|
(11) | EP 1 274 489 B9 |
| (12) | CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
| Note: Bibliography reflects the latest situation |
|
|
| (54) |
SPRINKLERS BERIESELUNGSAPPARATE GICLEURS DE TYPE SPRINKLER |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
Field of the Art
[0001] The invention relates to fire fighting equipment, namely, sprinkler devices for local extinguishing of the fires in buildings with a large number of possible fire sites, for instance, in hospitals, libraries, museums, offices, department stores, storehouses, garages. These devices are usually used as structural parts of automatic extinguishing systems.
Prior State of the Art
[0002] Known in the art are different types of a sprinkler applied in fire extinguishing equipment. These prior art devices differ both in types of thermally responsive units used as their structural components and channel configuration through which the fire extinguishing liquid is supplied.
[0003] For instance, known in the art are sprinklers having a body with an axial cylindrical channel for liquid supply, a thermally responsive unit with a valve closing the sprinkler outlet, and a thermally responsive unit attachment (Patent US 5392993, B05B 1/26, published 28.02.95). The design feature of this sprinkler is configuration embodiment of a liquid stream diffuser element fixed opposite the channel outlet. The improvement described in Patent US 5392993 has been designed to generate a gas-and-drop stream of a certain spatial configuration, which is the most optimum one for fire extinguishing, as well as a drop size change in the stream generated and their specific distribution (by their size) in the stream generated. However, this technical decision is characterized by a complex structure and limited possibilities.
[0004] Known in the art are also other technical decisions, among which another sprinkler may be noted described in Patent US 4800961 (A62C 37/10, published 31.01.89). A common sprinkler has a body with liquid supply channel, a thermally responsive component with a valve closing the sprinkler outlet and thermally responsive unit attachment. The sprinkler channel is formed by a few sequentially connected segments of different shape and different passage cross-section. The first segment of the channel from the liquid supply side is a conical diffuser with an aperture angle of about 80. The first segment is connected to the second one having the form of a conical diffuser with an aperture angle of about 600. The third segment of the channel is of a cylindrical shape, the diameter of which equals to that of conical diffuser outlet cross-section. The diffuser channel outlet is formed by an annular projection. A flat surface of the annular projection having a minimum longitudinal size is oriented perpendicular to a liquid stream direction in the sprinkler channel. This configuration of sprinkler channel embodiment provides generation of larger drops on account of a stream speed decrease at the channel outlet. As a result the sprinkler produces a gas-and-drop stream with a desired liquid distribution by its drop sizes for effective extinguishing. Large drops are in the central part of the stream, which is directly used for extinguishing the flame. The drops of a relatively small size are in the peripheral part of the gas-and-drop stream to reduce the smoke gas temperature or cool the environment.
[0005] The sprinkler structure described allows, on the whole, to reduce non-productive liquid consumption. However, a part of energy inputs for gas-and-drop stream generation is non-productively spent in braking a peripheral part of the liquid stream at the cylindrical portion of the channel in front of the annular projection.
[0006] The most closely analogous device of the present invention is a sprinkler described in the Author's Certificate USSR Nº 643162, which has a body with a liquid supply channel, a thermally responsive unit with a valve, which closes the sprinkler outlet, and the thermally responsive unit attachment. The sprinkler channel is formed by a segment of a cylindrical shape connected with a segment in the form of a conical diffuser. However, the sprinkler channel dimensions and configuration were not optimized in the said structure, which is necessary for effective liquid spray over the fire site. Together with this the prior sprinkler does not allow to generate a uniform finely-dispersed gas-and-drop liquid stream of a high kinetic energy of the drops at the fire surface.
Summary of the Invention
[0007] The invention patented is aimed at developing a sprinkler structure, which provides generation of a uniform finely-dispersed gas-and-drop stream with a high kinetic energy of the drops and their uniform distribution in space. The solution of this problem allows to increase a sprinkling area with a desired intensity and kinetic energy of the drops necessary for effective extinguishing a fire site. In other words, the invention is aimed at increasing the area of the room protected against the fire. In addition, the invention is aimed at decreasing power and liquid consumption for a gas-and-drop stream generation possessing the listed advantages.
[0008] The above object is accomplished by the fact that a sprinkler has a body with a liquid supply channel, which is formed by a segment of a cylindrical shape connected with a segment made in the form of a conical diffuser, a thermal responsive unit with a valve and a thermal responsive unit attachment. Herein, according to the invention, the length of a cylindrical segment exceeds the channel diameter of this segment, the length of the segment in the form of conical diffuser exceeds the channel diameter at the cylindrical segment, the angle at the cone apex forming the surface of a conical diffuser is from 100 to 500.
