Mist type fire protection devices, systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8973669-B2
Application number	US-201013142579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2010
Priority date	Jan 2, 2009
Publication date	Mar 10, 2015
Grant date	Mar 10, 2015

Abstract

Various mist-type fire protection systems for the protection of light and ordinary hazard occupancies of reduced water demand as compared to known mist type systems or sprinkler systems configured to protect the same occupancies. Three system configurations are defined by varying design criteria for the installation of: mist devices having an enlarged coverage area alone or in combination with known nozzles or sprinklers. The preferred mist devices provide for the protection of at least one of a light hazard occupancy only and a light and ordinary hazard occupancy having a ceiling with a maximum ceiling height of at least 8 ft. The preferred device include a body having a passageway defining a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi 1/2 . The preferred device includes means for diffusing the fluid at a flux density of less than 0.1 gpm/sq. ft. for a fluid pressure at the inlet of less than 500 psi. to define a coverage area of the device of over than 132 sq. ft., preferably to a maximum of 256 sq. ft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mist system for fire protection of a light and ordinary hazard occupancy, the system comprising:
a fluid supply; and
a plurality of nozzles spaced about the occupancy and coupled to the fluid supply so as to provide fluid to the nozzles at an operating pressure of less than about 500 pounds per square inch (psi) and define a hydraulic demand being the greater of: (i) five hydraulically remote nozzles each having a coverage area ranging from 36 sq. ft. to a maximum of about 256 sq. ft; or (ii) a hydraulic design area ranging from about 900 square feet to about 1044 square feet; wherein the plurality of nozzles includes at least one of:
(a) a first mist device comprising:
a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi 1/2 , the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
a diffuser assembly including:
a load screw engaged with the lower body portion; and
a diffuser element disposed atop the load screw so as to be located between the upper and lower portions of the body internally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffuser element including:
an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface including a central cone portion extending proximally toward the outlet of the passageway; a plurality of through holes; and a plurality of channels formed along the upper surface and radially disposed about the cone so as to define converging adjacent channels and adjacent diverging channels, the adjacent converging channels having an overlapping portion such that the adjacent converging channels are in communication with one another, a through hole being centered between adjacent diverging channels;

(b) a second mist device comprising:
a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi 1/2 ., the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly; and
a diffuser element, the diffuser element being disposed about a distal end of the lower portion of the body externally of the frame arms centrally aligned along the device axis, the diffusing element including:
an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from and extending substantially parallel to the upper surface, the upper surface defining a central region and an outer region each disposed substantially perpendicular to the device axis, the upper surface further defining an intermediate region extending at an angle to each of the central and peripheral regions to space the central and peripheral regions axially apart, the upper surface extending about the device axis so as to define a truncated cone about the device axis; and
a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, each of the plurality of slots having a slot opening along the outer region and extending radially inward toward the device axis to define a slot length, an initial portion, an intermediate portion and a terminal portion, each of the plurality slots defining slot widths from the initial to the terminal portion;

(c) a third mist device comprising:
a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi 1/2 , the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly;
a diffuser element axially spaced from the outlet to define a coverage area of the device of maximum of 256 sq. ft. at a maximum ceiling height of about ten feet for an operating fluid pressure at the inlet ranging between 140 psi. to 250 psi, the diffuser element having a plurality of through holes and a plurality of channels;
wherein when the device is installed 78 inches above a collection area to determine a spray pattern distribution for the device given a fluid test pressure at the inlet of the device to generate a volume of flow from the device, the collection area having three zones: zone one, zone two and zone three, zone one being defined by a sixty degree span about a first plane intersecting the device axis and perpendicular to a second plane intersecting the device axis, the pair of frame arms being disposed in the second plane, zone three being defined by a sixty degree span centered about the second plane, and the zone two being defined by a thirty degree span about a third plane intersecting the device axis and disposed between the first and second planes and extending forty-five degrees relative to each of the first and second planes, the spray pattern of the device providing:
(i) wherein the test pressure is 100 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having a two foot radial width with its outer edge located six feet (6 ft.) about the device axis with over 58% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis;
(ii) wherein the test pressure is 175 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having a two foot radial width with its outer edge located six feet (6 ft.) about the device axis with over 50% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis; and
(iii) wherein the test pressure is 245 psi., the distribution pattern including the highest percentage of the flow volume distributed in a ring centered about the device axis having a two foot radial width with its outer edge located six feet (6 ft.) about the device axis with over 33% of the total volume being distributed in a region eight to twenty feet about the device axis; and
(d) a fourth mist device comprising:
a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining an internal passage having an inlet and an outlet for the discharge of a fluid to define a K-factor of less than 1 gpm/psi 1/2 , the upper and lower portions being axially spaced and aligned along a device axis;
a pair of frame arms extending between the upper and lower body portion and centered about the device axis;
a seal assembly disposed in the outlet including a thermally sensitive element to support the seal assembly; and
a diffuser element disposed axially from the outlet of the body to define a maximum coverage area of the device of 144 sq. ft. at maximum ceiling height of about 17 ft. for an operating fluid pressure at the inlet ranging between 110 psi. to 250 psi, the diffuser having a plurality of slots and a plurality of through holes;
wherein when the device is installed 78 inches above a collection area to determine a spray pattern distribution for the device given a fluid test pressure at the inlet of the device to generate a volume of flow from the device, the collection area having three zones: zone one, zone two and zone three, zone one being defined by a sixty degree

Assignees

• Connery Luke S
• Leblanc David J
• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Connery Luke S
• Leblanc David J

Classifications

• A62C99/0072 Primary

  using sprayed or atomised water · CPC title

• A62C37/14 Primary

  with frangible vessels · CPC title

• A62C37/10

  Releasing means, e.g. electrically released · CPC title

• A62C31/02 Primary

  Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing · CPC title

• A62C35/64 Primary

  pressurised · CPC title