ADDING SYSTEM FOR FIRE-EXTINGUISHING UNITS

Abstract

An adding system for fire-extinguishing units is disclosed for producing a mixture of extinguishing agent and extinguishing agent additive (premix) by adding an extinguishing agent additive, e.g., a foaming agent, to an extinguishing agent, e.g., water, the adding system comprising a motor, which can be driven by the extinguishing agent stream, an adding pump, which can be driven by the motor, an adding line, and an extinguishing agent additive line. The invention increases the operational reliability of an adding system for fire-extinguishing units by the outer wall of the working chamber of the motor being in the form of a rotation motor, which can also have the shape of a logarithmic spiral. Furthermore, the wall of the drainage housing of the motor, which is in the form of a rotation motor, can have a through-slot for letting the extinguishing agent in and/or out. Moreover, the inlet of the adding pump can be arranged such that the extinguishing agent additive can flow into the adding pump substantially parallel to the movement direction of the pistons of the adding pump. Finally, the adding pump can have an integrated relief valve.

Claims

1. An adding system for fire-extinguishing units for producing a mixture of extinguishing agent and extinguishing agent additive (premix) by adding an extinguishing agent additive to an extinguishing agent, comprising a motor able to be driven by a flow of extinguishing agent, with an input for supplying the extinguishing agent to the motor, an output for discharging the extinguishing agent from the motor, and an output shaft able to be driven by the motor, an adding pump for conveying the extinguishing agent additive which has an input shaft coupled to the output shaft of the motor, an inlet for providing the extinguishing agent additive, and an outlet for discharging the extinguishing agent additive, an adding line having a first motor-side end and a second outlet-side end, wherein the motor-side end is fluidly connected to the output of the motor, an extinguishing agent additive line having a first pump-side end and a second adding line-side end, wherein the pump-side end is fluidly connected to the outlet of the adding pump and the adding line-side end is fluidly connected to the adding line at an admixture point, wherein the motor is a rotation motor in which a rotor rotatably mounted such that it at least temporarily comes into contact with an outer wall of a working chamber of the motor during its rotation, and wherein an outer wall of the working chamber is at least partially in the shape of a logarithmic spiral in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotor.

2. An adding system for fire-extinguishing units for producing a mixture of extinguishing agent and extinguishing agent additive (premix) by adding an extinguishing agent additive to an extinguishing agent, comprising a motor able to be driven by a flow of extinguishing agent with an input for supplying the extinguishing agent to the motor, an output for discharging the extinguishing agent from the motor, and an output shaft able to be driven by the motor, an adding pump for conveying the extinguishing agent additive which has an input shaft coupled to the output shaft of the motor, an inlet for providing the extinguishing agent additive, and an outlet for discharging the extinguishing agent additive, an adding line having a first motor-side end and a second outlet-side end, wherein the motor-side end is fluidly connected to the output of the motor, an extinguishing agent additive line having a first pump-side end and a second adding line-side end, wherein the pump-side end is fluidly connected to the outlet of the adding pump the adding line-side end is fluidly connected to the adding line at an admixture point, wherein the motor is a rotation motor in which a rotor is rotatably mounted in a drainage housing, and wherein the wall of the drainage housing comprises at least one through slot for the inlet of the extinguishing agent into the drainage housing and/or for the outlet of the extinguishing agent out of the drainage housing.

3. An adding system for fire-extinguishing units for producing a mixture of extinguishing agent and extinguishing agent additive (premix) by adding an extinguishing agent additive, to an extinguishing agent, comprising a motor able to be driven by a flow of extinguishing agent with an input for supplying the extinguishing agent to the motor, an output for discharging the extinguishing agent from the motor, and an output shaft able to be driven by the motor, an adding pump for conveying the extinguishing agent additive which has an input shaft coupled to the output shaft of the motor, an inlet for providing the extinguishing agent additive, and an outlet for discharging the extinguishing agent additive, an adding line having a first motor-side end and a second outlet-side end, wherein the motor-side end is fluidly connected to the output of the motor, an extinguishing agent additive line having a first pump-side end and a second adding line-side end, wherein the pump-side end is fluidly connected to the outlet of the adding pump and the adding line-side end is fluidly connected to the adding line at an admixture point, and wherein the inlet of the adding pump is arranged at the adding pump such that the extinguishing agent additive can flow into the adding pump substantially parallel to the direction of movement of at least one of the pistons of the adding pump.

4. An adding system for fire-extinguishing units for producing a mixture of extinguishing agent and extinguishing agent additive (premix) by adding an extinguishing agent additive to an extinguishing agent, comprising a motor able to be driven by a flow of extinguishing agent with an input for supplying the extinguishing agent to the motor, an output for discharging the extinguishing agent from the motor, and an output shaft able to be driven by the motor, an adding pump in particular a piston pump, for conveying the extinguishing agent additive which has an input shaft coupled to the output shaft of the motor, an inlet for providing the extinguishing agent additive, and an outlet for discharging the extinguishing agent additive, an adding line having a first motor-side end and a second outlet-side end, wherein the motor-side end is fluidly connected to the output of the motor, an extinguishing agent additive line having a first pump-side end and a second adding line-side end, wherein the pump-side end is fluidly connected to the outlet of the adding pump and the adding line-side end is fluidly connected to the adding line at an admixture point, and wherein the adding pump an integrated relief valve.

Description

[0043] Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the figures. Shown are:

[0044] FIG. 1: a schematic diagram of a water motor of an adding system according to the invention in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor of the water motor;

[0045] FIG. 2: a schematic cross section through an adding pump of an adding system according to the invention.

