EP4104908A1 - Extinguishing lance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an extinguishing lance (1) for firefighting, with a fastening unit (2) for attaching the extinguishing lance (1) to a wall (4), with a penetrating unit (3), consisting of a piston (301) and a blade (303). for penetrating the wall (4), the penetrating unit (3) being arranged in a cylinder (200) so that it can be displaced along a main movement direction (5) between a starting position and an end position and the penetrating unit (3) having the piston (301) and the blade (303) can be brought into the end position for penetrating the wall (4), in which the penetrating unit (3) is arranged at least partially beyond a penetrating plane (6), as seen from the cylinder (200), characterized in that the piston (301 ) delimits a chamber (206) in the cylinder (200) which is designed to be flow-connected via a connection (V) to an opening (304) in the piston (301), the opening (304) containing the penetrating unit (3) and an extinguishing agent supply line ( 101) mi flow-connected to one another in the end position, with the inflow of extinguishing agent filling the chamber (206) with extinguishing agent and the extinguishing agent acting on the piston (301) in such a way that the penetration unit (3) with the piston (301) is essentially held in the end position will.

Description

The invention relates to an extinguishing lance for firefighting with a fastening unit for attaching the extinguishing lance to a wall, with a penetrating unit consisting of a piston and a blade for penetrating the wall, the penetrating unit being displaceable in a cylinder along a main direction of movement between a starting position and an end position and the penetrating unit with the piston and the blade can be brought into the end position for penetrating the wall, in which the penetrating unit is arranged at least partially beyond a penetrating plane, seen from the cylinder.

Fire lances are for example from the WO 2020/206482 A1 famous. In order to prevent the extinguishing lance from being removed after it has been inserted, a fastening unit is provided which is used for connection to the wall which the extinguishing lance has penetrated.

Other extinguishing lances are, for example, from the EP 3 045 210 A1 , the U.S. 4,625,808 and the U.S. 5,839,664 famous. A spike is provided, for example, which can be pushed through the wall in order to distribute extinguishing agent beyond the wall. For this purpose, penetrating units, which carry the respective mandrel, have channels for extinguishing agents, which are distributed into the environment beyond the wall via openings in the mandrel or the penetrating unit. In this case, these penetration units and/or mandrels are designed to be long in order to be able to provide sufficient openings for a sufficient transport quantity of extinguishing agent per time. Due to the flow of extinguishing agent, the extinguishing lance can be unintentionally removed from the wall if there is insufficient holding power.

A fire is basically extinguished by removing heat, removing combustible material, interrupting the air supply or by interfering with the chemical reaction by reducing the readiness to react or interfering with the mixing ratio of the reactants.

When battery-powered vehicles catch fire, thermal runaway usually occurs in the individual cells. In order to break through this process, which normally escalates with increasing temperatures and leads to the passage of further cells, the dissipation of the heat of reaction and further cooling are necessary.

From the WO 2020/206482 A1 it is also known that extinguishing lances are moved along a direction of movement by means of an extinguishing agent or a propellant and with the help of the extinguishing agent or the propellant, a penetrating unit can be passed through a wall.

The object of the present invention is to establish a device and a method in which more reliable operation of an extinguishing lance is ensured in a simple manner.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the piston delimits a chamber in the cylinder, which is designed to be flow-connected via a connection to an opening in the piston, the opening flow-connecting the penetration unit and an extinguishing agent supply line to one another in the end position, with the chamber is filled with extinguishing agent and the extinguishing agent acts on the piston in such a way that the penetration unit is held with the piston essentially in the end position.

Because the chamber is flooded with extinguishing agent in the end position and the liquid extinguishing agent is no longer compressible, a hydraulic force of the liquid extinguishing agent counteracts the recoil force, which is applied by the outflowing extinguishing agent, and the penetrating unit is thus essentially held in the deformed state .

Both water and an emulsion of water and an additive with various effects are conceivable as extinguishing agents. In order to further increase the extinguishing capacity, however, extinguishing agents based on liquid nitrogen, for example, are also conceivable.

