EP2329473B1 - Fire protection device, method for protecting against fire, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

State of the art

The invention relates to a fire safety device with an input module, which is designed to receive fire data in a security area, with an evaluation module, which is designed to process the fire data and to form a processing result and with an output module, which for activating and / or control of security actions is formed on the basis of the processing result of the evaluation module. The invention further relates to a method for fire safety as well as a computer program.

Fire alarm systems are usually installed in public buildings, production facilities, railway stations, etc. and serve on the one hand to detect or report fires and on the other to issue countermeasures, such as audible warnings, visual warnings, escape route information, etc. Furthermore, such fire alarm systems are in the usual Construction trained to pass on the fire to appropriate rescue personnel or the fire department.

In fire alarm systems for large projects with several thousand fire detectors, it is also common to visualize triggered fire detectors visually in a 2D building floor plan. In this way, the administrator, the caretaker or the rescue personnel recognizes the position of the fire, can quickly orient themselves and, if necessary, instruct other incoming rescue teams.

The controls of fire dampers or doors usually work statically, ie a fire alarm is triggered and a fire damper coupled with it opens automatically, to keep a flood path, for example, smoke-free. For the orientation of the refugees the escape routes are marked with simple escape route signs.

A more complex fire alarm system, however, is in the document DE 102005012736A1 which is probably the closest prior art. In this publication, a device for controlling rescue operations is described in which are arranged in an area accessible to people sensors that locate the people, and in which the sensors are connected to a computer, from the localization of persons, the properties of the Area and the location of at least one source of danger. As rescue measures come evacuation of people, instructions to rescue team or technical measures, such as closing and opening fire doors, in question.

The publication US 2005/128070 A1 relates to a system and method for finding escape routes in a building.

The publication US 2006/0176169 A1 relates to a system for detecting environmental conditions and includes a plurality of sensors, which are wirelessly connected to each other. In this system, which is designed for the detection of forest fires and the like, a fire course in the future based on the measurement results of the sensors is estimated.

The publication US 200810106437 A1 , which forms the closest prior art, relates to a smoke and fire detection system for an aircraft cargo center. The system includes a plurality of sensors located in the cargo area. On the basis of the measuring signals of the sensors, a smoke concentration or fire intensity distribution is calculated, a further development is estimated and the results of the calculation and the estimation are displayed on a map of the cargo area. During operation of the system, the results of the newer sensor measurement signals are iteratively checked and the estimate improved based on the deviation between the estimated evolution and the actual evolution of the smoke or fire.

Disclosure of the invention

In the context of the invention, a fire safety device with the features of claim 1, a method with the features of claim 10 and a computer program with the features of claim 11 is disclosed. Preferred or advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the following description and the accompanying drawings.

A fire safety device is presented within the scope of the invention, which is preferably suitable and / or designed for securing a complex security area, preferably with a plurality of individual areas separated from one another by doors or passageways, ie for example a multi-storeyed house. The fire safety device can be designed as a central unit and be realized, for example, in a computer and / or in a server. Alternatively, the fire safety device is distributed decentrally, with individual modules of the fire safety device wired or wirelessly and / or network, in particular Internet, can communicate with each other.

The fire safety device has an input module, which is designed in terms of programming technology and / or circuitry for receiving fire data from the security area. The fire data are preferably formed to represent a current state of a fire or fire hearth and / or secondary emissions of the fire or hearth, such as flue gas evolution or temperature evolution.

The fire safety device has an evaluation module, which is designed to process the fire data and to form a processing result. The evaluation module is thus designed in terms of programming and / or circuitry to interpret the fire data.

Furthermore, the fire safety device comprises an output module, which is designed to activate and / or control safety actions based on the processing result of the evaluation module circuitry and / or program technology.

In the simplest representation, the fire safety device according to the invention thus comprises the input module for an input of data, the evaluation module for processing the data and for forming the processing result and the output module for the output of the data. Optionally, the modules are provided with peripheral devices, such as e.g. Fire detectors, sensors, actuators, signalers and / or warning devices etc. connected and / or interconnected.

It is proposed that the evaluation module has a prediction unit which is designed in terms of programming technology and / or control technology to predict a fire course on the basis of the fire data as a processing result. The prediction unit is thus designed to determine a future fire status.

