JPH057632A - Bubble srrinkling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a foam sprinkling apparatus capable of sprinkling useful foam of high quality fighting against a flame coming at an extremely high speed over a desired area for 3-4min and capable of not only extinguishing a field fire but also protecting the life of a fireman. CONSTITUTION: A foam sprinkling apparatus is equipped with a surface activator storage container 30 and, when a valve 38 is opened, compressed air is released to flow toward a diaphragm 32A and a pipe 42 from a tank 34. When diaphragms 32A, 32B are opened, the surface activator in the container 30 flows out to enter a pipe 46 and passes through an orifice 50 to be discharged into the water supply part of a container 48. The surface activator 74 is mixed with water 60 within the container 48 and the resulting mixture flows to the upper part of the container 48 through a pipe 70 and subsequently flows toward a stationary mixing apparatus 64 to flow in a sprinkling member 68 having a large number of orifices 72 provided on the circumference of a circle so as to sprinkle foam to a desired area.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to devices for spraying surface-active agents such as foam over an area, and more particularly to a new and improved device for spraying foam for extinguishing fires. The apparatus of the present invention is particularly suitable for installation on tractors, bulldozers and other heavy moving equipment used to combat fires, especially wildfires.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It has been measured that bubbles are about 86% more effective in the case of hitting wildfires such as wildfires or chemical fires as compared with the case of using only water. That is,
Water is about 8% effective at striking a fire, while bubbles are about 94% effective at extinguishing a wildfire. Water is required to extinguish a fire even when foam is used as a powerful element, but the amount of water required when used in combination with foam compared to using water alone It is measured to be reduced by about 75%. The combined use of foam and water increases the volume, or capacity, of the foam by a factor of 7 to 10 compared to using foam alone.

[0003]

Despite the great advantages of foam in striking wildfires, there are problems with prior art devices for spraying foam, which usually occur after mixing the foam with water. To do. Even with the mixing of foam and water, which is a necessary step when using foam, the problem of obtaining a high-quality foam, i.e. foam, necessary for spraying over the desired area that is effective when hitting wildfire is still a problem. Remain. This problem becomes significant when the mixture of water and foam is left unused for a period of time after being combined, during which time the foam begins to substantially lose its ability to form the foam necessary for fire fighting. This problem is also caused when the foam and water mixture is placed in minutes instead of hours. Therefore, even though water is needed to help the foaming activity of the foaming surfactant, foams that are less effective than water alone in striking wildfire when the mixture of foam and water are left for a period of time. Results in being scattered.

The above problems become even more serious when the life of a human being, such as the life of a fireman operating a heavy facility that sprays bubbles and other surface-active agents, is under fire. . 56 ~ 72km / h (35 ~ 45
In the case of a very large wildfire traveling at a speed of (miles), it is urgent that at least the person operating the equipment that disperses the fire and the substance that strikes should be protected from the oncoming flames. It is necessary. The above-mentioned problem is one of the problems well known in the art to the applicant's knowledge, and is a problem with most prior art devices, if not all current surfactant application devices. It is one of the urgently needed problems to solve. Therefore, it is possible to spray a high-quality, useful foam that strikes a very fast-moving flame over the desired area for 3-4 minutes, not only extinguishing wildfires, but more importantly, firefighters. It is desired to provide a device capable of protecting the life of a person. No such device currently exists.

Prior art devices require the required time (0
~ 3 minutes) or cannot supply the required quality of foam or other surfactant,
Or it does not meet both of these requirements.

[0006]

In view of the significant problems with prior art devices used to spread surfactant over the area covered by wildfires, the Applicant is new to this problem. Dealt with in a way. Therefore, the Applicant has proposed that two separate storages are provided, which separately store the surfactant (foam) and water necessary for diffusing the surfactant in the form of extremely high quality foam that is useful for fighting wildfires. A surfactant spraying device with means has been developed. Applicant's apparatus further provides means for releasing the surfactant into the water, if necessary, and the generation of extremely high quality foam, which is most effective for quenching wildfire with the surfactant and water. And means for mixing.

