WO2001051130A1

WO2001051130A1 - Method for detecting and fighting a fire in a railway train

Info

Publication number: WO2001051130A1
Application number: PCT/FR2001/000078
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Southwood
Original assignee: The Channel Tunnel Group Limited; France-Manche Sa
Priority date: 2000-01-14
Filing date: 2001-01-11
Publication date: 2001-07-19
Also published as: EP1246669B1; FR2803763B1; AU2001231873A1; EP1246669A1; ATE292497T1; FR2803763A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for detecting and fighting a fire in a railway train whose cars are used for transporting road vehicles. The invention is characterized mainly in that each car comprises a device for detecting the position of a fire site, each device comprising a plurality of infrared radiation detectors (S1 to S18) and an electronic device for controlling the valves (A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2) with which the distribution lines of each car are provided, according to the position of the detector (S) which has detected the infrared radiation. The invention can be used for cars of a railway train.

Description

FIRE DETECTION AND FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM

IN A RAIL CONVOY

The invention relates to rail convoys for the transport of road vehicles, and more particularly in such rail convoys, a system for detecting the position of one or more fires of fire on one or more wagons and for fighting against these foci of fire according to their position on the wagon.

French patent application No. 97 13138 discloses automatic fire extinguisher systems integrated into a rail convoy which include a pump tank car distributing an extinguishing liquid to each wagon via pipes fitted with sprinklers in wagons carrying road transport vehicles. Watering is controlled either by the fusion of the hot-melt shutters fitted to the sprinklers of a main network, or by the use of fire detectors whose signals cause actuation of motorized valves supplying a secondary network. This type of automatic fire extinguisher device has the drawback of triggering sprinkling by the main network on the area covered only by the sprinkler with hot-melt shutter, and / or on a secondary network covering the entire wagon and / or associated with the vehicle transported on the basis of a signal supplied by a single detector for the entire wagon. However, in the case of a railway convoy, the current of hot air due to the fire hearth moves in the opposite direction of the movement of the train so that the thermofusible shutter which is triggered is not always the one closest to the home, hence a certain ineffectiveness as to the effect of watering on the real fireplace.

Furthermore, since each secondary network is only triggered by a single fire detector, it does not intervene quickly in the fight against fire unless the detector is close to the fire.

In addition, the sprinkler obtained is dispersed throughout the ^' wagon and is therefore relatively ineffective in extinguishing the outbreak, a focus on which all the means of fire fighting should be concentrated. An object of the invention is therefore to provide a system for detecting the position of a fire in a wagon of a railway convoy for the transport of road vehicles as well as a fire fighting system which concentrates sprinkling the extinguishing liquid on the detected fire. The invention therefore relates to a system for detecting and fighting a fire in a railway convoy comprising several wagons, at least one wagon of which comprises at least one reservoir of extinguishing liquid and at least one device for propelling the extinguishing liquid in pipes. distribution to other wagons, said pipelines being equipped, on each wagon for transporting road vehicle (s), with valves and sprinkler nozzles, characterized in that each wagon for transporting road vehicle (s) ( s) comprises: a device for detecting the position of a fire source comprising a plurality of infrared radiation detectors at determined positions of the wagon, and an electronic device for controlling the valves fitted to the distribution pipes of each wagon in depending on the position of the detector which has detected the infrared radiation so as to trigger the sprinkler nozzles near the fire.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following description of a particular embodiment, said description being made in relation to the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a diagram showing the composition of a railway convoy comprising a fire detection and fire fighting system according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a simplified diagram illustrating the fire-fighting elements arranged on a wagon of the railway convoy; - Figure 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement of sprinklers or sprinkler nozzles according to the invention;

- Figure 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of fire detectors on a wagon 1 according to the invention; - Figure 5 is a block diagram of a fire detection and fire fighting machine 1 detected fire;

- Figure 6 is a timing diagram of the instants of sampling of the electrical signals of each fire detector;

- Figure 7 is a representation of the algorithm for detecting a fire source according to the invention;

- Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of fire detectors, sprinkler nozzles and different detection and sprinkler zones;

- Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a fire fighting strategy according to the invention. A rail convoy for the transport of road freight vehicles comprises at least one leading locomotive 10 at one end and a locomotive tail 12 at the other end of the convoy. Between the two locomotives 10 and 12 are arranged, for example, two trainsets of m wagons Wl to Wm, each arranged to transport road goods vehicles. These road vehicles are brought onto the wagons of each train and unloaded at their destination via two maneuvering platforms 14a and 14b. It also includes a wagon 16, behind the lead locomotive 10, for transporting drivers of road vehicles and a wagon 18 for transporting fire-fighting means.