It is a consideration of the invention to obtain by the prediction of the future fire course increased security for vulnerable persons, since safeguards can be initiated with foresight. In the same way, the deployment of rescue workers can be better coordinated by assessing not only the current fire status but also the future fire status.

In one possible embodiment, the invention allows for example to simulate fire propagation, wherein the prediction unit preferably permanently with input data, especially fire data, is supplied, so that the fire or the future fire status can be predicted with sufficient certainty. In a possible implementation thus a previous fire history, ie from the detection of the fire to the current present t0, to a prediction of the further development of fire, ie of current present t0 extended into the future.

Possible realizations use, for example, three-dimensional simulations of the air flows in order to be able to predict smoke or fire propagation, three-dimensional temperature distribution models and / or analytical functions and their extrapolation, for example to estimate the amount of smoke produced. The prediction may also be made, for example, using a linear model, a nonlinear model, an adaptive model, fuzzy logic, neural networks, or otherwise. In particular, the processing result is calculated, estimated and / or currently determined during the life of the fire safety device.

The advantage of the invention is to be seen in the fact that the ongoing analysis of the current development of the fire and the prediction of the future can be used to update and optimize safeguards or initiate them in a coordinated manner depending on the situation. The advantage is particularly evident in comparison to conventional fire alarm systems, in which, for example, simulations of the smoke propagation of virtual fires are investigated during planning and projecting and the control of ventilation flaps for fresh air supply or smoke extraction depending on the location of the fire are fixed. However, due to the large number of possible fire development sites and possibilities of fire propagation, it is not possible to consider all fire scenarios when determining the control rules for the ventilation flaps and the like, so that in a real fire the countermeasures can be implemented statically and thus only suboptimally. In contrast, the invention allows a constant current real-time analysis and real-time evaluation of the current and future fire situation.

The prediction unit is designed to predict the fire course on the basis of a model of the security area. The model is preferably designed so that it includes complex building data, so that in connection with the fire data, the fire history can be predicted with good probability. The model comprises one, some or any selection of the following complex building data as defined in claim 1:

A floor plan or plan of the security area, which is provided in two-dimensional and / or in three-dimensional representation. Optionally, a three-dimensional model of the backup area is also created from a two-dimensional ground plan using computer-aided design.

A good source of information is also a list of the materials, in particular the built-in materials of the security area, in particular for floor coverings or equipment, such as curtains, wooden railings, carpets, etc. dar. If the equipment changes, for example, carpets are removed and tiles built-in, so also changes the potential danger, since tiles can not burn. By updating the model, such structural changes can also be taken into account in the prediction of the fire course.

Other components of the model may include data on fire loads, in particular partitions, office equipment, e.g. Make up furniture, etc.

In the event that a warehouse is present in the security area, it is preferred if the model includes the stock, in particular the type of stored goods, level and / or hazard class, etc.

Most preferably, any built-in material, fire load, and / or inventory is cataloged by fire class and / or fire characteristics to improve the prediction. In addition, the model may include state information of the security area, in particular opening and / or closing states of doors, gates, windows, etc., for example in order to improve the prediction of the air flows.

In the operation of the security device, it is preferred if each change of the model is adjusted by personnel or automated in order to always ensure a reliable prediction.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the input module with one, some and / or any selection of the following input devices for Receipt of fire data and / or other data, which can form a basis for the prediction of the fire course, connected and / or connectable:

Fire data sensors, such as fire sensors, temperature sensors, smoke density sensors, carbon dioxide or monoxide sensors for the direct collection of fire data. However, measurements of the sensors of the heating and / or air conditioning system, for example for detecting temperatures or carbon dioxide concentration, may also be used as input devices for the fire safety device. Other options include the use of surveillance cameras, which can detect smoke or fire emissions, for example in aisles.

Another possible type of input device for the fire safety device is the use of surveillance cameras, burglary sensors, access sensors and other sensors, which provide information on existing persons in the building and their whereabouts. In particular, the distribution of the persons can be detected via such sensors and, for example, panic in front of escape doors, etc. can be detected.

