sub.b is the sum of the discharge time tc and the checking time t.sub.k starting from the time t.sub.1.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an extinguishing system with two extinguishing agent supply devices, comprising an extinguishing agent container with liquid synthetic extinguishing agent and a storage container for water;

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an extinguishing system with two extinguishing agent supply devices, comprising a water supply device in the second extinguishing agent supply device; and

(3) FIG. 3 schematically depicts the temporal progress of the method steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the system according to the disclosure for extinguishing objects and devices, comprising a first extinguishing agent supply device 17 with a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 in an extinguishing agent container 1, at which a valve 16 is arranged. The liquid synthetic extinguishing agent is superimposed with nitrogen. The nitrogen superimposition pressure is 50 bar.

(5) The second arranged extinguishing agent supply device 18 comprises a water storage container 2 with water 3 or a water-based extinguishing agent, and a supply device 7, which generates the volumetric flow and pressure for the water or the water-based extinguishing agent.

(6) A first supply line 20 guides the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 to the separation apparatus 8 and via a common pipe 9 and to at least one nozzle 10 after the valve 16 has been opened. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, 3 nozzles are depicted; these are situated in the protected region 19 in which the object 22 to be protected, the object 22 to be extinguished, is acted on with extinguishing agent in the case of fire. The separation apparatus 8, the common pipe 9 and the nozzles 10 are embodied in such a way that they initially guide the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 and subsequently, where necessary, water 3 or a water-based extinguishing agent to the object to be extinguished.

(7) FIG. 2 shows an embodiment variant of the system, in which a water supply device 15, preferably the public water supply, is arranged in place of the water storage container 2; all other constituents and arrangements of this embodiment variant are identical to the system depicted in FIG. 1.

(8) A likewise advantageous embodiment of the system, in which a water supply device 15 is arranged in addition to the water storage container 2, is not depicted here.

(9) Two event detectors 11, which are connected to a fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 by way of the signal-conducting connection 13, are arranged in the protected region 19. A fire signal is detected by the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 by way of this signal-conducting connection 13. The fire alarm and extinguishing control panel 12 is embodied and configured in such a way that it actuates and opens the valve 16, when a first fire signal is detected at the time t.sub.1, for the purposes of discharging the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 with the pressurized nitrogen from the extinguishing agent container 1. The liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 reaches the object 20 to be extinguished in the protected region 19 by way of the common pipe 9 and the three nozzles 10. The common pipe 9 contains a distribution pipe network 23, which guides the extinguishing agents to the nozzles 10 which are arranged at predefined positions around the object 22 to be protected. The predefined positions are determined in such a way that the fire can be extinguished in the shortest amount of time with a minimal amount of extinguishing agent.

(10) After complete discharge of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14, the event detectors 11 examine whether the fire is extinguished. This is the case if no fire signal is detected via the event detectors 11 and the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 within a predetermined monitoring duration t.sub.b starting from the time t.sub.1.

(11) If a second fire signal is detected at the time t.sub.2, the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 additionally actuates the conveying device 7 which discharges the water 3 or the water-based extinguishing agent from the storage container 2 in the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1, or the water from the water supply device 15, by way of the common pipe 9 and the nozzles 10 for extinguishing the object 22 in the protected region 19.

(12) A pressure monitoring device 4 is arranged at or in the extinguishing agent container 1. Water 3 is supplied by way of a storage container 2 with a fill-level monitoring device 5 arranged at or in the container, or from a water line of the public water supply 15 (FIG. 2), which is likewise equipped with a pressure monitoring device 4. The necessary pressure and volumetric flow for discharge are obtained by the conveying device 7.

(13) The fill-level monitoring device 5 and the pressure monitoring device 4 are connected to the fire alarm and/or control panel 12 in a signal-conducting manner, by way of the signal-conducting connection 13 in the depicted example, which is preferably embodied as an electric line. Pressure and fill-level are detected and monitored by the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12. If predetermined thresholds are dropped below and/or exceeded, this is transmitted to a predetermined reception and/or notification device. The conveying device 7 generates the volumetric flow and pressure required for discharging the water 3. The extinguishing agent container 1 with the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 is connected to the separation apparatus 8 by way of the first supply line 21 and the conveying device 7 for the water 3 or the water-based extinguishing agent is connected to the separation apparatus 8 by the second supply line 22. From the separation apparatus 8, the common pipe 9 guides the extinguishing agent to the nozzles 10 in the protected region 19. The separation apparatus 8 ensures that in each case only one extinguishing agent is situated in the pipe 9 and the water 3 or the water-based extinguishing agent and the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 are kept separately.

(14) FIG. 1 shows that return flow preventers 6 are arranged in front of the extinguishing agent supply devices 17 and 18, i.e. downstream of the extinguishing agent supply apparatuses 17, 18. They prevent an ingress of water 3 or a water-based extinguishing agent into the first extinguishing agent supply device 17 and an ingress of a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 into the second extinguishing agent supply device 18. A return flow preventer 6 is respectively arranged between the extinguishing agent container 1 and the separation apparatus 8, and between the conveying device 7 and the separation apparatus 8.

(15) From the separation apparatus 8, the pipe 9 leads to the nozzles 10, which discharge the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 and, if necessary, the water 3 thereafter onto the object 20 to be protected and to be extinguished. For the purposes of being actuated, the conveying device 7, the valve 16 at the extinguishing agent container 1 and the separation apparatus 8 are connected in a signal-conducting manner to the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12. In the exemplary embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the signal-technical connection 13 is realized by way of electric lines, which are monitored by the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 in respect of a wire break and/or a short-circuit in order to immediately identify and report malfunctions. The wireless embodiment variant of the signal-conducting connection 13 is not depicted here.

