Method for extinguishing a flame front and extinguishing device

Abstract

A flame front in a gas pipeline is extinguished by introducing an extinguishing agent at an overpressure at an extinguishing zone of the pipeline. Using an overpressure provides a better and finer atomization of the extinguishing agent, and permits a greater amount of the extinguishing agent to be provided in the extinguishing zone per unit time. In addition, a sealing fluid is introduced at sealing zone of the pipeline. Gas flowing through the pipeline must flow through the sealing fluid in the sealing zone. Preferably, movement of a flame front from one side of the sealing zone to the other side of the sealing zone is prevented or reduced by the sealing fluid.

Claims

1. A method for extinguishing a flame front in a gas pipeline, comprising: introducing an extinguishing agent at an overpressure into an extinguishing zone of the gas pipeline; and introducing a sealing fluid into a sealing zone of the gas pipeline such that the sealing fluid fills a bottom of the sealing zone atop a bottom surface of the sealing zone and remains in the sealing zone because of the influence of gravity and in such a way that a gas flowing through the gas pipeline must flow into or out of the sealing zone via an opening which lies below a fluid level of the sealing fluid, such that the gas must flow through the sealing fluid in the sealing zone, wherein the bottom surface is lower than the opening, wherein the bottom surface is separate from the opening.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sealing fluid introduced into the sealing zone prevents a movement of a flame front from one side of the sealing zone to another side of the sealing zone.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sealing fluid is introduced into the gas pipeline sequentially after the extinguishing agent.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the extinguishing agent and the sealing fluid are the same fluid.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the extinguishing zone and the sealing zone at least partially coincide spatially.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein either the extinguishing zone is completely part of the sealing zone, or the sealing zone is completely part of the extinguishing zone.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising opening a closure in order to introduce the extinguishing agent into the extinguishing zone.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the step of opening the closure is performed by either switching a valve or destroying a membrane.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the overpressure destroys a membrane that fluidically separates the extinguishing agent from the extinguishing zone, thereby permitting introducing the extinguishing agent into the extinguishing zone.

10. An extinguishing device for a gas pipeline, comprising: at least one container for accommodating an extinguishing agent and a sealing fluid and is configured to conduct a method according to claim 1.

11. The extinguishing device according to claim 10, further comprising a container of compressed gas or a gas generator for generating the overpressure.

12. The extinguishing device according to claim 10 wherein the at least one container is configured to accommodate the extinguishing agent and the sealing fluid.

13. The extinguishing device of claim 10 wherein the at least one container comprises at least one extinguishing agent space and at least one sealing fluid space.

14. The extinguishing device of claim 13 wherein the at least one extinguishing agent space and the at least one sealing fluid space are fluidically connected or fluidically connectable to one another.

15. The extinguishing device according to claim 10 wherein the at least one container is configured to separately introduce the extinguishing agent into the extinguishing zone and the sealing fluid into the sealing zone.

16. The extinguishing device according to claim 10, further comprising: at least one detector arranged or arrangeable in or on the gas pipeline, wherein the at least one detector is configured to detect a flame front; and an electronic control system.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sealing fluid comprises water.

18. The extinguishing device of claim 10, wherein the sealing fluid comprises water.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail by way of the attached drawings. They show

(2) FIG. 1—a sectional view through an embodiment of the extinguishing device,

(3) FIG. 2—a perspective partial view of the extinguishing device in FIG. 1, and

(4) FIG. 3—the extinguishing device from FIGS. 1 and 2, having been integrated in the gas pipeline.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 depicts an example of an embodiment of the extinguishing device 10 according to the invention, which can be integrated in a gas pipeline 2 via a supply flange 22 and a discharge flange 20. During operation, a gas flows through the supply nozzles 22 into an inner space 4 of the extinguishing device 10 and from there enters into an outer space 6. The inner space 4 is designed to be open at the bottom, thereby allowing the gas to flow into the outer space 6. The gas then leaves the extinguishing device 10 via the discharge flange 20. Generally speaking, a flame front moves in the opposite direction, i.e. it enters the extinguishing device 10 through the discharge flange 20 and leaves through the supply flange 22, provided that its progress is not prevented by the extinguishing device 10.

(6) A container 12 is arranged above the inner space 4 and the outer space 6. This container 12 features a central, cylindrical extinguishing agent space 16, which is laterally completely enclosed by a hollow, cylindrical sealing fluid space 18. The extinguishing agent space 16 and the sealing fluid space 18 are separated from one another by a surrounding perforated partition wall 17. As a result of the perforation of the perforated partition wall 17, the extinguishing agent space 16 and the sealing fluid space 18 is constantly fluidically connected.

(7) When the extinguishing device 10 is ready for operation, the extinguishing agent space 16 and the sealing fluid space 18 are filled with a fluid, especially water. Here, the fluid inside the extinguishing agent space 16 is the extinguishing agent and the fluid inside the sealing fluid space 18 is the sealing fluid.

(8) The extinguishing agent space 16 is fluidically separated from the inner space 4 by a membrane 8. This membrane 8 almost completely forms a base area of the cylindrical extinguishing agent space 16. A container of compressed gas 14 is arranged above the container 12. Specifically, the compressed gas inside the container of compressed gas 14 exhibits a pressure of at least 5 bar in relation to an atmospheric normal pressure. The container 14 can be fluidically connected to the container 12 via a pressurized gas pipeline. To this end, a quick action valve 15 is situated inside the pressurized gas pipeline. By opening this quick action valve 15, it is possible to introduce pressurized gas from the container 14 into the extinguishing agent space 16 of the container 12.