An extinguishing lance is understood here to mean an extinguishing device that is designed for introducing extinguishing agent after it has passed through a wall. The movement along a main direction of movement describes the movement along a vector which is aligned along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder and which is oriented from a starting position to an end position. The starting position and the end position mark the end points of the displacement of the piston and the penetration unit.

A direction of movement along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder is to be understood as the main direction of movement within the meaning of the invention.

The flow connection between the penetration unit and the extinguishing agent supply line in the end position is to be understood as an opening in the piston within the meaning of the invention. The opening, which can be formed, for example, by a channel or several channels or one or several bores or a combination thereof, is always present, but it is flow-connected to the extinguishing agent supply line only in the area around the end position. In the ones shown This is achieved by the groove in the piston, which overlaps with the extinguishing agent supply line when the piston is in the end position area.

The connection between the chamber and the extinguishing agent supply line can be implemented particularly easily if a non-return fitting is provided in the connection between the chamber and the opening in the piston, with this non-return fitting advantageously opening in the direction of the chamber and thus preventing an outflow from the chamber. This non-return fitting is preferably designed as a non-return valve or as a non-return flap. This allows extinguishing agent to flow into the chamber, but the propellant cannot flow in the direction of the extinguishing agent supply line and into the destination of the extinguishing agent. Since, for example, compressed air can be provided as the propellant, it is thus ensured that the compressed air does not come into contact with the source of the fire and, in the worst case, supplies the fire with additional oxygen for a short time.

The destination of the extinguishing agent is understood here as the destination for the introduction of the extinguishing agent in order to extinguish a fire or for cooling.

It is also advantageous if the blade is essentially tubular. For the purposes of the invention, tubular is to be understood as meaning a shape which encloses a channel or a conduit along a longitudinal axis of the penetration unit remote from the piston. Preferably the blade is integral with the plunger to form a penetrating unit.

The longitudinal axis of the penetrating unit corresponds in its direction to the axis of rotation of the cylinder and coincides with it in this embodiment, since the cylinder, blade, piston and penetrating unit are each arranged with a circular cross-sectional area and are arranged concentrically to one another. The cross-sectional area is oriented normal to the longitudinal axis or the axis of rotation.

In order to be able to move the penetration unit safely and as easily as possible, it is favorable if at least one propellant supply line is flow-connected to the cylinder for introducing propellant along the main direction of movement, with the flow connection being arranged between the propellant supply line and the cylinder.

The propellant flows from a propellant source to the chamber and piston via the propellant supply line and moves the piston along the main direction of movement in the cylinder by the pressure of the propellant.

Propellant source is understood here to be a propellant container, such as an oxygen cylinder or a compressed air container.

Flow connection means here a channel or a chamber through which the propellant can flow without significant obstacles.

In order to delimit the area for filling the chamber with extinguishing agent and thus reduce the need for extinguishing agent for the function, a special design provides that the chamber has an additional non-return fitting, for example a non-return valve, opposite the propellant supply line, which prevents the backflow of the Prevents propellant from the chamber in the propellant supply line.

Instead of the non-return fittings, a controllable valve, such as a solenoid valve, can also be used.

The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a method for firefighting, with an inventive extinguishing lance specified above, in which a blade of a penetrating unit is moved with a piston of the extinguishing lance from a starting position to an end position, with the blade in the end position passing through a wall cuts like a housing wall and extinguishing agent is transported through the penetration unit into the space beyond the wall seen from the extinguishing lance, whereby in the end position extinguishing agent flows along a connection in the piston into a chamber, is held in the chamber by a non-return fitting and whereby through the Extinguishing agent a force acts on the piston, the force being formed by a hydraulic pressure of the extinguishing agent on the piston and acting against a recoil force from the extinguishing agent delivery and the piston is held substantially in the end position.

The blade itself is typically around 70mm in diameter within manufacturing tolerances and can of course be adjusted according to the thickness and material of the wall to be penetrated.