In a possible development of the invention, the fire safety device for receiving fire data and / or other data, which can form a basis for the prediction of the fire or to improve the selection of security actions, by other systems, such as fire alarm, access systems, burglar alarm and / or video surveillance system trained. In the integration of the fire safety device, these possibly existing systems can be interconnected with the fire safety device, so that the installation effort or capital expenditure is reduced.

One possible backup action that is triggered by the output module is an optimization of escape routes. The optimization of the escape routes is implemented, for example, by changing pictograms, loudspeaker announcements or other indications. By predicting the fire, it is possible that Place escape routes in such a way that the endangered persons can be led out of the security area as safely as possible. By recording the persons in the security area and, if applicable, their distribution, it is optionally possible in addition to avoid congestion or delays. In this case, other input data, such as the state of doors, gates and other obstacles can be considered.

Another possible security action is to optimize the deployment routing, for example, from the fire brigade, to the persons to be rescued or to the sources of fire. Here, for example, it is feasible to guide the action paths so that they do not collide with the escape routes of potentially panicky persons.

Another possible backup action is a tracking or tracking of emergency services, which in this embodiment increases security for the rescue personnel.

Another possible backup action is a particularly three-dimensional visualization of the fire and the future fire history in the security area, where, for example, the current and future spread of the fire can be displayed. This representation serves the tactical overview of the emergency services. The three-dimensional visualization of fire and security area, in particular of the building, optionally allows various other functions such as zooming, zooming, rotation, viewing direction and perspective changes.

The visualization, in particular the three-dimensional representation, can be extended by a transparent representation, that is, it can be viewed through several rooms at the same time, without having to painstakingly scan all perspectives in a single representation. There is also the possibility to automate a virtual camera operation, so that automatically critical areas are approached or scanned from several perspectives in a repeat cycle with the "virtual" camera. Optionally, the display or the visualization can be supplemented by live images of a surveillance camera at the corresponding locations in the visualization.

Another object of the invention relates to a method for fire safety with the features of claim 10, wherein constantly updated fire data are read in on a current fire status, based on the current fire data, a fire predicted or predicted, and where hedging actions are controlled or activated based on the predicted fire history. The method is performed on a fire safety device according to one of the preceding claims. The process underlines once again that the future course of the fire is calculated up-to-date and / or in real time.

A last subject of the invention relates to a computer program having the features of claim 11.

Brief description of the drawings

Figur 1

ein Blockdiagramm zur Illustration der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung bzw. des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

Further times, advantages and effects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Showing:

FIG. 1

a block diagram illustrating the device according to the invention or the method according to the invention.

Embodiment (s) of the invention

The FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a fire safety device 1 with partial optional components as an embodiment of the invention. The fire safety device 1 is used, for example, in large-scale building complexes, such as universities, factories, factory premises, airports, railway stations, schools, etc., and serves to increase the passive safety of these security areas.

The fire safety device 1 allows the control and / or activation, in particular selection, of safeguards in case of fire based on the assessment of a current and / or previous fire history and a future, predicted and / or extrapolated fire history or fire status - in summary as a future fire or fire status designated. Thus, the fire safety device 1 implements a dynamic-intelligent fire management.

As main components, the fire safety device 1 has an evaluation module 2, an input module 3 and an output module 4. To determine the future course of the fire, the evaluation module 2 comprises a prediction unit 5, which estimates the future fire status on the basis of various input data. The estimation-also called prediction-takes place, for example, by means of a simulation, in particular a three-dimensional simulation of the security area and / or analytical calculations, so that the future fire course can be predicted with sufficient probability. It is also possible to use lattice models or finite element methods for prediction.

The input module 3 is connected to a plurality of input data transfer systems which are useful in estimating future fire history. Although in the FIG. 1 a very large number of such systems or input devices is shown, a part of the systems or input devices are considered optional and can also be omitted in smaller embodiments of the fire safety device 1. In return, a larger number of systems or input devices can be used.

For the acceptance of fire data as input data, which include immediate information about a fire, the input module 3 is connected to a plurality of sensors 6, which are designed for the direct detection of the fire data. Such sensors 6 include, for example, temperature sensors, smoke or smoke density detectors, CO or CO2 sensors, automated fire detectors, surveillance cameras, which can detect a fire via the optical emissions and / or smoke development, etc.