[0009] The length of a cylindrical segment of the sprinkler channel does not preferably exceed three diameters of the channel at this segment.
[0010] The thermally responsive unit attachment can be embodied in the form of frame arms embracing the thermally responsive unit.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0011] The invention will now be described with reference to a specific embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a sprinkler designed according to the first embodiment (in the plane of frame arm location);
Preferred Embodiments of the Invention
[0012] A sprinkler according to the present invention (see Fig. 1) has a body 1, the upper part of which contains a coupling point for connecting with the main liquid supply pipe. The body 1 has a through channel, which has a sealing ring 2 to fix an insertion-sprinkler 3. The channel of the body 1 has a thermally responsive unit valve 4 sealed by sealing 5. The valve 4 is held in its initial position by means of a thermally responsive unit bulb 6 made of fragile material. The bulb 6 is fixed in a desired position by a set screw 7.
[0013] In its initial position the thermally responsive unit ensures the valve 5 sealing, which closes the sprinkler outlet. The thermally responsive unit attachment is made in the form of frame arms 8 symmetrically positioned around the bulb 6 (frame arms 8 embrace the thermally responsive unit). These frame arms 8 may be either members of the body 1, or made as separate components fixed on the body 1. A diffuser element 9 of a gas-and-drop stream (a rosette) is attached to the frame arms 8.
[0014] A liquid supply channel made in the insertion-sprinkler 3 is formed by a segment 10 of a cylindrical shape, smoothly joined with segment 11 made in the form of a conical diffuser. According to the invention the length of a cylindrical segment 10 exceeds the channel diameter at this segment. The length of segment 11 in the form of a conical diffuser exceeds the channel diameter at the cylindrical segment 10. The angle at the cone apex forming the conical diffuser surface is 100 to 500. Herein the length of a cylindrical segment 10 is elected not more than three diameters of the channel at this segment (otherwise the sprinkler dimensions increase without performance improvement).
[0016] Water is fed into the sprinkler under a higher pressure than that which causes cavitation (for water P>0,25 MPa). The pressure value is approximately 1 MPa. The static pressure at the cylindrical segment 10 outlet falls to the level less than the pressure of saturated water vapors. As a result the cavitation centers emerge and grow in a liquid stream. With the further liquid motion in the expanding channel of a conical segment 11 a gas-and-drop stream is generated. The generated stream parameters depend on the cone apex angle forming a conical diffuser (segment 11) hereto. At the conical surface apex angle value less than 100 the liquid does not separate from the conical segment 11 walls or partially separates periodically sticking to one or the other part of the conical wall. This process occurs with frequency within the range of 10 to 50 Hz. At the angle value greater than 100 the stream completely separates from the channel walls and the space between them and slightly diverging stream (divergence angle 1÷1,50) is filled with air vortices (in stream effluxing into the air).
[0017] In case when the conical surface apex angle value exceeds 500, the nozzle performance is almost the same as that of a cylindrical channel with a flat end surface. The vortices reduce in their size but the frequency of their growth increases. These vortices effect only the surface layers of a stream generated, the nucleus of the stream remaining non-disturbed.
[0018] With the selection of an optimum angle at conical surface apex forming a nozzle (within the range of 100 to 500 according to the Invention) there arise large-scale vortices ejected by the air flow. These vortices swing the whole stream of the liquid, which turns to be saturated with vapor and air. At the stream outflow from the nozzle there occurs a collapse of large-sized gas-phase formations in the flow of liquid.
[0019] As a result of phenomena described a vapor-and-air saturated liquid stream is produced, which is crushed into the finest drops while colliding with the frame arm 8 base, a set screw 7 and a gas-and-drop stream diffuser element 9. Thereby reduction of a drop size is achieved in the gas-and-drop stream with conservation a high kinetic energy of the drops. On account of this a finely-dispersed gas-and-drop stream of a long range is generated. This on the whole allows to increase fire extinguishing efficiency with application of sprinklers with an optimized insertion-spray 3 channel configuration.
