Ceiling-only dry sprinkler systems and methods for addressing a storage occupancy fire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9320928-B2
Application number	US-71892810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2010
Priority date	Oct 21, 2005
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A ceiling-only dry sprinkler system configured to address a storage occupancy fire event with a sprinkler operational area sufficient in size to surround and drown the fire. The system and method preferably provide for the surround and effect by activating one or more initial sprinklers, delaying fluid flow to the initial activated sprinklers for a defined delay period to permit the thermal activation of a subsequent one or more sprinklers so as to form the preferred sprinkler operational area. The sprinklers of the operational area are preferably configured so as to provide sufficient fluid volume and cooling to address the fire-event with a surround and drown configuration. The defined delay period is of a defined period having a maximum and a minimum. The preferred sprinkler system is adapted for fire protection of storage commodities and provides a ceiling only system that eliminates or otherwise minimizes the economic disadvantages and design penalties of current dry sprinkler system design.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A dry ceiling-only storage occupancy fire protection system comprising:
a grid of upright sprinklers defining a sprinkler-to-sprinkler spacing ranging from eight feet to twelve feet (8 ft-12 ft.), each sprinkler including:
a sprinkler body having an inlet and an outlet with a passageway disposed therebetween defining a nominal K-factor of anyone of 19, 22, 25, and 28 or greater;
a closure assembly including a plug;
a thermally rated trigger assembly to support the closure assembly adjacent the outlet of the sprinkler body, the trigger assembly having a temperature rating of about 286° F., and
a deflector coupled to the body and spaced from the outlet, the deflector having a perimeter portion and a central portion spaced further from the outlet than the perimeter portion, the system further comprising

a network of pipes including at least one main pipe and a plurality of spaced apart branch lines interconnecting the grid of upright sprinklers, the network of pipes being filled with a pressurized gas and locating the grid of sprinklers relative to a fluid source in which about fourteen to about twenty-six (14-26) hydraulically remote sprinklers in the grid of sprinklers define a hydraulic design area of the system, the network of pipes delivering upon activation of a first hydraulically remote sprinkler, a minimum operating pressure ranging from about fifteen pounds per square inch to about sixty pounds per square inch (15-60 psi.) of fluid from the fluid source to each of the hydraulically remote sprinklers within twenty to thirty seconds (20-30 sec.) to protect a commodity of any one of Class I, Class II, and Class III stored beneath a ceiling having a ceiling height of at least 30 feet (30 ft.), the commodity having a maximum storage height of at least 20 feet (20 ft.).

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network of pipes includes a main riser pipe including a control valve for controlling the flow of fluid between the fluid source and the grid of sprinklers.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network of pipes define a maximum fluid delivery delay period and a minimum fluid delivery delay period, each sprinkler having a fluid delivery delay period between the maximum fluid delivery delay period and the minimum fluid delivery delay period.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic design area is defined by about fourteen to twenty (14-20) hydraulically remote sprinklers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic design area is less than about 2600 square feet (2600 ft. 2 ).

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured as a double-interlock preaction system, the system further including one or more fire detectors spaced relative to the grid of sprinklers such that in the event of a fire, the fire detectors activate before any sprinkler activation, the system including a releasing control panel in communication with a control valve, the control valve being a solenoid actuated control valve, the releasing control panel being configured to receive signals of a fire detection to appropriately energize the solenoid valve for actuation of the control valve.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured as one of a single-interlock and double-interlock preaction system, the system further including a releasing control panel in communication with a control valve, the control valve being a solenoid actuated control valve, the releasing control panel being configured to receive signals of a pressure decay to appropriately energize the solenoid valve for actuation of the control valve; and a quick release device in communication with the releasing control panel to detect a small rate of decay of gas pressure in the network of pipes to signal the releasing control panel of such a decay.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the storage occupancy is a freezer storage occupancy.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the grid of upright sprinklers comprises a plurality of control mode specific application sprinklers.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ceiling height of at least thirty feet(30 ft.) ranges from thirty feet to forty feet (30 ft.-40 ft.).

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the ceiling height is about forty feet (40 ft.).

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the ceiling height is about thirty-five feet (35 ft.).

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the network of pipes delivers upon activation of the four most hydraulically remote sprinklers the minimum operating pressure of 15-60 psi. of fluid from the fluid source to each of the hydraulically remote sprinklers defining the design area within about thirty seconds (30 sec.).

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the activation of the four most hydraulically remote sprinklers is simultaneous.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network of pipes define a maximum fluid delivery period of about thirty seconds (30 sec.) and a minimum fluid delivery period of about eight seconds (8 sec.), the maximum fluid delivery period being the maximum time for fluid delivery at the minimum operating pressure to the four most hydraulically demanding sprinklers and the minimum fluid delivery period being the time for fluid delivery at the minimum operating pressure to the four least hydraulically demanding sprinklers.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the minimum operating pressure is about 50 psi.

17. The system of any one of claim 1 , wherein the nominal K-factor is 28-36.

18. A method of dry ceiling-only fire protection for a storage occupancy the method comprising:
identifying a ceiling height ranging from thirty feet (30 ft.) of a ceiling of the storage occupancy in which to store a commodity of any one of Class I, II and III beneath the ceiling, the commodity having a maximum storage height of at least 20 feet (20 ft.); and
verifying that a network of pipes in a dry ceiling-only fire protection system that includes at least one main pipe coupled to a fluid source and a plurality of spaced apart branch lines delivers a minimum operating pressure ranging from about fifteen pounds per square inch to about sixty pounds per square inch (15 psi. to 60 psi.) of fluid from a fluid source to at least one hydraulically remote sprinkler defining a hydraulic design area of the system within 25 seconds upon activation of a first hydraulically remote sprinkler, the hydraulic design area being defined by about fourteen to twenty-six (14-26) hydraulically remote sprinklers in a grid of sprinklers coupled to the branch lines, the grid of sprinklers having a maximum sprinkler-to-sprinkler spacing ranging from six feet to twelve feet (6 ft-12 ft.) and including a sprinkler body having an inlet and an outlet with a passageway disposed therebetween defining a nominal K-factor of any one of 19, 22, 25 and 28 or greater, a closure assembly including a plug, a thermally rated trigger assembly to support the closure assembly adjacent the outlet of the sprinkler body, the trigger assembly having a temperature rating of about 286° F., and a deflector coupled to the body so as to be spaced adjacent the outlet for distribution of fluid, the deflector defining an upright configuration of the sprinkler, the deflector having a perimeter portion and a central portion spaced axially further from the outlet than the perimeter portion.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein verifying the delivery of fluid includes using a software program and simulating the activation of the first hydraulically remote sprinklers as an activation of four hydraulically remote sprinklers.

Assignees

• Golinveaux James E
• Leblanc David J
• Wilkins Roger S
• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Golinveaux James E
• Leblanc David J
• Wilkins Roger S

Classifications

• A62C3/002 Primary

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

• A62C35/62 Primary

  dry, i.e. empty of extinguishing material when not in use · CPC title

• A62C35/68 Primary

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

• A62C35/645

  with compressed gas in pipework · CPC title

• A62C35/60

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