JP2003199840A - Method and system for fighting a fire - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a system for fighting a fire in which there is mobility, a fire can be rapidly controlled when the fire occurs in unopening space, further the survival of a person within the space is not adversely affected, faster first aid is conducted by providing such atmosphere environment that fire fighting and rescue members can rapidly enter fire space, and fire fighting can be conduced with a smaller amount of a fire extinguisher. <P>SOLUTION: By utilizing an art of producing nitrogen enriched air from air in the actual spot of fire fighting work, an art of controlling the flow and oxygen concentration according to the kind of a fire, an art of controlling the injection of the nitrogen enriched air into fire space and a flow, an art of moving a device, and an art of monitoring a fire state, environment is provided that a fire is controlled and rescue and other fire fighting activity can be rapidly conducted by replacing atmosphere of space for fire fighting with atmosphere that a fire can be controlled and a person can also survive by injecting a large amount of the nitrogen enriched air having appropriate oxygen concentration. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fire extinguishing method and system for a fire in a closed or semi-closed space (hereinafter referred to as a non-open space). More specifically, it can flexibly respond to fires that occur in non-open spaces in various places, and when a fire occurs in a non-open space, it can quickly suppress the fire and it is bad for the survival of personnel in the space. A fire extinguishing method that does not affect the situation, by providing an environment that allows fire fighters and rescue personnel to quickly enter the fire occurrence space, so that rescue activities can be performed faster and fires can be extinguished faster and with a smaller amount of extinguishing agent. . In particular, there are a lot of obstacles such as skyscrapers, underground malls, tunnels, department stores, hotels, office buildings, etc. It is a method applied to hard-to-deliver buildings and high value-added places such as high-tech warehouses, storage warehouses for important equipment, storage rooms for cultural assets or valuable data, and machine rooms.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Modern buildings are becoming larger in scale and higher in height and underground, and to pursue convenience, houses, shopping centers, restaurants, etc. tend to be concentrated in the same building. There is. As a result, the risk of fire increases, the floor area of one floor of the building increases, and the internal structure becomes complicated. It is difficult to deliver water from the outside to the depths, and fire and rescue workers cannot enter until the fire is over due to high temperature and smoke. It goes without saying that extinguishing a fire in a non-open space in which such a person is constantly entering and exiting is very important, but the conventional method is not yet complete. Fires often occurred in deadly tunnels, hotels, multi-tenant buildings and skyscrapers, and large warehouse fires, often taking a long time to extinguish.

The fire extinguishing method used in a non-open space where people are constantly entering and exiting is mainly a method using water. That is, the initial fire extinguishing is carried out by the fire extinguisher installed in the place, indoor fire hydrant equipment, water sprinkler, etc.
For further fires, the fire brigade will be used. The main equipment by which the fire brigade extinguishes a general fire is a water sprinkler that still uses water.

Fire extinguishing systems, such as water sprinklers intended for initial fire extinguishing, require a lot of piping and their installation is difficult unless planned from the design stage of the building.
That is, it is difficult to install the building after it is completed. Also,
Many buildings have not been installed due to the initial cost. Even where a watering sprinkler is installed,
In some cases, the operation may be delayed or the fire may not be extinguished by sprinkling water, depending on the type of combustible material, how it is placed, or the effects of air conditioning and interior decoration. Furthermore, there are cases where water cannot be supplied sufficiently due to damage such as earthquakes and terrorism.

When the above-mentioned initial fire extinguishing cannot be executed or fails, the temperature is increased in a short time and the filled smoke hinders the entry of fire fighters and rescue workers due to the non-open structure.
In that case, it is difficult to efficiently discharge the water from the outside to the combustion products in the back, so it is not possible to efficiently carry out the fire extinguishing operation, and it is also difficult to early rescue the personnel trapped in the fire space. The following recent fire cases also suggest the limitations of conventional fire extinguishing methods and systems. The cable car fire that broke out in Kaprun, Austria on November 11, 2000, continued to burn for over three hours after the fire brigade arrived, resulting in 155 dead.
It was a disaster that made a name. 200 killed 44 people
It took about four and a half hours from the detection of the fire to the suppression when the Shinjuku multi-purpose building fire on September 1, 1st. Most of the dead are smoke,
That is, it is a poisoning death caused by carbon monoxide. Also, 200
It is believed that the reason why the World Trade Center building collapsed after being attacked by terrorism on September 11, 1st was the fire that continued for over an hour.