The Applicant's apparatus is suitable for installation in tractors, bulldozers and other heavy equipment that can strike against wildfires, but it is equally useful in statically striking flames such as in chemical plants. It is a device. By providing a means for separate supply and storage of surfactant and water, the problems of the prior art devices that commonly occur when leaving a mixture of water and surfactant for a period of time prior to fire extinguishing are eliminated. It can be avoided. The Applicant has introduced into the prior art static mixing device without moving elements a means of mixing water and surfactant to produce a very high quality foam or foam which is applied to the desired area.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a Class A surfactant (usually used in striking primeval forest flames) and a Class A surfactant.
Both FFF surfactants (typically used to extinguish chemical flames) can be used. The greatest advantage of the present invention is that
Perhaps to save the life of a firefighter operating a device that sprays fire-extinguishing materials.

Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention and the following description.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best understanding of the invention is believed to be gained by first referring to FIG. 2, but in FIG. 2 the apparatus of the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 1. The separate surfactant (foam) storage container 30 is connected by a tube 44 to a compressed air supply in a tank 34. The compressed air inside the tank 34 is approximately 211 kg / cm ² (3,000
0 psi). Along the line 44 is provided a pressure control device 36 and a normally closed valve 38 controlled by the emergency valve release means 40. When the operator of the device pulls the emergency valve release means 40, the valve 38 opens, the pressurized air is released and flows from the tank 34 to the pipe 44, and the controller 36 immediately increases the air pressure to about 8.44-9. 84
Reduce to kg / cm ² (120-140 psi). Pressurized air flows along tube 44 along with burst diaphragm 32A and tube 42.
Flowing in the direction of. Burst diaphragm 32A and 3
Both 2B are set to release at an air pressure of about 7.03 kg / cm ² (100 psi). Therefore, about 8.44
When the pressure of air ~9.84kg / cm ² (120~140psi) flows toward the diaphragm 32A and 32B through the tube 44, both diaphragms opens in response to a force exerted by the air pressure. Both diaphragms 32A and 32
B When [about 7.03kg / cm ² is set to release in air pressure (100 psi)] is opened, the inside of the surface active agent of the vessel 30 flows out from the container 30 through the burst diaphragm 32B Entering the tube 46, the surfactant is discharged through the orifice 50 of the tube 46 into the water supply of the container 48. Inside the container 48, a surfactant 74
Is mixed with water 60 and further through a pipe 70 to a water tank 48
Of the static mixer 64 (see description of FIG. 3 below).

Pressurized air is transferred from the tank 34 to the pressure control device 3
6 through the tube 44 to open the burst diaphragm 32A followed by the burst diaphragm 32B, while simultaneously providing pressurized air [about 8.44-9.84 kg /
cm ² (120-140 psi pressure) flows along tube 42 towards static mixer 64, which is located upstream of tube 42 and water supply 48. When the pressurized air flows through the pipe 42 in the direction of the mixing device 64, the metering device 62 inserted downstream of the mixing device 64 causes the mixing device 6 to flow from the pipe 42 into the mixing device 6.
4. Measure and control air flow to 4. After the airflow through tube 42 is metered by metering device 62, the pressurized airflow causes the mixture of water and surfactant to flow upstream through tube 70 and through mixing device 64 where mixing device 64. Is further mixed and re-mixed to cause substantial foaming of the mixture,
The mixture of water and surfactant produces a very high quality foam which is about 94% efficient in extinguishing wildfire.

After passing through the mixing device 64, the foam, which consists of a very high quality foam, has a spreading member 6 having a plurality of orifices 72 circumferentially arranged to distribute the foam to the desired area.
Inflow to 8.

