Wet fire protection systems and methods for storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10441830-B2
Application number	US-201515319190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 18, 2014
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

Fire protection systems and methods of fire protection systems for protection of a stored commodity. The systems and methods included a plurality of fluid distribution devices disposed above the stored commodity and configured for selective identification and controlled actuation in response to a fire. The systems have a hydraulic demand defined by at least one of: i) a hydraulic design area having a minimum operational area of less than 768 square feet; or ii) less than twelve hydraulic design devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fire protection system for protection of a storage occupancy having a ceiling defining a nominal ceiling height, the system comprising:
a plurality of fluid distribution devices disposed beneath the ceiling and above a high-piled storage commodity in the storage occupancy having a nominal storage height greater than twelve feet (12 ft.), each of the plurality of fluid distribution devices being arranged for selective identification and controlled actuation in response to a fire;
wherein the system is configured to identify a select number of the fluid distribution devices above and about the fire and operate the identified fluid distribution devices to effectively address the fire, wherein the system is configured to supply a maximum amount of fluid to meet a maximum hydraulic demand caused by operation of the identified fluid distribution devices, and wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when at least one of:
(i) the identified fluid distribution devices have an operational area of less than 768 square feet;
(ii) the identified fluid distribution devices include standard coverage sprinklers, and the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than twelve;
(iii) the identified fluid distribution devices include extended coverage sprinklers on 12 ft.×12 ft. spacing, and the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than eight; and
(iv) the identified fluid distribution devices include extended coverage sprinklers on 14 ft.×14 ft. spacing, and the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than six.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the identified fluid distribution devices have an operational area ranging from about 400 square feet to about 600 square feet.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the identified fluid distribution devices have an operational area of 256 square feet.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices is less than twelve and at least four.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices ranges from eight to six.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices is fewer than eight and the identified fluid distribution devices are on 12 ft.×12 ft. spacing.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices ranges from six to four.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system experiences the maximum hydraulic demand when the number of identified fluid distribution devices is fewer than six and the identified fluid distribution devices are on 14 ft.×14 ft. spacing.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fluid distribution devices includes a frame body and an electrically operated solenoid valve to control the flow of fluid to the frame body.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the frame body has a nominal K-factor of any one of 11.2 GPM/PSI 1/2 ; 14.0 GPM/PSI 1/2 ; 16.8 GPM/PSI 1/2 ; 19.6 GPM/PSI 1/2 ; 22.4 GPM/PSI 1/2 ; 25.2 GPM/PSI 1/2 ; 28.0 GPM/PSI 1/2 ; and 33.6 GPM/PSI 1/2 .

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the nominal K-factor is 25.2 GPM/PSI 1/2 .

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the fluid distribution devices includes a frame body and an electrically operated actuator arranged with the frame body to control the flow of fluid from the frame body.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the frame body includes an internal sealing assembly supported in place by a support structure, the actuator being arranged to remove the support structure in response to an electrical signal.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nominal storage height ranges from a nominal twenty feet (20 ft.) to a maximum nominal storage height of fifty-five feet (55 ft.).

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nominal ceiling height is 45 feet and the nominal storage height is 40 feet.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nominal ceiling height is 30 feet and the nominal storage height is 25 feet.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stored commodity is arranged as any one of rack, multi-row rack and double-row rack, on floor, rack without solid shelves, palletized, bin box, shelf, or single-row rack storage.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the storage commodity is any one of Class I, II, III or IV, Group A, Group B, or Group C plastics, including any one of exposed or unexposed expanded plastics, elastomers, or rubber commodities.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid distribution device includes a deflector member having a deflector position at a deflector-to-ceiling distance greater than eighteen inches (18 in.).

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the deflector-to-ceiling distance is at least 20 inches.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid distribution devices are selectively identified for controlled actuation at an incipient stage of the fire.

22. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid distribution system including a network of pipes interconnecting the fluid distribution devices to a supply of firefighting fluid;
a plurality of detectors to monitor the occupancy for the fire; and
a controller coupled to the plurality of detectors to detect and locate the fire, the controller being coupled to each of the fluid distribution devices to identify and control operation of the select number of fluid distribution devices above and about the fire.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the controller includes an input component coupled to each of the plurality of detectors for receipt of an input signal from each of the detectors, a processing component for determining a threshold moment in growth of the fire; and an output component to generate an output signal for operation of each of the identified fluid distribution devices in response to the threshold moment.

24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of detectors includes two detectors for each fluid distribution device.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the two detectors are disposed above and about the fluid distribution device.

26. The system of claim 22 , wherein each detector is axially aligned with one fluid distribution device.

27. The system of claim 22 , wherein each of the plurality of fluid distribution devices includes a frame body and an electrically operated actuator coupled to the frame body and configured to selectively permit fluid discharge from the frame body, and wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of each actuator individually such that each fluid distribution device can be operated individually.

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp
• Tyco Fire & Security Gmbh

Inventors

• Magnone Zachary L
• Farley Daniel G
• Desrosier John
• Brighenti Donald D

Classifications

• A62C3/002 Primary

  for warehouses, storage areas or other installations for storing goods · CPC title

• A62C37/40

  with electric connection between sensor and actuator · CPC title

• A62C99/0072

  using sprayed or atomised water · CPC title

• A62C35/60

  wet, i.e. containing extinguishing material even when not in use · CPC title

• A62C3/00

  Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places ({in oil wells E21B29/08, A62C35/00; in mines or tunnels E21F5/00} ; for nuclear reactors G21C9/04) · CPC title