System and method for fire suppression

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9446269-B2
Application number	US-201213717042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for fire suppression proactively identifies persons present, during a fire, in a fire suppressant release area. The persons are identified using an electronic monitoring system. An fire suppression system using a suppressant that is effective but unsafe for humans is put into service only if no person is detected. In situations where a person is present, an alternate fire suppressant is released that is safe for humans.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fire suppression system comprising:
a processing system;
a fire detector for detecting a fire within a monitored area, the fire detector electrically connected to the processing system, wherein the fire detector comprises a first electric circuit for sending a fire signal to the processing system in response to detecting the fire within the monitored area;
a person detector for detecting a presence of one or more persons in the monitored area, the person detector electrically connected to the processing system, wherein the person detector comprises a second electric circuit for sending a no-person-present signal if no persons are detected in the monitored area and for sending a person-present signal if one or more persons are detected in the monitored area;
a first container system comprising an unsafe fire suppressant, the first container system electrically connected to the processing system, wherein the first container system comprises a first mechanism for releasing the unsafe fire suppressant into the monitored area in response to a first electric signal received from the processing system, wherein the processing system is programmed to transmit a first electric signal to the first container system in response to receiving the fire signal from the fire detector and the no-person-present signal from the person detector; and
a second container system comprising a safe fire suppressant, the second container system electrically connected to the processing system, wherein the second container system comprises a second mechanism for releasing the safe fire suppressant into the monitored area in response to a second electric signal received from the processing system, and wherein the processing system is programmed to transmit the second electric signal to the second container system in response to receiving the fire signal from the fire detector and the person-present signal from the person detector.

2. The fire suppression system of claim 1 , wherein the person detector comprises a radio frequency identification detector, a card magnetic strip reading device, a bar code reader, a text input device, a radio frequency identification detector, a facial imaging device, a retinal imaging device, a voice recognition device, a fingerprint reader, a hand print reader, or a combination thereof.

3. The fire suppression system of claim 2 , wherein the radio frequency identification detector comprises a circuit for detecting a presence of one or more persons in the monitored area having a radio frequency identification tag.

4. The fire suppression system of claim 2 , wherein the safe fire suppressant comprises monoammonium phosphate.

5. The fire suppression system of claim 1 , further comprising a database for storing a list of persons entering and exiting a monitored area, the database being accessible by the processing system.

6. A fire suppression system comprising:
a processing system;
a fire detector for detecting a fire within a monitored area, the fire detector electrically connected to the processing system for sending a fire signal to the processing system in response to detecting the fire;
a database for storing a list of persons entering and exiting a monitored area, the database being accessible by the processing system;
a first container system comprising a carbon dioxide-based fire suppressant, the first container system electrically connected to the processing system for releasing the carbon dioxide-based fire suppressant in response to receiving a first signal from the processing system;
a second container system comprising a human-safe fire suppressant, the second container system electrically connected to the processing system for releasing the human-safe fire suppressant in response to receiving a second signal from the processing system,
wherein the processing system comprises a circuit for sending the first electric signal to the first container system in response to receiving the fire signal and determining that all persons who entered the monitored area have exited the monitored area, and
wherein the processing system is configured to send the second electric signal to the second container system in response to determining that not all persons who entered the monitored area have exited the monitored area.

7. The fire suppression system of claim 6 , further comprising a radio frequency identification detector electrically connected to the database, the radio frequency identification detector comprising a circuit for detecting radio frequency identification tags carried or worn by persons entering and exiting the monitored area and for transmitting identification data detected from the tags to the database.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Shaik Naseer
• Kasliwal Pritesh
• Khan Mohammed Afzal

Classifications

• A62C37/36 Primary

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