Fire extinguishing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023398388-A1
Application number	US-202217806910-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Jun 14, 2022
Publication date	Dec 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fire extinguishing system includes a storage vessel and a fluidic oscillator. The storage vessel is configured to contain a fire extinguishing agent. The fluidic oscillator is configured to receive the fire extinguishing agent from the storage vessel, and discharge a continuous jet of the fire extinguishing agent while oscillating the jet back and forth through a sweep angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fire extinguishing system, comprising:
a storage vessel configured to contain a fire extinguishing agent; and a fluidic oscillator configured to receive the fire extinguishing agent from the storage vessel, and discharge a continuous jet of the fire extinguishing agent while oscillating the jet back and forth through a sweep angle.

2 . The fire extinguishing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an agent transfer tube fluidically coupling the storage vessel to the fluidic oscillator.

3 . The fire extinguishing system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic oscillator comprises:
a power nozzle and an exit throat; an internal cavity containing a pair of flow separators separating a mixing region respectively from a pair of feedback channels, each feedback channel has a channel entrance proximate the exit throat, and a channel exit proximate the power nozzle; the power nozzle is configured to receive the fire extinguishing agent from the storage vessel, and direct a main flow of the fire extinguishing agent into the mixing region; and each flow separator is configured to alternately cause a portion of the main flow to enter the channel entrance of the feedback channel defined by the flow separator, and exit the feedback channel proximate the power nozzle in a manner generating a separation vortex that pushes the main flow across the mixing region and toward the flow separator on an opposite side of the mixing region, causing the jet to change direction across the sweep angle.

4 . The fire extinguishing system of claim 3 , wherein:
the main body terminates at the exit throat where the jet is discharged.

5 . The fire extinguishing system of claim 3 , wherein:
the fluidic oscillator is symmetrical about a central axis centered on the power nozzle and the exit throat.

6 . The fire extinguishing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluidic oscillator is configured to oscillate the jet through a sweep angle in the range of 30-120 degrees.

7 . The fire extinguishing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluidic oscillator is configured to oscillate the jet at an oscillating frequency in the range of 5-20 Hz.

8 . The fire extinguishing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluidic oscillator is configured to discharge the jet in a manner causing the jet to break up into droplets having a droplet size of less than 150 microns.

9 . An aircraft, comprising:
a compartment; a storage vessel configured to contain a fire extinguishing agent in liquid form; and a fluidic oscillator configured to receive the fire extinguishing agent from the storage vessel, and discharge a continuous jet of the fire extinguishing agent into the compartment while oscillating the jet back and forth through a sweep angle.

10 . The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the fluidic oscillator is installed in at least one of the following locations:
in an engine compartment of a turbine engine; in an auxiliary power unit (APU) compartment containing an APU.

11 . The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein:
the turbine engine is a turbofan engine having a fan cowl and a fan duct outer wall defining a fan case surrounding a fan duct, and further having a fan duct inner wall and an engine core at least partially surrounded by the fan duct inner wall; and the fluidic oscillator is configured to discharge the jet within at least one of the following regions:
in the fan case between the fan cowl and the fan duct outer wall;
in the region between the fan duct inner wall and the engine core.

12 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the fluidic oscillator is mounted in at least one of the following locations:
above the engine core, and the fluidic oscillator is configured such that the jet distributes the fire extinguishing agent alternately on opposite sides of the engine core; above the fan duct, and the fluidic oscillator is configured such that the jet distributes the fire extinguishing agent alternately on opposite sides of the fan case.

13 . The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the fluidic oscillator comprises:
a power nozzle and an exit throat; an internal cavity containing a pair of flow separators separating a mixing region respectively from a pair of feedback channels, each feedback channel has a channel entrance proximate the exit throat, and a channel exit proximate the power nozzle; the power nozzle is configured to receive the fire extinguishing agent from the storage vessel, and direct a main flow of the fire extinguishing agent into the mixing region; and each flow separator is configured to alternately cause a portion of the main flow to enter the channel entrance of the feedback channel defined by the flow separator, and exit the feedback channel proximate the power nozzle in a manner generating a separation vortex that pushes the main flow across the mixing region and toward the flow separator on an opposite side of the mixing region, causing the jet to change direction across the sweep angle.

14 . The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein:
the storage vessel contains one of the following compounds as the fire extinguishing agent: trifluoroiodomethane, fluoroketone, pentafluoroethane, or bromotrifluoromethane.

15 . A method of extinguishing a fire, comprising:
storing fire extinguishing agent in a storage vessel; releasing the fire extinguishing agent to a solid state fluidic oscillator; and discharging a continuous jet of the fire extinguishing agent from the fluidic oscillator, while oscillating the jet back and forth through a sweep angle.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein discharging the jet comprises:
oscillating the jet through a sweep angle in the range of 30-120 degrees.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein discharging the jet comprises:
oscillating the jet at an oscillating frequency in the range of 5-20 Hz.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein discharging the jet comprises:
discharging the jet in a manner causing the jet to break up into droplets having a droplet size in the range of less than 150 microns.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein discharging the jet comprises:
discharging the jet into at least one of the following locations on an aircraft:
into an engine compartment of a turbine engine;
into an auxiliary power unit (APU) compartment containing an APU.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein discharging the jet comprises:
discharging one of the following compounds as the fire extinguishing agent: trifluoroiodomethane, fluoroketone, pentafluoroethane, or bromotrifluoromethane.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Weidler John A
• Mceachen George A
• Wright Robert S
• Baisley Daniel W
• Wickham Sarah M
• Byers Mark D

Classifications

• A62C31/005 Primary

  using nozzles · CPC title

• A62C3/08 Primary

  in aircraft {(A62C3/0207 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A62C35/023

  the extinguishing material being expelled by compressed gas, taken from storage tanks, or by generating a pressure gas (for foam generation A62C5/02) · CPC title

• A62C35/68

  Details, e.g. of pipes or valve systems (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title