GB2320971A

GB2320971A - Fire detection and control systems

Info

Publication number: GB2320971A
Application number: GB9724884A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henry Howard Keith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-12-31
Filing date: 1997-12-11
Publication date: 1998-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-11
Also published as: GB9627109D0; GB2320971A8; GB2320971B; GB9724884D0

Abstract

Enclosed spaces such as road - and rail tunnels, ferries, warehouses, exhibition halls, trading centres and enclosed loading bays are provided with fire protection cargos of HGVs, which have been detected by sensors mounted on a detector gantry to be either smouldering or on fire, by their automatic diversion to an area outside the enclosed space, where the fire can remotely be fought from a control room by means of fire-fighting equipment and monitors mounted on a fire fighting gantry. The truck driver is adequately safeguarded from injury due to the remote fire fighting. The digital recording and/or print-outs of time-logged events, alarmed temperature sensor locations, HGVs' registration numbers and other data are provided for and could be used in insurance claims. Also, HGVs travelling in rail tunnels with hazardous or inflammable cargoes are protected by utilising a fire preventative gas within airtight rail freight wagons. For the Channel Tunnel existing stock of open lattice - walled freight wagons could be suitably converted to achieve an airtight compartment.

Description

1 1 Fire Detection and Control SYs for Heavy C-OCdS Vehicles (HGVs)

entexing encloced SPww requiring a high Fire Safety - This invention relates to fire detection - and control systems, the purpose of which is to prevent cargos of HGVs, which have been detected to be either smouldexing or an fire, from entering encloced spaces, which need fire protect-ion as road - and rail tunnels, ferries, ware-houses, exhibition. halls, tamduw,-. centres and enclosed loading bays - Within multi-purpose (i.e. passanger and freight carrying) rail tunnels a complete fire prevention especially of hazardous cargoes of HGVs during their transit can additionally be achieved by, the utilisation of additional fire detection - and control systems which can initiate an inert gas Pressurization of specially constructed practically airtight freight wagons- Part A: Fire detection - and control systems applicable to all, enclosed spaces The fire - and/or elevated temperature detection is achieved by suitable sensors, which are mounted cc a detr gantry straddling the allocated BGV pathway at the entry of the area to be protected. Remotely controlled elevated TV cameras writh zoom lenses writh their associated monitors in the control room will assist in the location of all HGVs near the detcr gantry- Any individual rmal temperature condition (imlu a fire) detected by any of the above mentioned sensors will cause it to be time- logged, initiate an individual vizual and common audible alarm on an associated detection - or fire alarm s"tem panel in a control room, will cause a strategically placed camera with its associated flash light to be triggered to record the HGVs' registration nu,and will initiate further conti-ol actions, which assist in the prevention of a fire within the protected area by the following zeans:

- 2 A road fork situated be the detector gantry is controlled by two (channelling) traffic lights, of which the red & grem asp have been connected in opposition to each other, so that one branch of the road fork is blocked, while the other one is open. For clarity the green aspects appear as gr arrows- On the assumption, that tions are normal (i.e- the detection system has not detected any high tiezq)emture) and that the normal HGV path to the enclosed space is the stt branch of the road fort, the traffic signal controlling this branch would an upright green arrow, while the other traffic light would show red thereby blocking the diversionary branch to the right (or left).

However, the detection system has detected any high temture, the ats of the 2 branch traffic lights is changed over, so that the normal HGV path is blocked by the red signal, while the diversionary branch to tli-- right (or left) is freed by, the lit-up right (or left) green arrow. The change-over is also tiox---lcgged- The path extending the diversionary branch then guides the hazard HGY until it is stopped by a red signal at a another traffic light just be a further truck straddlun- fire f ighting gantry, which is movable on rail tracks and is equipped with flu- fire detecting sensors and fire fight equipment such as monitors (similar to water cannons). These can all be remotely dire and controlled to fight the source (s) of the fire (s) from a control room - The monitors are either dedicated monitors, i.e. one for each fire fighting medium such as water, n:Ltrcgen. carbon dioxide or foam, or are common purpose ones, where the pipes carrying the various media can be switched over rewtely by solenoid-valves.

Illuminated signs next to the traffic light near the fire fighting gantries will then instruct the trudK driver to stop his engine, leave his cabin and operate a designated pushbutton, whidh is situated at some distance from the gantries. Its actuation, Thhich cronfirms that the trudK driver has left his cdbdn and whidh is als tize-l"gged, will be the starting signal to initiate the remote fire fighting procedure from the control roam.

Tb aid in the remote execution of the fire fighting, monitor screens connected to additional elevated remotely operated TV cameras with zoom lenses are used- Once the fire has been extinguished, actuating an 'End of Fire' ITAM from within the control room (which is also time-logged) will reset the starting signal flor the initiation of the fire fidhtin ing procedure and will allow the truck driver to drive the HGV to the yard adjoining the administrative building, in Widh the datarecording and print-outs of time-lqgged events, alarmed temperature locations, used quantities of fire fighting media as well as of other data are carried out- A canteen, rest rooms and communication facilities dhould also be available to the driver, by which he can fax his report and severity of the fire to the owner of the HGV, if he so desires.

Depending an the inspection of^buth the MY (for road worthiness) and the safety of the cargo, the driver of tbe vehicle with its load is then either allowed to rejoin the original HGV pathway (leading to the first detector gantry) or otherwise is advised which steps tto take to readh his destination. (Fig.1 refers).

