Control station and method for actuating two extinguishing agent supply devices

Abstract

A fire detection and/or extinguishing control station for actuating two extinguishing agent supply devices using a control unit. After actuating a first extinguishing agent supply device (17) upon detection of a first fire signal at time (t.sub.1), the control station is additionally equipped to actuate a second extinguishing agent supply device (18) upon detection of a second fire signal at time (t.sub.2) if the control station has checked whether the time (t.sub.2) fulfills the inequality (t.sub.1+t.sub.c)<t.sub.2<(t.sub.1+t.sub.b), where (t.sub.c) represents a discharge time of the complete or partial discharge of at least one extinguishing agent container (1) of the first extinguishing agent supply device (17), (t.sub.k) represents a check time connected to the discharge time (t.sub.c), and (t.sub.b) represents a monitoring time period, and the monitoring time period (t.sub.b) is the sum of the discharge time (t.sub.c) and the check time (t.sub.k) beginning at time (t.sub.1).

Claims

1. A fire detection and extinguishing control panel for actuating a first extinguishing agent supply device (17) containing a first extinguishing agent and a second extinguishing agent supply device (18) containing a second extinguishing agent different than the first extinguishing agent, the fire detection and extinguishing control panel comprising: a control unit (24) configured to generate a first signal to actuate the first extinguishing agent supply device (17) when the control unit receives a first fire signal of a fire characteristic detected at a time t1 and to generate a second signal to actuate the second extinguishing agent supply device (18) when the control unit receives a second fire signal of the fire characteristic detected at a time t2 after actuating the first extinguishing agent supply device (17) if the control unit has examined whether the inequality (t1+tc)<t2<(t1+tb) is satisfied at the time t2, where tc represents a discharge time for complete discharge of at least one extinguishing agent container (1) of the first extinguishing agent supply device (17), tk represents a checking time following the discharge time tc and tb represents a monitoring duration which is a sum of the discharge time tc and the checking time tk, starting from the time t1.

2. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 1, wherein programming stored in a signal processing unit (25) of the control unit (24) has a test module, which generates a signal for actuating the second extinguishing agent supply device (18) when the second fire signal is detected at the time t2, if the test module determines that the time t2 satisfies the inequality (t1+tc)<t2<(t1+tb).

3. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 1, further comprising a programming interface (27) which is embodied and configured in such a way that the discharge time t.sub.c, the checking time t.sub.k and the monitoring duration t.sub.b are stored in a memory of the control unit by way of the programming interface (27) using a programming means (25).

4. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 3, wherein the programming means (25) includes one of a personal computer, a tablet computer, a notebook, a smartphone or a service or programming tool.

5. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 1, further comprising a display and operating unit (26) configured in such a way that the discharge time t.sub.c, the checking time t.sub.k and the monitoring duration t.sub.b parameters can be entered and/or modified, additionally or exclusively, by way of operating elements of the display and operating unit.

6. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 1, further comprising a separation apparatus (8) disposed in communication between the first extinguishing agent supply device and the second extinguishing agent supply device, wherein prior to actuating the first extinguishing agent supply device (17), the system actuates the separation apparatus (8) for the purposes of generating a primary switch position of the separation apparatus (8) which releases a transport path of the first extinguishing agent in the direction of a common pipe (9) and an at least one nozzle (10) and completely blocks the transport path of the second 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).

7. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured in such a way that, if it detects the 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 secondary switch position of the separation apparatus (8) which releases the transport path of the second extinguishing agent in the direction of the common pipe (9) and the nozzle (10) and completely blocks the transport path of the first extinguishing agent from the first extinguishing agent supply device (17) in the direction of the common pipe (9) and the nozzle (10).

8. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 6, wherein the first extinguishing agent is a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent and the second extinguishing agent is one of water or a water based extinguishing agent.

9. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is embodied to switch off, at the time t.sub.1 or after a predetermined delay t.sub.a following time t.sub.1 a power supply of a machine, system or device to be extinguished.

10. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is embodied to forward all switch and operating states to predefined reception devices, in particular building management systems.

11. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 1, further comprising a signal-conducting connection to extinguishing fluid parameter detection means (28) for detecting extinguishing fluid parameters of the first extinguishing agent supply device (17) and the control unit is furthermore embodied to calculate the discharge time t.sub.c at a time t.sub.m>t.sub.1 on the basis of the extinguishing fluid parameters.

12. The fire detection and extinguishing control panel according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the following are detected as extinguishing fluid parameters: pressure and/or temperature in the extinguishing agent container, flow rate of the extinguishing fluid in conjunction with the detected duration of discharge of the extinguishing fluid after the time t.sub.1, or mass difference in the extinguishing fluid prior to, or at, the time t.sub.1 and at the time t.sub.m, or a combination therefrom.