The level of penetration is understood to be the level that the penetrating unit or a defined part of the penetrating unit must cross in order to be able to penetrate the wall. As a rule, this plane of penetration will be at the level of and parallel to a connection surface of the fastening unit for connection to the wall. However, if the wall is raised or lowered, the plane of penetration may be above or below the joint surface, or at an angle to it.

Under blade an edge is understood, which is sufficiently sharp to intended with intended movement of the penetrating unit Force through the wall to cause a cut in the wall, i.e. to cut or tear the wall. This is to be distinguished from edges which are less sharp and therefore only cause the wall or parts of the wall to bend or stretch.

It is favorable if the piston of the penetration unit is subjected to a pressure of more than 35 bar by the propellant and is thereby moved.

The extinguishing agent can also be used as a propellant. For this purpose, the extinguishing agent is introduced at the propellant connection and flows via the extinguishing agent connection into the penetrating unit when the penetrating unit is in its end position. This can be controlled, for example, via solenoid valves.

As described above, a fastening unit for the extinguishing lance is necessary, since otherwise, when the penetrating unit moves toward a wall in the main direction of movement, the rest of the extinguishing lance is only displaced relative to the wall to be penetrated. Due to the danger emanating from battery fires, it is not advisable to entrust a user, for example an emergency worker, with holding the extinguishing lance opposite the wall. Instead, a fastening unit is provided that takes over this function and holds the extinguishing lance in a fixed position relative to the wall. The connection between the fastening unit and the wall can be made in a wide variety of ways, for example by gluing, flanging, clamping or bayonet locks. The extinguishing lance preferably has at least one fixing column which is connected to the fastening unit. The extinguishing lance particularly preferably has four fixing columns which are particularly preferably arranged evenly around the penetration unit. The at least one locating pillar has two ends, the first end being connected, preferably pivotally, to the mounting unit and the second end being supported against or connected to a fixed part of the vehicle. A body part, a side wall or the roof of the vehicle can be understood as a fixed part of the vehicle, for example. Alternatively, the second end of the retention column may be supported against or connected to another member suitable to support the force necessary to move the penetrating unit to its final position. Furthermore, it can be provided that these fixing columns are at least partially telescopic. Flanging, gluing and bayonet fittings are particularly advantageous for test bench applications, since the fastest possible cooling and/or extinguishing must be ensured here in regular operation and advantageously only the wall of the respective battery has to be pierced. But even on vehicles, an ideal position for extinguishing and cooling can be marked in this way by a connection for the extinguishing lance. In addition, it is also conceivable in addition to the attachment options mentioned to mount one or more extinguishing lances on a separate vehicle, which can be driven to a vehicle to be extinguished, for example manually or by means of a separate drive.

Fig. 1

einen Schnitt der erfindungsgemäßen Löschlanze in einer Startstellung;

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt der erfindungsgemäßen Löschlanze in einer Endstellung;

Fig. 3

eine schematische Ansicht einer Verwendung der erfindungsgemäßen Löschlanze;

Fig. 4

eine Seitenansicht der Eindringeinheit der erfindungsgemäßen Löschlanze; und

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt entlang der Linie V-V gemäß Fig. 4.

The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the non-limiting embodiment variants shown in the figures. Show in it:

1

a section of the extinguishing lance according to the invention in a starting position;

2

a section of the extinguishing lance according to the invention in an end position;

3

a schematic view of a use of the extinguishing lance according to the invention;

4

a side view of the penetration unit of the extinguishing lance according to the invention; and

figure 5

according to a section along the line VV 4 .