4 Part B: Additional fire detection and control systems applicable to rail tunnels Only. in order to achieve fire prevention withirt rail tunnels all HGVs including those carTying hazardous cargoes after successfully having passed the first fire detection gantry are directed to specially constructed practically airtight freight wagens, so that their internal spaces can be filled writh a fire preventative gas such as riltrgogm or carton diaxide at a pressure just above the ambient barometric pressure. The pressurization of a loaded freight sw is either executed as won as its loading doors or shutters have been shut or, in order to economise in gas usage, only a fire or high temperature has been detected by suitable detection devices zxxmted within. the airtight freight wagon- In order to achieve the saw fire prevention of hazard cargoes also for the Charmel Tunnel wIth a continuing usage of the open lattice - walled freight wagens for non-hazardous cargoes, a part of the presently existing stock of open lattice - walled freight wa could be suitably converted by fixing roller shutters at either end and thin metal sheetiM to the insides of the lattice walls, so that the total intermI cladding surface form an airtight compartment necessary for the cmtaummt of the fire preventitive gas as described above. Selective routing of HGVs carrying either norr-hazardous or hazardous cargo by appropriate traffic signals em be achieved with the help of the in Part A mentioned camera, which can record the HGV registration number whereby the HGVs' cargo can be established- An 'emergency diversion' path back to the fire fighting area for HGVs carTying a hazardous cargo has also been catered for. (Fig. 2 refers) -

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. The combination, application and installation, but not the operation of fire detection equipment, fire alarm and - control systems in connection with Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) for the fire protection of enclosed spaces such as road - and rail tunnels, fer.ries, warye-houses, eahibition halls, trading centres and enclosed loading bays. The fi-m detection eqtupomt, fire alarm and - control systems as well as the with these associated HGV traffic control systems consist of the following:

A. Suitable fu-e - and/or elevated temture detection sensors e.g. infrared sensors or infra-red sensitive image convertors, which are mounted on a detector gantry straddling the allocated HGV pathway at the entry of the area to be protected.

B. tely controlled elevated TV cameras writh zoom lenses which assist in the location of all HGVs near the detector gantry by their associated monitors in the control rcom.

C. Individual visual and common audible alarm(s) on an associated detection - or fu.-- alarm swtem panel in a control room- D. A strategically placed camera (similar to a s camera) with its associated flash light which can be triggexed by any individual abnormal txzuer-ature condition (including a fire) detected by any of the above mentioned sensors to record the HGVs' registr-ation number.

E. Two (channelling) traffic lights, of which their red & green arrx)w aspects have been canoe in opposition to each other and the change-over of which can be. triggered by the same individual abnormal txmeratum condition mentioned above. The tr-affic lights control a road fort, one branch of which will lead the HGV to the enclosed space under normal conditions, and the other branch of which will divert the HGV to a fu-e fighting area under abnormal conditions- 6 F. Further channelling tr-affic lights which are used for diversions as well as standard traffie lights which are used to stop the HGVs at strategic points - G. A fur truck straddling fire fight gentry, which is movable on rall tracks and is equipped with further fire detectuW sensors and fire fightuW equipment such as monitors (similar to water cannons).

H. A designated push-button, which is situated at some distance from the gantries to be operated by the truck driver- Its actuation, which confirms that the truck driver has left his cabin and which is also tinx-- -lagged, acts as the starting signal to initiate the remote fire fighting procedure from the control room.

I. tor screens within the control room connected to additional elevated remotely operated TV cameras with zoom lenses near the fire fight gentry to aid in the remote execution of the fire fighting.

J. An 'End of Fire' button within the control room which will reset the starting simnal for the untiation of the fire fighting procedure and will allow the truck driver to drive the HGV to the yard adjoin.ing the administrative building, in which the datc-r-recording and Print-outs of time-legged events, alarmed temperature locations, used quantities of fire fight media as well as of other data are carried out.

2. As claimed in Claim 1 but in order to make the installation also suitable for rail tunnels with the following additional features:

A. Specially mmtny- practically airtight freight wagons, which can accomodate the HGVs, so that their internal spaces can be filled with a fire preventative gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide at a pressure just above the ambient banmetric pressure- B. The pressurization of a loo freight wagon with the fire preventative gas is either executed as soon as its loading doors or shutters have been shut or, in order to economise in gas usage, only when a fire or high terature has been detected by suitable detection devices mounted within the airtight freight wagon.

3. As claimed in Claim 2 but with particular application to the the Chamel Tunnel with the following exceptions or addititions:

A. Instead of the in Claim 2.A claimed completely newly constructed airtight freight wagons a part of the presently existing stock of open lattice - walled freight wagons is suitably converted by fixing roller shutters at either end and thin metal sheeting to the insides of the lattice walls, so that the total internal cladding sur-face and roller shutters form an airtight compartment necessary for the containment and pressurization of the fire preventitive gas as claimed in Claim 2.A and Claim 2.B_ B. The selective routing of HGVs carrying either kind of cargo (i.e. non- hazardous and hazardous) to either un-modified or modified stock of open lattice - walled freight wagons by appropriate traffic signal is achieved with the help of the in Claim 1.D mentioned camera, which can record the HGV registration in whereby the HGVs' cargo is established.

C. An 'emerge" diversion' path with associated traffic signals for the purpose of directing HGVs carrying a hazardous cargo in emergency conditions back to the fxm fightnig area has also been provided.