[0020] This result is obtained only with the length of a cylindrical segment of the channel 10 greater than the diameter of this segment. With a shorter length of a cylindrical segment the cavitational inclusions in the liquid fail to generate at the outlet of this segment. An excessive increase of a cylindrical segment length is also undesirable, since in this case the energy losses increase due to liquid flow friction against the channel walls. It is preferred to select the length of this segment with water spray in the range of 2 to 10 mm.
[0021] As a result of the tests conducted it was established that a sprinkler embodied according to the above modification provides generation of finely-dispersed gas-and-drop streams with an average size of drops 120 µm. The area of the room protected is 21 m2 hereof. It should be noted that conventional sprinkler structures (e.g., 25699 Grinell AM-type sprinkler) under analogous circumstances allow to generate gas-and-drop stream with an average size of the drops 380 µm, the area of the room protected against the fire not exceeding 6 m2.
[0022] The invention yields generation of a uniform fine gas-and-drop liquid flow of a high kinetic energy and space-uniform distribution, which allows to increase the area of the room protected against the fire.
Industrial Application
[0023] The invention may be used for fire extinguishing equipment, namely: in stationary sprinkler systems for local fire extinguishing in buildings with a great number of potential fire sites. These systems may be used in hospitals, libraries, museums, administration buildings, department stores, storehouses, garages. A sprinkler embodied according to the invention may be used as a part of automatic fire extinguishing units comprising a monitor sensor and a control system. Sprinklers of the structure described may be mounted with the help of a standard releasable connector on the main pipelines of operating fire extinguishing systems instead of obsolete structure sprinklers.
1. A sprinkler comprising a body (1) and a channel for liquid supply, a thermally responsive
unit with a valve (4) and a thermally responsive unit attachment, wherein a sprinkler
channel is formed by a segment (10) of a cylindrical configuration connected with
a segment (11) made in the form of a conical diffuser, characterized by the fact that the lenght of the cynlidrical segment (10) exceeds the channel diameter
of this segment, and the lenght of the segment (11) in the form of a conical diffuser
exceeds the channel diameter of the cylindrical segment (10), the cone apex angle
forming the surface of the conical diffuser being 100 to 500.
2. The sprinkler of claim 1, characterized by the fact that the length of the cylindrical segment (10) does not exceed three diameters
of the channel at this segment.
3. The sprinkler of claim 1, characterized by the fact that the thermally responsive unit attachment is made as frame arms (8)
embracing the thermally responsive unit.
1. Sprinkler mit einem Körper (1) und einem Kanal für eine Flüssigkeitszufuhr, einer
auf Wärme ansprechenden Einheit mit einem Ventil (4) und einer Befestigung für die
auf Wärme ansprechende Einheit, wobei ein Sprinklerkanal von einem Segment (10) mit
zylindrischer Ausbildung gebildet wird, das mit einem Segment (11) verbunden ist,
das in Form eines konisches Diffusers ausgebildet ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Länge des zylindrischen Segments (10) den Kanaldurchmesser dieses Segments überschreitet,
und die Länge des Segments (11) in Form eines konischen Diffusers den Kanaldurchmesser
des zylindrischen Segments (10) überschreitet, wobei der Spitzenwinkel des Konus,
der die Oberfläche des konischen Diffusers bildet, 10° bis 50° beträgt.
2. Sprinkler nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Länge des zylindrischen Segments (10) nicht drei Durchmesser des Kanals an diesem
Segment überschreitet.
3. Sprinkler nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Befestigung für die auf Wärme ansprechende Einheit als Rahmenarme (8) ausgebildet
ist, die die thermisch ansprechende Einheit umgeben.
1. Gicleur comprenant un corps (1) et un conduit pour l'alimentation en liquide, une
unité thermoréactive équipée d'une vanne (4) et d'une fixation d'unité thermoréactive,
dans laquelle un conduit de gicleur est formé par un segment (10) d'une configuration
cylindrique reliée à un segment (11) réalisé sous forme d'un diffuseur conique, caractérisé en ce que la longueur du segment cylindrique (10) dépasse le diamètre du conduit de ce segment
et la longueur du segment (11) sous forme d'un diffuseur conique dépasse le diamètre
du conduit du segment cylindrique (10), l'angle du sommet du cône formant la surface
du diffuseur conique étant de 10° à 50°.
2. Gicleur selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la longueur du segment (10) cylindrique ne dépasse pas trois diamètres du conduit
au niveau de ce segment.
3. Gicleur selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la fixation d'unité thermoréactive est réalisée comme des bras (8) de cadre entourant
l'unité thermoréactive.