[0006] Therefore, by providing an environment in which a fire can be quickly suppressed and which does not adversely affect the survival of personnel in the space, and which allows fire fighters and rescue workers to quickly enter the fire space, There is a need for fire extinguishing methods and systems in which rescue operations are carried out and which can be extinguished faster and with less extinguishing agent.

[0007] Dilution fire extinguishing methods using an inert gas other than carbon dioxide have attracted attention because they do not have a harmful effect on the earth and the mind and body of human beings. U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,514 pressurizes nitrogen and adds it to an enclosed space containing a habitable atmosphere,
Disclosed is a system and a method for suppressing a fire in an environment where the fire is suppressed without adversely affecting the mind and body of a person.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 64-582.
No. 72 discloses a method for suppressing and extinguishing fires that uses an inert gas containing a few percent of carbon dioxide, while maintaining an environment suitable for efficient personnel activities in an emergency, without damaging the equipment. Was.

In addition to this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
0-263109 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-226343 disclose that when a fire occurs, air in the fire space is sucked and compressed, and oxygen is removed by an oxygen permeable membrane or an oxygen-adsorptive liquid before returning to the fire space. The fire-extinguishing method and fire-extinguishing apparatus that gradually reduce

[0010]

However, each of the above-mentioned dilution fire extinguishing methods is characterized by releasing an inert gas having a concentration close to 100%, and has a fixed fire extinguishing system for a closed space. is there. Therefore, they have the following drawbacks. First, because the installation cost is high, only places with high added value are installed. Second,
Since the amount of inert gas supplied from the storage container is fixed and cannot be supplied continuously for a long time, it cannot be used in a space with an opening. Third, if the released gas cannot be mixed sufficiently due to the presence of obstacles in the closed space, the local oxygen concentration in the space may be reduced to a concentration below that required for human survival. Fourth, smoke and toxic gas generated by the fire do not discharge to the outside and stay in the space.

Further, the above-mentioned fire extinguishing method for removing oxygen in the fire space with an oxygen permeable film or an oxygen-adsorptive liquid cannot be applied to a space having an opening as well as the dilution fire extinguishing method, and the dilution fire extinguishing equipment can be used. To have the same fire extinguishing performance,
Large-scale equipment is required, and installation cost is higher than dilution fire extinguishing equipment. Further, the oxygen permeable membrane made of an organic polymer material is vulnerable to high-temperature gas and solid particles generated in a fire, and thus has many problems in practical use.

The present invention is capable of flexibly responding to a fire occurring in a non-open space in various places, can quickly suppress the fire when the fire occurs in the non-open space, and can survive the personnel in the space. It provides a fire extinguishing method and system that can be rescued more quickly by providing an atmosphere environment that allows fire fighters and rescue workers to quickly enter the fire space without adversely affecting The purpose is to do.

[0013]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, a large amount of nitrogen-enriched air having a constant oxygen concentration is injected from the outside into the atmosphere of the fire space to suppress the fire and at the same time, keep people alive. (EN) Provided are a fire extinguishing method and a system thereof for substituting a viable atmosphere. The method and system according to the present invention comprises means for producing nitrogen-enriched air at a fire fighting site, means for controlling the flow rate and oxygen concentration of the nitrogen-enriched air, and injection and flow of nitrogen-enriched air into the fire space. It is characterized by comprising control means, means for moving the device, and means for monitoring a fire situation.