13. A method for controlling two extinguishing agent supply devices, comprising the following method steps being carried out in succession: detecting a first fire signal of a fire characteristic at the time t1, actuating a first extinguishing agent supply device (17) containing a first extinguishing agent, detecting a second fire signal of the fire characteristic at the time t2, actuating a second extinguishing agent supply device (18) containing a second extinguishing agent different than the first extinguishing agent after the time t2 satisfies the inequality (t1+tc)<t2<(t1+tb), where tc represents a discharge time for complete discharge of at least one extinguishing agent container (1) of the first extinguishing agent supply device (17), tk represents a checking time following the discharge time tc and tb represents a monitoring duration, and wherein the monitoring duration tb is the sum of the discharge time tc and the checking time tk, starting from the time t1.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the discharge time t.sub.c is predetermined as a stored parameter or it is calculated at the time.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the discharge time t.sub.c is calculated on the basis of extinguishing fluid parameters of the first extinguishing agent supply device, detected by means of extinguishing fluid parameter detection means (28).

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, furthermore characterized by the following method steps: detecting the extinguishing fluid parameters by way of a signal-conducting connection with the extinguishing fluid parameter detection means and storing the extinguishing fluid parameters.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the extinguishing fluid parameters represent at least one of pressure and/or temperature in the first extinguishing agent container, flow rate of the extinguishing fluid in conjunction with the detected duration of discharge of the extinguishing fluid after the time t.sub.1, or mass difference in the extinguishing fluid prior to, or at, the time t.sub.1 and at the time t.sub.m, or a combination thereof.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein there is actuation of a separation apparatus (8) disposed in communication between the first extinguishing agent supply device and the second extinguishing agent supply device, prior to actuating the first extinguishing agent supply device (17), for the purposes of generating a primary switch position of the separation apparatus (8) which releases a transport path of the first extinguishing fluid in the direction of a common pipe (9) and an at least one nozzle (10) and completely blocks a transport path of the second extinguishing fluid from the second extinguishing agent supply device (18) in the direction of the common pipe (9) and the at least one nozzle (10).

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;

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

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the fire alarm and extinguishing control panel according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) In conjunction with FIG. 1, FIG. 4 shows the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel according to the disclosure and the interaction thereof with the two extinguishing agent supply devices: the first extinguishing agent supply device 17, in particular with a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14, and the second extinguishing agent supply device 18, preferably a water-based one. The fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel has a control unit 24. In the depicted preferred embodiment, the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel has at least one signal processing unit 25, in particular a microcontroller or digital signal processor, and preferably an operating and display unit 26. The memory of the fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel, in which the discharge time t.sub.c, the checking time t.sub.k and the monitoring duration t.sub.b are stored, is not depicted here.

(6) 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 first extinguishing fluid, preferably 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.

(7) The second arranged extinguishing agent supply device 18 comprises storage containers with a second extinguishing fluid, preferably 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.

(8) 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 fire alarm and/or extinguishing control panel according to the disclosure has opened the valve 16. 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.

(9) 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.

(10) 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.

(11) 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 first extinguishing fluid, preferably 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.

(12) 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.

(13) 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 second extinguishing fluid, preferably 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.

(14) 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.

(15) 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.

(16) 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.

(17) 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.

(18) 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.

(19) 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 second extinguishing fluid, preferably 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 first extinguishing fluid, preferably 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.

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

(21) 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 first extinguishing fluid, preferably 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 second extinguishing fluid, preferably 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 first extinguishing fluid, preferably 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.

(22) 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.

(23) FIG. 3 schematically depicts the temporal progress of the method steps of a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the disclosure 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 first extinguishing fluid, preferably a liquid synthetic extinguishing agent 14, preferably in an extinguishing agent container 1, and the second extinguishing agent supply device 18 provides the second extinguishing fluid in a storage container, preferably water 3 or a water-based extinguishing means in a water storage container 2 or from a water supply device 15.

(24) 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 first extinguishing fluid 14 via the separation apparatus 8, the common pipe 9 and the at least one nozzle 10.

(25) If a second fire signal is detected at the time t.sub.2, the second extinguishing agent supply device 18 is actuated and the second extinguishing fluid, preferably 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.

(26) Here, the second extinguishing agent supply device 18 is only actuated if the time t.sub.2 after the complete or partial 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

(27) 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 24 Control unit 25 Signal processing unit, preferably a microcontroller or digital signal processor 26 Display and operating unit 27 Programming interface 28 Extinguishing fluid parameter detection means