1 and 2 show an extinguishing lance 1 which has a fastening unit 2 and a penetration unit 3 . The fastening unit 2 has a flange part 201 which is tightly connected to a cylinder jacket 202 of a cylinder 200 . The flange part 201 has a connecting surface 203 which is designed to be connected to a wall 4 of a housing 8 in a sealing manner. The cylinder 200 extends normal to the connecting surface 203. The cylinder jacket 202 has a supply opening 204 for an extinguishing agent supply line 101. An access opening 205 leads from the cylinder 200 through the flange part 201. The penetrating unit 3 is moved in the cylinder 200 along its axis of rotation and along a main direction of movement 5. The axis of rotation of the cylinder 200 and the main direction of movement 5 are identical in their direction. The orientation of the main direction of movement 5 describes the movement of the penetration unit 3 from a starting position to an end position. The movement counter to the main direction of movement 5 in the same direction describes the movement from the end position to the starting position of the penetrating unit 3. The penetrating unit 3 is moved through the access opening 205 when moving along the main direction of movement 5 to the wall 4 and through the wall 4.

If the extinguishing lance 1 is connected to the wall 4, a space is formed in the cylinder 200 of the extinguishing lance 1, which can be supplied with extinguishing agent using the extinguishing agent supply line 101.

In 1 the penetration unit 3 is shown in the starting position. This is the position in which the penetrating unit 3 was moved furthest against the main direction of movement 5 . It rests against a closure plate 209 of the fastening unit 2 . The entire penetration unit 3 is preferably arranged in the cylinder 200 and can be held in the starting position by magnets, for example.

The penetrating unit 3 has a piston 301 and a blade 303 located thereon.

The piston 301 comprises a distribution chamber 310 which is open radially outwards towards the cylinder jacket 202 and is flow-connected via an opening 304 to a channel 305 inside the penetration unit 3 . The opening 304 is designed as a bore. In addition, a fixing opening for fixing the blade 303 can be provided. The blade 303 can be fixed axially against displacement in the main direction of movement 5 in this opening, for example with a cotter pin or a bolt. As an alternative to this, the blade 303 can also be screwed directly into the piston 301 . The distribution space 310 is delimited in the main direction of movement 5 by parts of the piston 301 adjoining the cylinder jacket 202 . In the main direction of movement 5 upstream of the piston 301, in the starting position of the piston 301, a propellant opening 400 is made in the closure plate 209, which is connected to a propellant supply line 401 which, for example, carries compressed air as the propellant.

If a valve of the propellant supply line 401 is opened, the propellant pushes the piston 301 along the main direction of movement 5 towards the end position. At the downstream end of the cylinder 200, the cylinder jacket 202 has one or more vent openings 215. Through these, the compressed air or another propellant can escape downstream of the cylinder 200 when the penetrating unit 3 is driven into the end position by the propellant. The ventilation openings 215 are arranged downstream of the supply opening 204 and are not flow-connected to the distribution space 310 in the end position. In the end position, the piston 301 closes the ventilation openings 215.

Downstream within the meaning of the invention is to be understood as meaning the flow direction of the propellant from the propellant supply line 401 along the main direction of movement 5 . This corresponds to the flow movement from the start position to the end position of the penetrating unit 3. Upstream is to be understood in the opposite direction.

In the final position (as in 2 shown) is the supply opening 204 in flow communication with the distribution space 310 and the extinguishing agent can be transported from the extinguishing agent supply line 101 via the inside of the blade 303, the channel 305, beyond the wall 4.

If propellant - preferably with excess pressure, for example at over 35 bar - introduced when the penetration unit 3 is in the starting position, the piston 301 is pushed by the pressure of the propellant along the main direction of movement 5 and towards an end position - see 2 - pressed. The piston 301 moves along the cylinder 200 and forms a chamber 206 in the cylinder 200 in the end position. The extinguishing agent cannot flow past the piston 301 and accelerates it in the direction of the flange section 201.

In 2 the penetration unit 3 is shown in the end position. The piston 301 of the penetrating unit 3 is in contact with the flange part 201 or a stop of the fastening unit 2, which prevents further movement in the direction of the main movement direction 5.