Appropriate airflow must be incorporated into the surfactant-water mixture as necessary to obtain the desired quality of the foam without proper injection of air into the water-surfactant mixture. A metering device 62 is installed to produce a high quality foam. In order to produce a quality foam with an efficiency of about 94% in the fight against wildfire, the mixture of water and surfactant is about 0.0283 to 0.0425 m / 3.79 liters (1 gallon). Requires ³ (1-1 and 1/2 standard cubic feet) of air.

In one embodiment of the invention, about 56.8.
An air tank containing compressed air with a capacity of 15 gallons has been found to be a suitable tank. With this volume, the device of the present invention is capable of producing a very high quality foam in the desired area for about 3-4 minutes. Wildfires like wildfires progress quickly within about 2-3 minutes, so 2
A device capable of producing high quality foam for ~ 3 minutes
It has many substantial advantages. When the device of the present invention is installed in a tractor or a bulldozer (see FIG. 1), the driver can immediately use the emergency valve 4 when the equipment is consumed by fire.
Can release zero and emit a foam of sufficient quantity and quality to save the life of the driver of the axle by virtually extinguishing the fire on his riding axle, if not completely .

Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 3, which shows a prior art static mixing device of the type disclosed and claimed in US Pat. No. 3,923,288 by the assignee of the present application, Mixing device 3 is a tube 2 with an internal chamber 4
Inside the inner chamber 4, a plurality of left and right facing members 6 and 8 installed along the longitudinal axis of the chamber 4 are attached.

The members 6 and 8 are mirror-symmetrical to each other, each having a planar central portion 10 and 12 and a first ear pair 14 respectively.
A, 14B and 16A, 16B and the second ear pair 18A,
18B and 20A, 20B. Members 6 and 8
Is such that the first ear pair of one member is nested with the second ear pair of the next member so that a plurality of members 6 and 8 are distributed inside the chamber 4 along the longitudinal axis of the tube 2. They are combined in a nested manner so that As a result of the respective and mutual shapes of the members 6 and 8 and the alternating distribution of these members along the tube 2, these members have opposite angular and radial vectors, so that A mixture of water and surfactant flowing through the device 3 (corresponding to the device 64 in FIG. 2) resulting in a mutual shearing effect as the mixture with water flows through the tube 2 and through the members 6 and 8. Are mixed and remixed in different forms.

As pointed out in the description of FIG. 2, the metered air passing through the metering device 62 aids in the flow of the water and surfactant mixture through the mixing device 64, and is further supported by the members 6 and 8. The mixture passing through 2 can be mixed and remixed, resulting in substantial foaming in the mixture resulting in very high quality foam through the orifice 72 of the spreading member 68 shown in FIG. Distributed.

An embodiment of the applicant's invention in which the device described with reference to FIG. 2 is installed in a bulldozer 5 is shown in FIG. Bulldozer 5 is located in the middle of wildfire 7. The device described with reference to FIG.
2 is shown as having a pressurized air tank 80 operably connected to a surfactant container 82 via. The tank 80 is further connected via a pipe 96 to a mixing device (not shown but described in the description of FIG. 1 and indicated in FIG. 2 by reference numeral 64).
The surfactant container 82 is connected to a separate water tank 84 via a pipe 94.