(16) The first and second extinguishing agent supply devices 17, 18 are actuated by way of this signal-conducting connection 13, i.e. the valve 16 is actuated in the case of a first fire signal, said valve open the extinguishing agent container 1, and the conveying device 7 is actuated in the case of a second fire signal within the predetermined monitoring duration t.sub.b. By way of these actuations, the respective extinguishing agent is discharged by way of the common pipe 9 and the nozzles 10 and the fire is fought at, or in, the object 22 to be extinguished.

(17) The fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is embodied and configured in such a way that, if it detects a second fire signal at the time t.sub.2, it actuates the separation apparatus 8 prior to actuating the second extinguishing agent supply device 18, for the purposes of generating a switch position of the separation apparatus 8 which releases the transport path of the water 3 or the water-based extinguishing agent in the direction of the common pipe 9 and the nozzles 10 and completely blocks the transport path of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 from the first extinguishing agent supply device 17 in the direction of the common pipe 9 and the nozzles 10.

(18) This switching state of the separation apparatus is the secondary switching state of the separation apparatus 8 since the second extinguishing stage with water 3 or a water-based extinguishing agent only occurs where necessary if the first extinguishing stage with the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 has not led to extinguishment and if a second fire signal is detected.

(19) The fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 is furthermore embodied and configured in such a way that it actuates the separation apparatus 8, prior to actuating the first extinguishing agent supply device 17, for the purposes of generating a switch position of the separation apparatus 8 which releases the transport path of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 in the direction of the common pipe 9 and the at least one nozzle 10 and completely blocks the transport path of the water 3 or the water-based extinguishing agent from the second extinguishing agent supply device 18 in the direction of the common pipe 9 and the at least one nozzle 10. This switching position of the separation apparatus is the primary switching position of the separation apparatus 8 since the first extinguishing stage is carried out with the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14. This actuation of the separation apparatus 8 can be dispensed with if it is already in this primary switching state prior to actuating the first extinguishing agent supply device 17.

(20) After the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 was discharged, the residual nitrogen flows thereafter and removes all residues of the synthetic extinguishing agent 14 from the pipe 9. Hence, there is purging of the common pipe 9 and the at least one nozzle 10 with a gas, nitrogen in this embodiment, after actuating the first extinguishing agent supply device 17 and before actuating the second extinguishing agent supply device 18.

(21) In the extinguishing systems depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, nozzles with only one nozzle bore and a widening opening are used for the at least one nozzle, in this case three nozzles, for the liquid discharge of the synthetic extinguishing agent. As result, a target-directed extinguishing agent jet with the geometry of a cone, preferably a full cone, arises, as does a high extinguishing agent density. The target-directed compact form of the jet generates a type of tunnel effect such that the contact faces of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent with the ambient air are small and an evaporation of the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent as a result of the ambient air only takes place at the front shock front and the lateral sides of the extinguishing agent jet. Therefore, the synthetic extinguishing agent remains largely liquid in the center of this cone until it reaches the seat of the fire.

(22) FIG. 3 schematically depicts the temporal progress of the method steps of a particularly preferred embodiment of the method for extinguishing objects or devices using two different liquid extinguishing agents 3, 14, which are provided by two separate extinguishing agent supply devices 17, 18 by way of a separation apparatus 8 and a common pipe 9 and at least one nozzle 10. Here, the first extinguishing agent supply device 17 provides a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14, preferably in an extinguishing agent container 1, and the second extinguishing agent supply device 18 provides water 3 or a water-based extinguishing means in a water storage container 2 or from a water supply device 15.

(23) A first fire signal is detected at the time t.sub.1 by at least one event detector 11 and a fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12. As a result, the first extinguishing agent supply device 17 is actuated by the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 12 for discharging the liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14 via the separation apparatus 8, the common pipe 9 and the at least one nozzle 10.

(24) If a second fire signal is detected at the time t.sub.2, the second extinguishing agent supply device 18 is actuated and the water 3 or the water-based extinguishing agent is discharged for extinguishing purposes by way of the separation apparatus 8, the common pipe 9 and the at least one nozzle 10.

(25) Here, the second extinguishing agent supply device 18 is only actuated if the time t.sub.2 after the complete discharge of the extinguishing agent container 1 is after the discharge time t.sub.c has expired but within a monitoring duration t.sub.b, wherein the monitoring duration t.sub.b, starting from the time t.sub.1, is the sum of the discharge time t.sub.c and a checking time t.sub.k, wherein the checking time t.sub.k follows the discharge time t.sub.c and, during this time t.sub.k, the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel (12) examines whether a fire signal is detected and the time t.sub.2 satisfies the inequality (t.sub.1+t.sub.c)<t.sub.2<(t.sub.1+t.sub.b).

LIST OF UTILIZED REFERENCE SIGNS

(26) 1 Extinguishing agent container 1 for a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 2 Storage container for water or a water-based extinguishing agent 3 Water or a water-based extinguishing agent 4 Pressure monitoring device 5 Fill-level monitoring device 6 Return flow preventer 7 Conveying device 8 Separation apparatus 9 Common pipe 10 Nozzle 11 Event detector 12 Fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel 13 Signal-conducting connection 14 Liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 15 Water supply device 16 Valve 17 First extinguishing agent supply device 18 Second extinguishing agent supply device 19 Protected region 20 First supply line 21 Second supply line 22 Object to be extinguished 23 Distribution pipe network