The penetrating unit 3 has, for penetrating the wall 4 downstream of the piston 301, the blade 303, which here is tubular. The blade 303 has a cylindrical, axially closed side wall through which the elongated channel 305 in the interior of the blade 303 results. The blade 303 , which is suitable for penetrating the wall 4 , is arranged on the side of the penetrating unit 3 facing away from the piston 301 . In the area of the piston 301, the side wall of the blade 303 either has a plurality of openings 304 or the blade 303 opens out, as in FIG 1 and 2 shown in the bore of the piston 301. In the end position, the extinguishing agent supply line 101 is flow-connected via the supply opening 204 to the distribution space 310 and further to the openings 304 and further to the channel 305.

As already mentioned, the penetration unit 3 is moved by a propellant along the cylinder 200 from the starting position in the main direction of movement 5 to the end position and penetrates the wall 4 with the blade 303. If the piston 301 is now in the end position, extinguishing agent can be injected via the Extinguishing agent supply line 101 flow into the piston 301.

A connection V for flow connection is arranged between the chamber 206 formed in this way and the channel 305 . The piston 301 has a check fitting 320 in the connection V, which is designed here as a check valve, for example. This check valve 320 opens for the flow of extinguishing agent from the opening 304 towards the chamber 206.

When the propellant flows in via the propellant opening 400, the check valve 320 is closed. If, in the end position or in an area around the end position, in which the extinguishing agent line 101 and the opening 304 are flow-connected via the distribution chamber 310, extinguishing agent flows into the opening 304, the non-return valve 320 opens in the connection V in the direction of the chamber 206.

The piston 301 also has two seals 308 here, which seal off the distribution space 310 in the direction of the chamber 206 and are beneficial for guiding the piston 301 . The extinguishing agent thus flows mainly via the channel 305 into an area beyond the penetration level 6 and via the connection V into the chamber 206, at least until the chamber 206 is filled with extinguishing agent and the extinguishing agent due to the non-return fitting 320 in the chamber 206 is held.

Flow into chamber 206 exerts a force F on piston 301 since the extinguishant is essentially incompressible, as is acceptable for liquids for viewing. The propellant in chamber 206 escapes, for example, through leaks or vent openings 215.

The force F can be increased if a non-return fitting is also arranged in the closure plate 209, which blocks the propellant line 401 for flow out of the chamber 206. However, the non-return fitting can also be arranged closer to the propellant container 402 .

A force F now acts against the repulsion force R of the extinguishing agent escaping from the extinguishing lance 1 on the piston 301 and thus on the penetration unit 3. This means that the penetration unit 3 is held securely within the housing 8 to be extinguished during the extinguishing process and does not move in the wall 4

3 shows a schematic view of a use of the extinguishing lance according to the invention. The arrangement has a housing 8, such as a battery housing of a battery-operated vehicle with two or more batteries 102 arranged therein, an extinguishing lance 1, an extinguishing agent tank 9 connected via an extinguishing agent supply line 101 and a control unit 10, which controls a valve 103 of the extinguishing agent supply line 101. Furthermore, the control unit 10 controls a valve 403 in a propellant supply line 401 which connects a propellant container 402 to the propellant opening 400 .

If the vehicle is tested on a test stand or in a laboratory and the control unit 10 recognizes, for example via sensors or through input from a user, that activation of the extinguishing lance 1 is necessary, the valve 403 in the propellant line 401 is opened. This is before valve 403 opens the penetration unit 3 in the starting position and the wall 4 of the housing 8 intact. When the valve 403 is opened, the wall 4 is penetrated by the penetrating unit 3 . The valve 403 is closed again via the control unit 10 and the valve 103 in the extinguishing agent line 101 is opened and the extinguishing agent is introduced into the housing 8 and the battery is cooled and the fire is contained or prevented and at the same time the penetration unit 302 is held in the housing 8.

4 and figure 5 show a penetrating unit 3 of the extinguishing lance 1 according to the invention. The penetrating unit 3 has a blade 303 and a piston 301 firmly connected thereto. An opening 304 for extinguishing agent is provided in the piston 301 . This opening 304 starts from the distribution space 310 formed by the piston 301 and the cylinder 200 (not shown in these figures).