The driver 90 can operate the emergency valve opening means (indicated by reference numeral 40 in FIG. 2) inside the bulldozer 5, and when necessary, the driver 90 opens the valve and the bulldozer is opened. The device according to the invention installed at 5 is operated in the manner described with reference to FIG. That is, when the valve is opened by the driver 90, pressurized air exits the tank 80 and passes through the controller where the air pressure is about 8.
44 to 9.84 kg / cm ² (120 to 140 psi). The pressurized air then passes through tube 92 to open the burst diaphragm and the surfactant passes from container 82 through another burst diaphragm, the burst diaphragm responsive to the pressure exerted by the air and the passing surfactant. Open accordingly to allow surfactant to flow into tube 94. Surfactant flows through tube 94 into water supply 84 where it mixes with the water being supplied. Further, the mixture of water and foam flows from the container 84 into the mixing member where extremely high quality foam is produced and disposed around the sprinkling member 86, as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Through the orifices 88 formed. As soon as bubbles are released from the orifice 88 of the member 86, the fire that has depleted the bulldozer 5 is extinguished within about 3-4 minutes. There is no doubt that such a quick reaction saves the life of the driver 90.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In this figure, a state in which a modification of the present invention, which is smaller than that described with reference to FIG. 2, is installed in the fire truck 100 is shown. A hose 104 is connected to a compressed air tank (see tank 34 in FIG. 2), which is driven by a 10 to 25 horsepower motor (preferably a gasoline or diesel engine) in this small embodiment. The tank has a capacity smaller than that of the tank 34 in FIG. The hose 102 is connected to a surfactant container (see container 30 in FIG. 2) and this tank operates exactly like tank 30. Included is a manual control means 110 that allows the operator to select and control the amount of surfactant to add to the water supply (see tank 48 in FIG. 2). The control means 110 changes the moving amount from 1 to 10
Alternatively, it can be varied in more steps to control the amount of foam generated and dispersed in the desired area.

When the device of FIG. 4 is operated in exactly the same way as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the compressed air forces the surfactant into the water supply and the water and the surfactant. The mixture with and is forced in the direction of the mixing device as described with reference to FIG. However, in the case of this embodiment, although the same mixing member is used, the overall shape of the mixing device is different. The mixing device used in the embodiment of FIG. 4 is of the type disclosed and claimed in US Pat. No. 4,208,136 by the assignee of the present applicant, see FIG. 5 below. I will explain. As the mixture of water and surfactant flows towards the mixing device 106, the control means 110 is set at the desired stage depending on the amount of foam required in the desired area. The mixture of water and surfactant passes through the mixing device 106, where a very high quality foam is obtained and is sprayed onto the desired area via the hose 108.

The mixing device shown in FIG. 5 has individual members 122 of similar construction to the multiple members 6 and 8 shown in FIG. 3, but all members are oriented in the same direction as indicated by arrow 126. However, they are not alternately oriented in different directions as shown in FIG. The plurality of members 122 is the sleeve 1
It is arranged inside 24 and is arranged at the inner peripheral edge of the tube 120 having a constant length and having a longitudinal axis along the length direction. Especially in the case of a small embodiment in which the mixture cannot be moved over the distance with the mixing device 3 of FIG. 3, the arrangement of the mixing element 122 ensures that the mixture of water and surfactant is mixed properly to produce high quality foam. It is an ideal form to form.

Although the apparatus of the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and variations can be devised within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, and these modifications and variations. Would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the claims that follow.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a part of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of a prior art static mixing device incorporated into a device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a small device of the present invention installed in a fire truck.

5 is a partial schematic view of another prior art static mixing device incorporated into the embodiment of the device of the present invention shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

30 surfactant storage container 34 Air supply unit (tank) 38 valves 40 Emergency valve release means 48 Water supply unit (container) 64 mixing device