More specifically, the fire extinguishing system is quickly carried to the fire site where the fire is going to be extinguished by means of transportation, and nitrogen-enriched air whose oxygen concentration is adjusted according to the type of fire and the presence or absence of personnel is produced. The nitrogen-enriched air of the required flow rate is continuously sent to the fire space according to the scale of the space. It eliminates the existing atmosphere in the fire space containing smoke and toxic gases,
Combustion is suppressed, visibility is ensured, and an atmosphere environment is realized in which both the survival of personnel and the suppression of combustion are compatible.

The means for producing nitrogen-enriched air can be selected from a gas separation membrane method and a method of lowering the oxygen concentration in the air by burning hydrogen.

A nitrogen-enriched air generator using a gas separation membrane system mainly comprises an air compressor for compressing air to a certain pressure, a filter for removing solid particles in the air, and a gas separator for separating nitrogen and oxygen in the air. Composed of a membrane. In order to realize the compactness of the system, the air compressor can use an axial flow-centrifugal compressor for a gas turbine, and the gas separation membrane can use a nitrogen separator using a hollow system. The air compressed to a constant pressure by an air compressor removes solid particles and oils through a filter and is introduced into a nitrogen separator to remove a part of oxygen, thereby producing nitrogen-enriched air with a required concentration and flow rate.

A hydrogen-enriched nitrogen-enriched air generator mainly comprises a hydrogen tank for supplying hydrogen, a gas turbine for burning hydrogen, and a cooler for cooling the combustion gas. When producing nitrogen-enriched air, hydrogen is supplied as a fuel to a gas turbine for combustion. Green nitrogen-enriched air is obtained because hydrogen only produces water when it reacts with oxygen in the air. The oxygen concentration in the nitrogen-enriched air can be adjusted by changing the mixing ratio of hydrogen and air.

To send nitrogen-enriched air into the fire space,
You can select from the following methods according to the size and shape of the space.

Nitrogen-enriched air is blown into the fire space of a small-scale low-rise building through an opening such as a window or door of the building by using a hose attached to the system. at the same time,
The other openings are appropriately closed or opened using the flow control device so that the introduced nitrogen-enriched air flows in the desired direction.

For a fire that occurs in a large-scale building or an underground or high-rise building, use the ventilation system of the building, the piping and its installation space, or the elevator space to supply nitrogen-enriched air. Send it to a specific place in the building. The nitrogen-enriched air fire extinguishing system can be used more effectively if the following measures are taken in advance for the building ventilation system. That is, a damper is attached to the ventilation port of each room connected to the ventilation system. The damper automatically closes when the ventilation system is stopped. In addition, a lock that is released by heat is attached to the damper, and the damper that is unlocked is opened by the pressure in the ventilation duct. If this is done, the dampers in each room will be closed by stopping the ventilation system during a fire, and the spread of fire damage through the ventilation system can be prevented. Also, the damper lock is unlocked by the heat of the fire only in the room that becomes a fire, and when nitrogen-enriched air is injected into the duct of the ventilation system, the pressure increase in the duct opens the damper in the fire room and the nitrogen-enriched air fires. It can flow into only the room and extinguish the fire efficiently.

In order to send nitrogen-enriched air directly to a fire point in a structure such as a tunnel, one air supply pipe is installed in advance at the zenith of the tunnel up to the entrance and exit of both ends of the tunnel. The material of the pipe usually has a melting point higher than the maximum temperature in use, but it should be non-combustible or self-extinguishing so that it melts or softens under the heat of a fire. For example, low-cost heat-resistant PV
Use a C pipe. During a fire, the pipe above the fire source is punctured by heat, and nitrogen-enriched air is sent from the entrance and exit of the tunnel through the pipe to the fire point.

Since the fire-rich and rescue workers can quickly enter the fire space by receiving the protection of the nitrogen-enriched air sent to them, an early rescue operation can be carried out.