Optionally, such sensors 6 are also part of a fire alarm system 7, which in addition to the enumerated sensors also includes activatable manual call points and other state sensors and / or detectors whose output signals or data as firing data and / or as further input data for the input module 3 can be used. In an analogous manner, the input module 3 also with a Video monitoring system 8 may be coupled, which provides as input data image data and / or fire data on fire emission or smoke.

The input data of the sensors 6, the fire alarm system 7 and / or the video surveillance system 8 are provided via the input module 3 of the prediction unit 5.

As further input data for the prediction unit 5, a model 9 of the security area is provided which comprises complex building data of the security area. For example, this detailed building data of the backup area includes floor plans, maps of the backup area in 2-D or 3-D view; Fire zones; built-in materials such as carpets, wooden railings, curtains, etc .; Fire loads such as Partition walls, office equipment; Stocks, such as Type of stored goods, level, hazard class, etc.; general building information, such as Door, gate, window open or closed.

On the basis of the fire data and the further input data and the model 9, the prediction unit 5 can estimate from a previous and / or current fire status at a time t0 a future fire status for a time t1, where t1> t0. The importance of model 9 in the estimation is illustrated below by two non-limiting examples:

Example 1:

In a tire warehouse, a delivery to a major customer is carried out. As a result, the storage condition changes from 10,000 tires to 7,500, which means 2,500 tires leave the warehouse. After processing the delivery, the storage capacities change accordingly. The dangerous goods "tire", which is assigned to a defined fire class, would now behave differently in case of fire, since the capacities were reduced - it could burn less tires. This information is included as a change in the model for the prediction unit 5. This improves a reliable simulation, whereby the output data, ie the prediction, changes as a result of the changed input data.

Example 2:

If the equipment of offices changes, e.g. Removing carpets and installing tiles also changes the danger potential, as tiles do not burn. This change will also be taken into account in the prediction via the model 9.

Preferably, for most or all objects in the security area - regardless of whether mobile or permanently installed - the respective fire class are known as further input data to flow as input into the prediction.

With the available fire and input data as prediction input, a prediction / simulation of the fire is calculated using algorithms. If the prediction input changes, it has a direct effect on the prediction output or the simulation of the further spread of the fire.

As an optional additional supplement, the input module 3 can be connected to a burglary alarm panel 10 for data purposes, wherein the data about the state of doors, gates, windows and other changeable building properties are transferred. These building properties have an influence on the further course of the fire and thus form a valuable prediction input for the prediction unit 5, which can be taken into account in the simulation or prediction.

Furthermore, the input module 3 can be connected to an access system 11, wherein the number of persons present in the security area is determined in order, for example, to be able to plan escape routes in a forward-looking manner. In addition, the distribution of the persons in the security area can be detected via the access system 11 and / or via the video surveillance system 8, so that in the event of a fire, crowds, traffic jams etc. can be taken into account when planning escape routes.

On the basis of the processing result of the prediction unit 5, that is to say the future course of the fire, backup actions are selected, activated and / or controlled by the output module 4.

A first backup action is implemented by a visualization module 12 for the three-dimensional visualization of the fire in the security area and the future fire history. Here the current and future spread of the fire can be represented, whereby the representation for example of the tactical Overview of the emergency services serves. The three-dimensional view of fire and security area, in particular of a building, also allows various other functions, such as zoom in, zoom out, rotate, Blickrichtung- and perspective change, etc. The three-dimensional visualization can optionally be extended by a transparent representation, that is, it can be done by several Rooms are looked at the same time, without having to painstakingly scan all perspectives. There is also the option of automating "camera tracking" so that critical areas are automatically approached / scanned from multiple perspectives in a repeat cycle with the "virtual" camera. The representation can be supplemented by live images of a video camera at the appropriate location with a graphic.

As a further optional function, certain rooms can be manually marked as locked by emergency services, administrators, etc., whereby the blocking is visible as online information for each user.

An escape route module 13 serves for a dynamically optimized evacuation of the persons. Due to the current and the future-oriented simulation of the fire escape routes can change or must be adapted to the circumstances. If emergency exits are blocked by a high number of people, you can divert to the nearest emergency exit. An escape route, indicated by a controllable escape route pictogram, which in the future is no longer an escape route (for example, due to fire / smoke propagation) is modified so that it does not direct the persons into the simulated fire. The routing is dynamic, always changeable and not static.