[0046] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the water motor 1 of an adding system according to the first and second aspects of the invention is a rotation motor which works based on the displacement principle. The water motor 1 comprises a housing 2 having a passage opening connecting an input 3 to a working chamber 10 and an output 4. The extinguishing water can thereby flow through the water motor 1 from its input 3 to the output 4 via its working chamber 10.

[0047] A tubular drainage housing 5, its exterior of cylindrical shape, is non-rotatably arranged relative to the housing 2 between the input 3 and the output 4. The axis of the cylinder runs perpendicular to the direction of flow of the water motor 1 (perpendicular to the FIG. 1 sheet plane). Through slots 12, 13 through which the extinguishing water can flow are provided in the wall of the drainage housing 5.

[0048] A rotor 9 having a cylindrical rotor body 8 rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation is arranged inside the drainage housing 5. The axis of rotation of the rotor 9 runs parallel to the axis of the drainage housing 5, albeit offset thereto, such that the rotor 9 is arranged eccentrically in the drainage housing 5.

[0049] The remaining crescent-shaped cavity between the outer wall of the rotor body 8 and inner wall 11 of the drainage housing 5 forms the working chamber 10 of the water motor 1. In particular, the outer wall of the rotor body 8 forms the inner wall of the working chamber 10 and the inner wall 11 of the drainage housing 5 forms the outer wall of the working chamber 10. In a region where the outer wall of the rotor body 8 touches the inner wall 11 of the drainage housing 5, the inner wall 11 of the drainage housing 5 is slightly “bulged” radially outwardly in the cross-sectional shape of a circular arc (at the upper edge of the rotor body 8 in FIG. 1).

[0050] The rotor 9 further comprises two vane-shaped paddles 6, 7 inserted into radial slots in the rotor body 8. The paddles 6, 7 are radially displaceable within the rotor body 8 and can protrude radially outward beyond same. The paddles 6, 7 additionally have cutouts (not shown) in their respective middle sections which ensure they do not collide with each other at their point of intersection on the rotational axis of the rotor 9.

[0051] The radial extension of the paddles 6, 7 is calculated such that both ends of each paddle 6, 7 nearly touch the inner wall 11 of the drainage housing 5, whereby the paddles 6, 7 can still move freely when the rotor 9 rotates. The paddles 6, 7 are cyclically pushed to and from in the working chamber 10 when the rotor 9 rotates due to the eccentric arrangement of the rotor 9. The paddles 6, 7 thereby form chambers of differing volumes in working chamber 10 with the outer wall of the rotor body 8 and the inner wall 11 of the drainage housing 5.

[0052] When extinguishing water flows through the water motor 1, the extinguishing water sets the rotor 9 into rotation. In doing so, an output shaft (not shown) of the water motor 1 connected to the rotor 9 is also set into rotation in order to drive an adding pump.

[0053] It has been shown that the water motor 1 does not run smoothly when the inner side 11 of the drainage housing 5—apart from the above-described “bulge”—is likewise of cylindrical shape. In this case, the sharp, axially extending edges forming at the transition between the cylindrical shape and said bulge namely occasion an impact every time an end of a paddle 6, 7 skims over them. These impacts cause vibrations and irregular operation of the water motor 1, particularly at higher water motor 1 speeds.

[0054] The inner side 11 of the drainage housing 5 is therefore designed in individual sections in the form of a logarithmic spiral, depicted with dashed lines in FIG. 1. Doing so eliminates the aforementioned sharp edges on the inside 11 of the drainage housing 5 and thus the impacts on the ends of the paddles 6, 7, which makes the water motor 1 run substantially smoother.

[0055] FIG. 2 depicts an adding pump 20 of an adding system according to the third aspect of the invention. The adding pump 20 is in the form of a piston pump having three pistons 24, 25, 26 which move up and down parallel to one another in a respective cylinder (not shown) of the adding pump 20 in the direction of double arrows 27, 28, 29. The pistons 24, 25, 26 and associated cylinders are accommodated in a housing 21 of the adding pump 20.

[0056] The adding pump 20 has an inlet 22 through which it can be supplied with an extinguishing agent additive. The inflow of the extinguishing agent additive thereby ensues in the direction of arrow 23 and thus parallel to the direction of movement 27, 28, 29 of the pistons 24, 25, 26.

[0057] This thus ensures that the extinguishing agent additive is not deflected when it enters the adding pump 20 at its inlet 22 to when it enters into the cylinders, whereby the extinguishing agent additive is only subjected to low flow resistance. This contributes to an improvement in the efficiency of the adding pump 20, and thus the entire adding system, particularly in the case of highly viscous extinguishing agent additives.

[0058] FIG. 2 also depicts an adding pump 20 of an adding system according to the fourth aspect of the invention. A relief valve 30 is arranged behind the inlet 22 of the adding pump 20 and still ahead of the cylinders with the pistons 24, 25, 26 which closes if the pressure of the extinguishing agent additive flowing into the adding pump 20 is too high and thereby protects the adding pump 20 from damage or even destruction. The relief valve 30 is integrated into the housing 21 of the adding pump 20, and in particular into its pump cover, and therefore requires no additional space.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0059] 1 water motor [0060] 2 water motor housing [0061] 3 water motor input [0062] 4 water motor output [0063] 5 drainage housing [0064] 6, 7 paddle [0065] 8 rotor body [0066] 9 rotor [0067] 10 working chamber [0068] 11 drainage housing inner wall [0069] 12, 13 through slots [0070] 20 adding pump [0071] 21 adding pump housing [0072] 22 adding pump inlet [0073] 23 direction of extinguishing agent additive flow [0074] 24, 25, 26 pistons [0075] 27, 28, 29 piston direction of movement [0076] 30 relief valve