Depending on the type of combustible material and the structure of the fire space, it is possible to completely extinguish the fire by only injecting nitrogen-enriched air. Further, even if the fire cannot be completely extinguished and an afterglow remains, the combustion is suppressed by the decrease in the oxygen concentration, so that the fire personnel can approach the combusted material. Therefore, the fire can be extinguished faster and with a smaller amount of water or a fire extinguishing agent, and damage due to water loss or the like is reduced.

As is well known, the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere is usually 2
Although it is 1%, it is safe for humans to reach an oxygen concentration of about 15%, respiratory rate increases at 14% or less, dyspnea at about 10%, and life threatening at 7% or less. That is, 15
If there is more than 5% oxygen, there is no health problem, and if there is more than 7% oxygen, there is no danger to life. On the other hand, if the oxygen concentration is 17% or less, the match or candle will not burn. At about 12%, most things will not burn.
In this way, the oxygen concentration in the fire space is reduced to a concentration that does not interfere with human survival by injecting nitrogen-enriched air, thereby maintaining an environment where human activities can be performed, while suppressing fire suppression or combustion. The effect is obtained.

[0025]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described based on Examples with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a building fire. Self-propelled vehicle 1 as means for moving device
In addition, a nitrogen enrichment device 2 for producing nitrogen-enriched air using a gas separation membrane, a control unit 3 for maintaining a constant flow rate and oxygen concentration of the nitrogen-enriched air, and a nitrogen-enriched air injection device. Four
A device 5 for controlling the flow of the nitrogen-enriched air and a monitoring device 6 for monitoring the temperature and pressure of the fire space and conditions such as smoke are installed.

Next, the fire extinguishing system of the embodiment will be described based on the flow chart shown in FIG. When a fire occurs in such a non-open space, the system deployed in the fire brigade will quickly move to the scene. Depending on the presence or absence of people in the fire area, the size of the fire, the type of combustible material, and the condition of the building, nitrogen-enriched air adjusted to the required oxygen concentration is produced on-site, and the doors and windows of the building are A required flow rate of nitrogen-enriched air is fed into the building through the openings, and at the same time, other openings are appropriately closed by using a flow control device so that the fed nitrogen-enriched air flows in a desired direction. Changes in flames, temperature, pressure, smoke, etc. in the building are observed by pressure sensors and monitoring devices such as visible and infrared cameras. When the smoke in the building is expelled and the temperature is in a state where fire fighters and rescue workers can enter, fire fighters and rescue workers enter the building along the flow of nitrogen-enriched air and rescue people, Also extinguish the embers.

The system can also be used to prevent a fire. For example, nitrogen-enriched air having an oxygen concentration of 12% is injected into the fire space to extinguish the fire, while at the same time, another nitrogen-enriched air generator from another nitrogen-enriched air generator is placed in a space adjacent to the nitrogen-rich air. Inject smoke and inject smoke to prevent fire and fire spread.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a tunnel fire. A single pipe 7 for transporting nitrogen-enriched air is installed in advance at the zenith of the tunnel. The pipe is made of non-combustible or self-extinguishing material that melts at 160 ° C to 500 ° C. The open / close valves 8 are attached to both ends of the pipe. In the event of a fire in the tunnel, if the zenith temperature at the location rises and exceeds the melting point of the pipe, the transportation pipe at the location is damaged by heat and a hole is punched. Nitrogen-enriched air is injected into the transport pipe 8 from the nitrogen-enriched air generator 2 arriving at the tunnel inlet through the nitrogen-enriched air injector 4. Then, the nitrogen-enriched air will be blown out from the damaged pipe at the place where the fire occurred, and the fire can be extinguished.