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 14, 1991

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0022

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

The mixing device shown in FIG. 5 has individual members 122 of similar construction to the multiple members 6 and 8 shown in FIG. 3, but all members are oriented in the same direction as indicated by arrow 126. However, they are not alternately oriented in different directions as shown in FIG. A plurality of members 122 are arranged inside the sleeve 124, respectively, and are arranged at the inner peripheral edge of the tube 120 having a fixed length and a longitudinal axis along the length direction. Especially in the case of a small embodiment in which the mixture cannot be moved over the distance with the mixing device 3 of FIG. 3, the arrangement of the mixing element 122 ensures that the mixture of water and surfactant is mixed properly to produce high quality foam. It is an ideal form to form.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A new and improved surfactant spraying device, comprising means for storing a surfactant supply, and means for spraying surfactant from said device, connected to said surfactant storing means. A separate water storage means for storing water so as to allow the surfactant to flow into the water supply section when desired, a static mixing device arranged downstream of the water supply section, and an air supply section A pressurized air supply having a valve means for operatively connecting the surfactant storage means and the mixing device by an air conduit, the surface being driven by pressurized air from the air supply when the valve means is in an open position. An activator flows from the surfactant storage means into the water supply, where the surfactant and water are combined, and the compressed air is directed downstream of the mixing device through the mixing device. By mixing device And a surface active agent are further mixed to produce a substantial amount of foam from the surface active agent and water mixture resulting in a high quality surface active agent that is sprayed to the desired area. A surfactant spraying device comprising: 2. The air supply is operatively connected to the mixing device by the valve means and a second air conduit, and when the valve is in the open position, the pressurized air from the air supply is the second air supply. Entering the mixing device via an air conduit,
The surfactant is introduced into the water supply as the pressurized air stream flows through the first air conduit, and the mixture of water and surfactant is directed to the mixing device while simultaneously applying the pressure. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that a mixture of water and surfactant is introduced into the mixing device by means of a stream of air. 3. The valve means, wherein the air supply is connected to the surfactant storage means and the first and second air conduits, is normally closed. Or the device according to 2. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the air flow from the second air conduit is metered to the mixing device. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the air flow from the second air conduit is automatically metered into the mixing device. 6. The static mixing device is a tube having a constant length and a longitudinal axis along the length, the ends of the tube extending longitudinally along the constant length. And a tube having a chamber containing the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of abutting nested members mounted inside the chamber, wherein adjacent members are mirror-symmetrical to each other and each member is Axially overlapping along the longitudinal axis to provide a rotational angular velocity opposite to the longitudinal axis as the mixture of surfactant and water passes through and inwardly to the longitudinal axis and Forming a mixing matrix giving outward radial velocities, a portion of the length of each member along the longitudinal direction does not overlap in the axial direction, and a non-axially overlapping length portion of each member After passing the mixing matrix along the longitudinal direction A slow flow space is formed in which the mixture of surface-active agent and water is recombined, and each member has a planar rectangular central portion and a first ear pair and a second ear pair adjacent to the opposite side of the central portion. And the ear pair has a first ear portion and a second ear portion bent upward and downward with respect to the surface of the central portion, and the planar central portion is along the axial direction. 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of ears are in non-overlapping lengths and the pair of ears are in non-overlapping lengths along the axial direction. 7. The water having a longitudinal surface and further having a plurality of orifices extending along the longitudinal surface, wherein the surfactant dispersed in the water supply portion has a force along a different point. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the surfactant storage means is connected to the water supply by means of an elongated tube arranged to be distributed in the supply. 8. The surface active agent storage means has a front end portion and a rear end portion, and a first burst diaphragm and a second burst diaphragm are disposed at the front end portion and the rear end portion, respectively. A diaphragm is operatively connected to the valve means, the burst diaphragm is also in the open position when the valve means is in the open position, and pressurized air from the air supply is passed through the first burst diaphragm. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein surfactant is drained from the surfactant storage means and through the second burst diaphragm into the water supply. 9. The static mixing device is a tube having a constant length, having a longitudinal axis along the length of the tube, the first end and the second end of the tube being open. And a plurality of mixing assemblies having at least one mixing member disposed inside the sleeve portion, the mixing assembly comprising each mixing member of each assembly. Are arranged in the inner peripheral portion of the length of the tube by orienting in the same direction, the members inside the adjacent assembly are located around the length of the tube, and the one member of the assembly is At least one of which is oriented in the same direction as the other of said members of said assembly and is located in the central region formed by a plurality of other assemblies arranged at the periphery of said tube. The device of claim 1, wherein the assembly is arranged. 10. An air flow from the second air conduit to the mixing device is manually metered to allow an operator of the spraying device to control the amount of surface-active agent sprayed to a given area. The device according to claim 4 or 9, characterized in that.