(9) As a result of the pressure surge that is applied to the extinguishing agent in the extinguishing agent space 16, the membrane 8 is destroyed and the extinguishing agent enters the inner space 4 at an overpressure. Accordingly, the extinguishing zone L is situated in the inner space 4.

(10) Once the extinguishing agent has entered the inner space 4 through the destroyed membrane 8, the sealing fluid flows out of the sealing fluid space 18, through the perforations of the perforated partition wall 17 and into the extinguishing agent space, and correspondingly also through the destroyed membrane into the inner space 4. The sealing fluid also flows into the outer space 6 through the base opening, by means of which the inner space 4 is fluidically connected to the outer space 6. All remaining fluid in the extinguishing device, i.e. the sealing fluid and any remaining extinguishing agent, forms a fluid level. The volume of the sealing fluid is measured such that the sealing fluid already forms a fluid level in its own right, said fluid level lying above the base opening of the inner space 4. It forms a fluid level of identical height in the inner space 4 and the outer space 6. This goes beyond the base opening of the inner space 4, the result of which being that any gas flowing into the extinguishing device 10 must flow through the fluid. This produces the sealing effect of the sealing fluid against a further flame front.

(11) Aside from any residual volumes of fluid, the container 12 now contains no more fluid. Correspondingly, the container 14 also contains no more compressed gas. In other words, a further extinguishing by means of the extinguishing agent is no longer possible. However, due to the sealing effect of the sealing fluid this is also not necessary.

(12) If the extinguishing device is now to be returned to a state of operational readiness, the sealing fluid may be drained by, for example, a drainage device 23. Subsequently, it is only necessary to replace the destroyed membrane 8, to refill the container 12 with fluid and the refill the container 14 with pressurized gas. Alternatively, the empty container 12 and the empty container 14 can be replaced by filled ones.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the extinguishing device 10 from FIG. 1. The supply flange 22 and the discharge flange 20 for connecting to the gas pipeline 2 can be clearly recognized. It also shows the cylindrical container 12, in which the extinguishing agent space 16 and the sealing fluid space 18 are arranged. The extinguishing agent space can be fluidically connected to the container 14 via a compressed gas pipeline, which features a quick action valve 15. The container 14 contains a compressed gas. It is also clear that the extinguishing device 10 has a cover 25 and a base 27, wherein each of these is connected via a cover flange 24 and a base flange 26 to a cylindrical housing, in which the inner space 4 and the outer space 6 are situated.

(14) The container 12 and the container of compressed gas 14 are preferably securely connected to the cover 25. Specifically, this renders it possible to replace the cover 25, along with the container 12 and the container 14, in order to restore the operational capability of the extinguishing device 10. To this end, the membrane 8 is preferably arranged in the middle of the cover 25. The cover flange 24 preferably features a recess that corresponds to the membrane 8. In particular, this renders it possible to also replace the destroyed membrane 8 by replacing the cover 25. Any works inside the extinguishing device 10 are thus rendered obsolete.

(15) FIG. 3 depicts the extinguishing device 10 from FIGS. 1 and 2, having been integrated in a gas pipeline 2. Unlike in FIG. 1, the supply flange 22 is shown on the left-hand side and the discharge flange 20 on the right-hand side of the extinguishing device 10 shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, gas thus flows the extinguishing device 10 from left to right and a flame front in the opposite direction, i.e. from right to left.

(16) FIG. 3 shows that the extinguishing device 10 is connected to supply section 21 of the gas pipeline 2 via a flange that corresponds to the supply flange 22. The discharge flange 20 is connected to a discharge section 19 of the gas pipeline 2 via a corresponding flange. Detectors 28 are arranged in the discharge section 19 of the gas pipeline 2. These detectors are allocated to the extinguishing device 10 and configured to detect a flame front. For example, this may refer to spark detectors. The detectors 28 send detector signals, which for instance code in the event of a detected spark or a detected flame front, to an electronic control device 30. Using these detector signals, the electronic control device 30 controls the quick action valve 15. For example, if one of the detectors 28 detects a flame front in the gas pipeline 2, it sends corresponding detector signals to the electronic control device 30. This then controls the quick action valve 15 and opens it. The time at which this opening occurs is also determined, for instance, by way of a distance of the respective detector 28 from the extinguishing device 10. The opening of the quick action valve 15 initiates the previously described extinguishing process.

REFERENCE LIST

(17) 2 gas pipeline

(18) 4 inner space

(19) 6 outer space

(20) 8 membrane

(21) 10 extinguishing device

(22) 12 container

(23) 14 container of compressed gas

(24) 15 quick action valve

(25) 16 extinguishing agent space

(26) 17 perforated partition wall

(27) 18 sealing fluid space

(28) 19 discharge section

(29) 22 supply flange

(30) 21 supply section

(31) 20 discharge flange

(32) 23 drainage device

(33) 24 cover flange

(34) 25 cover

(35) 26 base flange

(36) 27 base

(37) 28 detector

(38) 30 electronic control system

(39) L extinguishing zone

(40) S sealing zone