FIG. 4 shows the effect of suppressing a fire caused by reducing the oxygen concentration in the protective space. The area surrounded by the black mark is Coward and Jones
The explosion range of propane gas measured by the explosion burette method of s. The horizontal axis represents the oxygen concentration in the air, and the vertical axis represents the propane gas concentration in the air. Compared to when the oxygen concentration is 21%, when the oxygen concentration falls to 18%, the probability of a fire due to a leak of propane gas is reduced to 2/3, and when the oxygen concentration falls to 16%, that possibility 1 at 21%
It decreases to / 3. Furthermore, if the oxygen concentration is reduced to 15% or less, the propane gas will not burn at all. However, even if the oxygen concentration drops to 8%, a person can survive in a short time. Therefore, by utilizing this difference in concentration, it is possible to provide an atmosphere environment in which people can survive while suppressing fire.

[0031]

As described above, according to the method and system of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

It can be moved quickly and can respond flexibly to fires in various places.

A fire is quickly suppressed, and at the same time, an environment where people trapped in the fire space can survive is provided.

Fire extinguishers and rescue workers can quickly enter the fire space due to smoke emission and a decrease in temperature, so that early rescue activities can be carried out.

A fire may be extinguished only by the method and system of the present invention depending on the type of combustible material and the structure of the fire space.

Further, even if there is an afterglow, the combustion is suppressed, so that the fire personnel can approach the burned material. Therefore, the fire can be extinguished faster and with a smaller amount of water or a fire extinguishing agent, and damages of both the fire and the water loss can be reduced.

Since the nitrogen-enriched air used for extinguishing fire is produced from the atmosphere, it is possible to carry out fire extinguishing activities even when water cannot be sufficiently supplied due to damage such as an earthquake or terrorism.

Even in the case of a super high-rise building, it is possible to quickly send the nitrogen-enriched air to the fire occurrence layer by utilizing the installation space such as the tact or the piping and the elevator to suppress the fire.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a fire extinguishing process according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a tunnel fire.

FIG. 4 is an effect of suppressing the occurrence of fire in the example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Self-propelled vehicle as a means of moving the device 2 Nitrogen-enriched air generator 3 Flow rate and oxygen concentration control unit 4 Nitrogen-enriched air injection device 5 Flow control device 6 monitoring equipment 7 Nitrogen enriched air transportation pipe 8 open / close valve

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. The atmosphere of a fire space containing combustion gas is excluded by injecting nitrogen-enriched air having an appropriate oxygen concentration from the outside into a closed or semi-closed fire space where a fire is to be extinguished. The fire extinguishing method is characterized in that the existing atmosphere is replaced with an atmosphere in which a fire can be suppressed and people can survive. 2. A large amount of nitrogen-enriched air produced at a fire extinguishing work site by injecting nitrogen from the atmosphere into the space is injected into the space in a large amount. Extinguishing method. 3. As a means for enriching nitrogen in the atmosphere, a gas separation membrane system for separating nitrogen and oxygen in the air or a system for lowering the oxygen concentration in the air by burning hydrogen is used. The fire extinguishing method according to claim 1, characterized in that. 4. The fire extinguishing method according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen concentration of the nitrogen-enriched air injected into the space is adjusted within the range of 9 to 16% by volume. 5. The method of extinguishing a fire according to claim 1, wherein the device for producing nitrogen-enriched air can be quickly moved to a fire site when a fire occurs. 6. The fire extinguishing method according to claim 1, wherein the nitrogen-enriched air is sent into the fire space by utilizing the ventilation system or the air conditioning system of the building in case of a fire. 7. A single air supply pipe made of a material having a melting point higher than the maximum temperature during normal use is installed up to the entrances and exits of both ends of the tunnel at the zenith of the tunnel, and the pipe above the fire source is heated when a fire occurs. The method for extinguishing a fire according to claim 1, wherein a hole is made by the method, and the nitrogen-enriched air is sent from the entrance and exit of the tunnel through the pipe to the ignition point. 8. A means for producing nitrogen-enriched air from the atmosphere at a fire extinguishing site, a means for controlling the oxygen concentration and the flow rate of the nitrogen-enriched air, and the injection and flow of the nitrogen-enriched air into the fire space. A system comprising a control means, a device moving means, and a fire status monitoring means.