Wet fire protection systems and methods for storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021023402-A1
Application number	US-202017062256-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2020
Priority date	Jun 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 28, 2021
Grant date	—

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

1 .- 39 . (canceled)

40 . A fire protection system, comprising:
a plurality of fluid distribution devices installed beneath a ceiling of a storage occupancy, the storage occupancy having a stored commodity having a storage height less than or equal to 60 feet, the storage occupancy having a ceiling height less than or equal to 60 feet, a clearance between the stored commodity and the ceiling is greater than or equal to one foot; the stored commodity comprises at least one of a Class I commodity, a Class II commodity, a Class III commodity, a Class IV commodity, and a Group A plastic, the stored commodity has an arrangement comprising at least one of single-row rack arrangement, a double-row rack arrangement, a multi-row rack arrangement, a palletized arrangement, a solid-piled arrangement, a bin box arrangement, a shelf arrangement, a back-to-back shelf arrangement, an on floor arrangement, and a rack without solid shelves arrangement; the plurality of fluid distribution devices define a device-to-device spacing of no less than eight feet and no more than twelve feet, each fluid distribution device of the plurality of fluid distribution devices having a K-factor in GPM/PSI 1/2 greater than or equal to 14.0 and less than or equal to 33.6, each fluid distribution device of the plurality of distribution devices has a maximum coverage area of 100 square feet and a minimum coverage area of 64 square feet, and each fluid distribution device of the plurality of fluid distribution devices comprises:
a frame body having an inlet for connection to a fluid supply and an outlet with an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet;
a seal assembly within the outlet and supported in place by a support structure; and
a deflector coupled with the frame body and located above the stored commodity and beneath the ceiling, displacement of the support structure permits fluid discharge from the fluid distribution device; and
a network of pipes coupled with the plurality of distribution devices, the network of pipes defines a gridded network or a tree network, the network of pipes provides a minimum operating pressure of fluid to the plurality of fluid distribution devices, the network of pipes comprises a hydraulic design area including less than 12 hydraulically remote devices of the plurality of fluid distribution devices.

41 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the less than 12 hydraulically remote devices comprise 3 hydraulically remote devices mounted to a first branch line of the network of pipes, 3 hydraulically remote devices mounted to a second branch line of the network of pipes, and 3 hydraulically remote devices mounted to a third branch line of the network of pipes.

42 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the less than 12 hydraulically remote devices is exactly 9 hydraulically remote devices.

43 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the less than 12 hydraulically remote devices comprise:
3 hydraulically remote devices mounted to a first branch line of the network of pipes; and
3 hydraulically remote devices mounted to a second branch line of the network of pipes.

44 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the support structure comprises a thermally responsive trigger.

45 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the minimum operating pressure is at least 35 psi.

46 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the plurality of fluid distribution devices comprise pendent sprinklers.

47 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the plurality of fluid distribution devices comprise upright sprinklers.

48 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the storage height is greater than or equal to 12 feet.

49 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the ceiling height is greater than or equal to 20 feet.

50 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the clearance is greater than or equal to three feet.

51 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the stored commodity comprises at least one of a Group B plastic and a Group C plastic.

52 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the arrangement comprises at least one rack arrangement comprising the at least one of the single-row rack arrangement, the double-row rack arrangement, and the multi-row rack arrangement.

53 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the arrangement comprises at least one non-rack arrangement comprising the at least one of the palletized arrangement, the solid-piled arrangement, the bin box arrangement, the shelf arrangement, the back-to-back shelf arrangement, the on floor arrangement, and the rack without solid shelves arrangement.

54 . The fire protection system of claim 40 , comprising:
the clearance between the stored commodity and the ceiling is greater than or equal to five feet.

55 . A method of providing a fire protection system, comprising:
mounting a plurality of fluid distribution devices to a network of pipes defining a gridded network or a tree network, the network of pipes in a storage occupancy having a stored commodity having a storage height less than or equal to 60 feet, the storage occupancy having a ceiling having a ceiling height less than or equal to 60 feet, a clearance between the stored commodity and the ceiling is greater than or equal to one foot, the stored commodity comprises at least one of a Class I commodity, a Class II commodity, a Class III commodity, a Class IV commodity, and a Group A plastic, the stored commodity having an arrangement comprising at least one of (i) a rack arrangement comprising at least one of a single-row rack arrangement, a double-row rack arrangement, and a multi-row rack arrangement, and (ii) a non-rack arrangement comprising at least one of a palletized arrangement, a solid-piled arrangement, a bin box arrangement, a shelf arrangement, a back-to-back shelf arrangement, an on floor arrangement, and a rack without solid shelves arrangement, the plurality of fluid distribution devices define a device-to-device spacing of no less than eight feet and no more than twelve feet, each fluid distribution device of the plurality of fluid distribution devices having a K-factor in GPM/PSI 1/2 greater than or equal to 14.0 and less than or equal to 33.6, each fluid distribution device of the plurality of distribution devices has a maximum coverage of 100 square feet and a minimum coverage area of 64 square feet, each fluid distribution device of the plurality of fluid distribution devices comprises:
a frame body having an inlet for connection to a fluid supply and an outlet with an internal passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet;
a seal assembly within the outlet and supported in place by a support structure; and
a deflector coupled with the frame body and located above the stored commodity and beneath the ceiling, displacement of the support structure permits fluid discharge from the fluid distribution device; and
coupling the network of pipes with a fluid source to provide to the plurality of fluid distribution devices a minimum operating pressure of fluid, the network of pipes comprises a hydraulic design area including less than 12 hydraulically remote devices of the plurality of fluid distribution devices.

56 . The method of claim 55 , comprising:
mounting three of the less than 12 hydraulically remote devices to a first branch line of the network of pipes, three of the h

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A62C31/02

  Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing · CPC title

• A62C37/36

  an actuating signal being generated by a sensor separate from an outlet device · 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

• A62C37/40

  with electric connection between sensor and actuator · CPC title

• A62C35/60

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