The piston 301 has a working surface A, which is arranged on the side facing away from the blade 303 . The pressure of the propellant on the contact surface A moves the penetrating unit 3 along the main direction of movement 5 in the direction of the wall 4 and through the wall 4 . In the end position, the extinguishing agent flows through the opening 304 and penetrates through the blade 303 to the destination under the piston 301 in the vertical direction of movement. At the same time, the extinguishing agent flows upwards via the non-return valve 320 into the chamber 206, which ends in the direction of the blade 303 with the attack surface A. As a result, the force F acts in the direction of the blade 303 and in the direction of the wall 4, which represents the liquid pressure of the extinguishing agent in the chamber 206 on the attack surface A.

Claims (11)

Extinguishing lance (1) for firefighting with a fastening unit (2) for attaching the extinguishing lance (1) to a wall (4), with a penetrating unit (3) consisting of a piston (301) and a blade (303) for penetrating the wall (4), wherein the penetrating unit (3) is arranged in a cylinder (200) so that it can be displaced along a main direction of movement (5) between a starting position and an end position, and the penetrating unit (3) with the piston (301) and the blade (303) for Penetrating the wall (4) can be brought into the end position in which the penetrating unit (3) is arranged at least partially beyond a penetrating plane (6) seen from the cylinder (200), characterized in that the piston (301) has a chamber ( 206) in the cylinder (200), which is flow-connected via a connection (V) to an opening (304) in the piston (301), the opening (304) connecting the penetration unit (3) and an extinguishing agent supply line (101) to one another the final position flow-connected, with the inflow of extinguishing agent, the chamber (206) is filled with extinguishing agent and the extinguishing agent acts on the piston (301) that the penetration unit (3) is held with the piston (301) substantially in the end position. Extinguishing lance (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that a non-return fitting (320), preferably a non-return valve or a non-return flap, is located in the connection (V). Extinguishing lance (1) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the non-return fitting (320) opens in the direction of the chamber (206). Extinguishing lance (1) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the blade (303) is essentially tubular. Extinguishing lance (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one propellant supply line (401) is flow-connected to the cylinder (200) for introducing propellant along the main direction of movement (5), with a flow connection between the propellant supply line (401) and Cylinder (200) is arranged. Extinguishing lance (1) according to Claim 5, characterized in that the flow connection between the extinguishing agent supply line (101) and the cylinder (200) is established when the piston (301) is essentially in its end position. Extinguishing lance (1) according to one of Claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the propellant supply line (401) fluidly connects a propellant source (402) to the chamber (206) at least at times. Extinguishing lance (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the chamber (206) opposite the propellant supply line (401) has a further non-return valve which prevents backflow from the chamber (206) into the propellant supply line (401). Method for fighting fires with an extinguishing lance (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, in which a blade (303) of a penetrating unit (3) is moved from a starting position to an end position with a piston (301) of the extinguishing lance (1), wherein the blade (303) cuts through a wall (4) in the end position and extinguishing agent is transported by the penetration unit (3) into the space beyond the wall (4) as seen from the extinguishing lance (1), characterized in that in the End position extinguishing agent flows along a connection (V) in the piston (301) into a chamber (206) and is held in the chamber (206) by a non-return fitting (320), and that the extinguishing agent exerts a force (F) on the piston ( 301), the force (F) being formed by hydraulic pressure of the extinguishing agent on the piston (301) and acting against a recoil force (R) from the discharge of the extinguishing agent and the piston (301) being held essentially in the end position. Method according to Claim 9, characterized in that in the cylinder (200) in which the piston (301) of the penetration unit (3) is guided along the main direction of movement (5) between the starting position and the end position, propellant is introduced, which the end ring unit (3 ) moves along the main direction of movement (5). Method according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the piston (301) of the penetration unit (3) is subjected to a pressure of more than 35 bar by the propellant and is thus moved.

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