A Einsatzwegemodul 14 serves for dynamically optimized Einsatzwegelenkung of emergency personnel - not only for vulnerable people, but especially for rescue workers. If, for example, vulnerable persons are detected via a video camera / a motion detector, the task forces can be shown the optimum smoke and fire-free route to defined sections / spaces by the deployment route module 14. It can be given to the fire department instructions on the origin of the fire. The presentation of the hints or route suggestions can be wired or wireless by means of suitable technology such as Ethernet, UMTS, WLAN, etc. on a central control center of the fire department or, for example, portable tablet PC firefighters.

Furthermore, a dynamic tracking of emergency forces through a localization system 15 is made possible in order to minimize the threat to the emergency services.

Usable advantages of the invention are - depending on the design - thus the prediction of fire and its propagation or course in three-dimensional representation of the fire and simulation due to permanently supplied input data; a dynamically optimized evacuation of persons (for example, with changing pictograms); a dynamically optimized dispatch of fire brigades to the rescued persons; a dynamic, always changeable, variable control of ventilation flaps, doors, barriers etc. depending on the fire simulation as output of the prediction. Based on this prediction, all follow-up activities (= output) are dynamically and intelligently managed, such as building management activities (lifts / barriers / fire dampers / pictograms etc.)

Claims (11)

1. Fire protection device (1) for a building,
   having an input module (3) which is designed to receive fire data in a protection area,
   having an evaluation module (2) which is designed to process the fire data and to form a processing result,
   and having an output module (4) which is designed to activate and/or control protection actions (12, 13, 14, 15) on the basis of the processing result from the evaluation module (2),
   the evaluation module (2) having a prediction unit (5) which is designed, in terms of programming and/or control technology, to forecast a fire course on the basis of the fire data as the processing result, the prediction unit (5) being designed to forecast the fire course on the basis of a model (9) of the protection area,
   characterized in that
   the model (9) of the protection area has one, a few or any desired selection of the following complex items of building information:

   - materials of the protection area;

   - fire loads;

   - stocks.
2. Fire protection device (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the model (9) of the protection area additionally has one, a few or any desired selection of the following complex items of building information:

   - floor plan or plan of the protection area in a two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional representation;

   - state information relating to the building, in particular the opening state of doors, gates, windows etc.
3. Fire protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the input module (3) is connected and/or can be connected to one, a few and/or any desired selection of the following input devices (9) for receiving fire data and/or other input data which form or may form a basis for forecasting the fire course:

   - fire sensor

   - temperature sensor

   - carbon dioxide/monoxide sensor

   - monitoring camera

   - burglary sensor

   - access sensor.
4. Fire protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the input module (3) is connected and/or can be connected to one, a few and/or any desired selection of the following systems for receiving fire data and/or other data which form or may form, inter alia, a basis for forecasting the fire course:

   - fire alarm centre (7)

   - access system (11)

   - burglar alarm centre (10)

   - video monitoring system (8).
5. Fire protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a possible protection action is to optimize escape routes (13).
6. Fire protection device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a possible safety action is to optimize the emergency services route guidance (14).
7. Fire protection device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a possible protection action is to track (15) emergency services.
8. Fire protection device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a possible protection action is a visualization (12), in particular a three-dimensional visualization, of the fire and the future fire course in the protection area.
9. Fire protection device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the visualization (12) comprises a three-dimensional display of the protection area, the protection area being able to be displayed in a semitransparent and/or transparent manner, with the result that a plurality of areas of the protection area which are separated by covers and overlap in the viewing direction can be monitored at the same time.
10. Method for protecting against fire, the method being carried out on the fire protection device according to one of the preceding claims, current fire data relating to a current fire status in a protection area being constantly read in, a fire course being forecast or predicted on the basis of the current fire data, and protection actions being controlled or activated on the basis of the forecast fire course.
11. Computer program having program code means for carrying out all steps of the method according to Claim 10 when the program is executed on a computer and/or a fire protection device (1) from any of Claims 1 to 9.

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