Fire protection systems and methods for ventilation hoods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10434345-B2
Application number	US-201615551003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2015
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

Preferred systems and methods for ceiling ventilation hood fire protection are provided in which fire protection nozzles are installed within a ventilation hood ( 12 ) to address a fire in a hazard zone (HAZ) below the ventilation hood. The fire protection nozzles ( 20 ) are disposed proximate the ventilation filters ( 18 ) or ports within the ceiling ventilation hood to provide overlapping protection of the hazard zone independent of airflow through the hood.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system comprising:
a ceiling ventilation hood, the ceiling ventilation hood defining an upper plane and a lower plane with a filter disposed between the upper and lower planes;
at least two nozzles each having an outlet defining a discharge axis with the outlet disposed in the ceiling ventilation hood between the upper and lower planes to provide overlapping protection of a hazard zone, each of the nozzles defining a spray pattern to effectively address a fire within the hazard zone independent of airflow through the filter;
wherein the hazard zone has a hazard zone width and defines a vertical projection of the hazard zone in an axial plane extending perpendicular to the hazard zone, the hazard zone and the vertical projection being bisected by a central plane perpendicular to the hazard zone and the axial plane, the system including a nozzle location zone in the axial plane having a plurality of edges including a first edge most remote from and parallel to the hazard zone and a second edge most proximate to and parallel to the hazard zone, a third edge most proximate to and spaced from the central plane to define an offset of the nozzle location zone from the central plane, and at least a fourth edge most remote from the central plane, the nozzle location zone having one or more of the following:
a) a geometric center positioned at a radius from the intersection of the hazard zone, the axial plane and the central plane, the radius being at least two times the hazard zone width, the third edge having a length less than the hazard zone width;
b) the first edge having a length to define a ratio of length-to-distance from the hazard zone of about 0.3:1;
c) the first edge and the second edge spaced from one another to define a vertical distance of the nozzle location zone and define a ratio of vertical distance-to-hazard zone width of about 0.9:1;
d) the first edge defining a maximum width of the nozzle location zone, the second edge defining a minimum width of the nozzle location zone, the first and second edges defining a ratio of nozzle location zone width-to-hazard zone width that ranges from about 0.6:1 to about 0.8:1;
e) the ratio of nozzle location zone area-to-hazard zone width of about 22-30 in 2 of nozzle location zone area per each inch of hazard zone width;
f) the first edge including a point in the nozzle location zone defining a greatest radial distance to a midpoint of the hazard zone width and the second edge including a point in the nozzle location zone defining a smallest radial distance to the midpoint of the hazard zone width, wherein a first ratio of the greatest radial distance-to-hazard zone width is about 2.8:1 and a second ratio of the smallest radial distance-to-hazard zone width is about 1.7:1;
g) the first and second ratios of radial distance-to-hazard zone width defining a third ratio of first ratio-to-second ratio of about 1.65:1;
h) the first and second edges spaced apart to define a vertical length of the nozzle location zone parallel to the central plane, the first edge being at a distance from the hazard zone of about 2-3 times the vertical length of the nozzle location zone, the second edge being at a distance from the hazard zone of about 1⅔ to 2 times the vertical length of the nozzle location zone;
i) the fourth edge spaced from the central plane at a distance about 4 to 5 times the offset of the nozzle location zone from the central plane;
j) the first edge having a length of about three times the offset of the nozzle location zone from the central plane, the second edge having a length less than the length of the first edge; and
k) the fourth edge spaced from the third edge to define a portion that is disposed outside the vertical projection of the hazard zone.

2. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the filter has a face with a first edge defining a first height relative to the lower plane and a second edge spaced from the first edge to define a normal axis between the first and second edges extending perpendicular to the filter face, the second edge defining a second height relative to the lower plane, the outlet of each of the nozzles being located adjacent the filter.

3. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 2 , wherein the second height of the second edge of the filter relative to the lower plane is smaller than the first height such that the normal axis defines an included angle with respect to a vertical axis extending perpendicular to the upper and lower planes.

4. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 2 , wherein the outlet of at least one of the nozzles is vertically spaced from the lower plane at a height ranging from even with the lower plane to three times the first height of the first edge of the filter relative to the lower plane.

5. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 2 , wherein the outlet of at least one of the nozzles is vertically spaced from the lower plane at a height that is 30-300% of the first height of the first edge of the filter relative to the lower plane.

6. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 2 , wherein the outlet of at least one of the nozzles is vertically spaced from the lower plane at a height that is 30-300% of one of the first and second heights relative to the lower plane.

7. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of at least one of the nozzles is laterally offset from a central plane bisecting the hazard zone.

8. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 7 , wherein the outlet of at least one of the nozzles is laterally spaced between the filter and the central plane bisecting the hazard zone.

9. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge axis of at least one of the nozzles intersects a normal axis of the filter below the lower plane.

10. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge axis of at least one of the nozzles diverges from a normal axis of the filter below the lower plane.

11. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , further comprising an air handling system for pulling air through the filter and a release assembly for discharging a firefighting agent from the at least two nozzles, the air handling system providing forced air through a duct spaced laterally in the ceiling ventilation hood.

12. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the ceiling ventilation hood includes a ventilated ceiling.

13. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the ceiling ventilation hood includes an exhaust hood.

14. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the first edge is located 84-99 in. above the hazard zone.

15. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the first edge is located 84 inches above the hazard zone.

16. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the second edge is located 54-about 99 inches above the hazard zone.

17. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the fourth edge extends at an angle with respect to the central plane.

18. The ceiling ventilation hood and fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle location zone has a portion within the c

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Ehlers Joshua L
• White William G

Classifications

• B08B15/02

  using chambers or hoods covering the area {(B08B15/002 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F24F7/007

  with forced flow (using ducting systems F24F7/06) · CPC title

• F24C15/2021

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety systems · CPC title

• F24F11/33

  to fire, excessive heat or smoke · CPC title

• A62C99/0072

  using sprayed or atomised water · CPC title