Tunnel fire protection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636532-B2
Application number	US-201414895881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A deluge fire protection system for tunnels having vehicle traffic including a main water supply pipe and a horizontal spray nozzle arrangement. The horizontal spray nozzle arrangement includes a nozzle device having an inlet portion defining an internal diameter and an external nominal diameter. The horizontal spray arrangement includes a coupling arrangement between the main water supply and the nozzle device. The coupling arrangement defines a multi-direction flow path between the main water supply and the nozzle device. The multi-direction flow path has an effective length of at least eight times a diameter of the inlet portion, and a cross-sectional area along the effective length greater than the cross-sectional area defined by a diameter of the inlet portion of the body of the nozzle device. The coupling arrangement provides for water delivery to the nozzle device at a working pressure ranging from about 10 psi. to about 30 psi.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deluge fire protection system for an area having a surface for vehicular transit, comprising:
a main water supply pipe disposed a first distance from the surface; and
a horizontal spray nozzle arrangement disposed a second distance from the surface, the second distance being less than the first distance; the horizontal spray nozzle arrangement including:
a nozzle device having a deflector and a frame supporting the deflector, the frame having a body defining an inlet portion, an orifice and a nozzle axis extending from the inlet portion to the orifice along an internal passageway, the inlet portion defining an internal diameter and a cross-sectional area defined by the internal diameter of the inlet portion, the passageway and the orifice defining a nominal K-factor of at least 8.0 GPM/(PSI) 1/2 ; and
a coupling arrangement between the main water supply and the nozzle device, the coupling arrangement defining at least a two-direction flow path between the main water supply and the nozzle device; the two-direction flow path having an effective length of at least eight times the internal diameter and a cross-sectional area along the coupling arrangement that is greater than the cross-sectional area defined by the internal diameter of the inlet portion;
wherein water discharged from the horizontal spray nozzle arrangement is controlled by a deluge valve coupled to the main water supply pipe, the water being delivered to the spray nozzle arrangement at a working pressure ranging from about 10 psi. to about 30 psi.

2. The deluge fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the area defines a direction of vehicle travel and includes a ceiling disposed above the surface, the main water supply pipe suspended from the ceiling, the main water supply pipe including an outlet, the coupling arrangement including a drop nipple and a pipe fitting coupled to the drop nipple, the drop nipple extending from the outlet toward the surface to define a first direction of the two-direction flow path, the pipe fitting extending from the drop nipple to the frame of the nozzle device to define a second direction of the at least two-direction flow path.

3. The deluge fire protection system of claim 2 , wherein the pipe fitting includes an elbow and a reduction assembly.

4. The deluge fire protection system of claim 3 , wherein the outlet defines a nominal outlet diameter of 2 inches, the drop nipple has an 8 inch or 9 inch nominal length and defines a nominal diameter of about 2 inches, the elbow a nominal diameter of 2 inches to define an effective length of 8.5 feet, the reduction assembly defining the cross-sectional area between the elbow and the nozzle device being about 1.25 square inches.

5. The deluge fire protection system of claim 2 , wherein the pipe fitting includes a tee fitting a first reduction assembly and a second reduction assembly, the horizontal nozzle arrangement including a first horizontal nozzle device coupled to the tee fitting by the first reduction assembly and a second horizontal nozzle device coupled to the tee fitting by a second reduction assembly to define a back-to-back relation between the first and second horizontal nozzle devices.

6. The deluge fire protection system of claim 5 , wherein the outlet defines a nominal outlet diameter of 2 inches, the drop nipple has an 8 inch or 9 inch nominal length and defines a nominal diameter of about 2 inches, the tee fitting having a nominal diameter of 2 inches to define an effective length of 12 feet, each of the first and second reduction assemblies defining the cross-sectional area being about 4.5 square inches.

7. The deluge fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the area defines a direction of vehicle travel, the main water supply pipe extending parallel to the direction of vehicle travel and the nozzle axis extending parallel to the main water supply pipe.

8. The deluge fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the area defines a direction of vehicle travel, the main water supply pipe extending parallel to the direction of vehicle travel and the nozzle axis extending perpendicular to the main water supply pipe.

9. The deluge fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the area defines a direction of vehicle travel, the system including a ceiling disposed above the surface and a pair of sidewalls extending from the surface to the ceiling, the main water supply pipe being disposed between the between the pair of sidewalls such that the horizontal spray nozzle arrangement distributes water on one of the pair of walls vertically up to a maximum of 4.5 meters.

10. The deluge fire protection system of claim 9 , wherein the main water supply pipe is centered between the between the pair of sidewalls.

11. The deluge fire protection system of claim 1 , wherein the area defines a direction of vehicle travel, the system including a ceiling disposed above the surface and a pair of sidewalls extending from the surface to the ceiling, the main water supply pipe including a first main water supply pipe and at least a second water supply pipe each disposed between the pair of sidewalls and extending parallel to the direction of vehicle travel, the horizontal nozzle including a first horizontal spray nozzle arrangement coupled to the first main water supply pipe and at least a second horizontal spray nozzle arrangement coupled to the second main water supply pipe, the coupling arrangement including a first coupling arrangement and at least second coupling arrangement, the first coupling arrangement being between the first main water supply and the first horizontal spray nozzle arrangement, the second coupling arrangement being between the second main water supply and the at least second horizontal spray nozzle arrangement.

12. The deluge fire protection system of claim 11 , wherein each of the main water supply pipes include an outlet, each of the first and at least second coupling arrangements including a drop nipple and a pipe fitting coupled to the drop nipple, the drop nipple extending from the outlet toward the surface to define a first direction of the two-direction flow path, the pipe fitting extending from the drop nipple to the horizontal spray nozzle arrangement to define a second direction of the two-direction flow path.

13. The deluge fire protection system of claim 12 , wherein the pipe fitting includes an elbow fitting and a reduction assembly, each of the first and at least second horizontal spray arrangements consisting of a single horizontal spray nozzle to direct water to one wall of the pair of sidewalls and away from the other wall of the pair of the sidewalls.

14. The deluge fire protection system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first and at least second single horizontal spray nozzle is directed perpendicular to the main water supply pipe.

15. The deluge fire protection system of claim 13 , wherein the outlet defines a nominal outlet diameter of 2 inches, the drop nipple has an 8 inch or 9 inch nominal length and defines a nominal diameter of about 2 inches, the elbow fitting having a nominal diameter of 2 inches to define an effective length of 8.5 feet, and the reduction assembly defining the cross-sectional area between the elbow and the nozzle device being about 1.25 square inches.

16. The deluge fire protection system of claim 12 , wherein the pipe fitting is a tee fitting, each of the first and at least second horizontal spray arrangements including a first horizontal nozzle device coupled to the tee fitting by the first reduction assembly and a second horizontal nozzle device coupled to the tee fitting by a

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Pena Pedriant
• Almeida Jose L
• Coletta George B
• Connery Luke S

Classifications

• B05B1/265

  the liquid or other fluent material being symmetrically deflected about the axis of the nozzle · CPC title

• A62C3/0221 Primary

  for tunnels · CPC title

• A62C35/68 Primary

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

• A62C99/0072

  using sprayed or atomised water · CPC title