These fire fighting means on the wagon 18 mainly comprise a main tank 20 filled with an extinguishing liquid at atmospheric pressure such as water, a high pressure pump 22 disposed on an outlet pipe 24 of the main tank and a secondary tank 26 filled with an anti-freeze liquid, an outlet pipe 32 of which is equipped with a medium pressure pump 28. The outputs of the high pressure 22 and medium pressure pumps 28 are connected to a main distribution pipe 34 which feeds in each wagon Wl to Wm two distribution conduits 40 and 42 mounted on one side and on the other of each wagon.

The outlet pipe 24 of the main tank 20 comprises a manual valve 80 at the outlet of the tank followed by a motorized valve 82, which makes it possible to control the circulation of the extinguishing liquid. The main tank is equipped with a filling pipe 84 equipped with a manual valve 86, a non-return valve 88 and a filling mouth 90. The outlet of the motorized valve 82 is connected to the inlet of pump 22 whose output is connected to main line 34 by a non-return valve

92.

The pump 22 comprises an actual pump P and a drive motor M of the diesel type so as to make the system independent of the electrical supply.

The outlet pipe 32 of the anti-freeze liquid reservoir 26 comprises a manual valve 94, the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the pump 28. The outlet of the pump is connected directly to the conduit

42 of the pipe 34 and via a non-return valve 96 to the pipe 40.

This connection between the pump 28 and the conduit 42 is equipped with an anti-frost liquid circulation indicator 98 which provides an IF signal if it detects an anti-frost circulation.

It is also equipped with pressure switches

PSI, PS2 and PS3 which provide PI, P2 and P3 signals respectively. The PI signal appears when the pressure in the pipeline is below a threshold

IF, for example 20 bars.

The signal P2 appears when the pressure is above a threshold S2, for example 25 bars.

The signal P3 appears when the pressure is below a threshold S3, for example 10 bars.

The pump 28 comprises, like the pump 22, an actual pump P and a diesel type drive motor M.

The anti-freeze reservoir 26 is equipped with a filling pipe 100 comprising a manual valve 102, a non-return valve 104 and a filling mouth 106.

The anti-freeze tank 26 is equipped with a second outlet pipe 108 for supplying the pump 22 anti-freeze via a manual valve 110 and a motorized valve 112.

The motorized valves 82 and 112 each include an actual valve V and an actuator A which is controlled by the signals P3 and FI.

The pump motor 22 is controlled by signals P3 and FI while the pump motor 28 is controlled by signals PI and P2. The conduits 40 and 42 are connected to each other at their end, that is to say to the tail of the convoy on the loading wagon, by a manual valve 116 which is open so as to allow the circulation of the anti-freeze liquid in the direction of the arrows f1 and f2 as a result of the non-return valve 96. At the inlet of each loading wagon, the conduits 40 and 42 are connected by a manual valve 114 which is closed.

In each wagon (Figures 3 and 8), each conduit 40 and 42 feeds sprinkler nozzles, for example 15 in number, which are referenced NI to N15 for conduit 40 and N16 to N30 for conduit 42, by 1 intermediary of branches equipped with motorized valves Al, Cl, Bl for the conduit 40 and A2, C2 and B2 for the conduit 42. Each branch and motorized valve supplies five sprinkler nozzles among the thirty covering a wagon. The lines 40 and 42 are filled with extinguishing liquid with anti-freeze under pressure while the branches supplying the sprinkler nozzles do not contain any liquid in normal operation, that is to say without fire in the wagon. These nozzles are preferably arranged on the upper part of each wagon near the vertical walls and their jet of extinguishing liquid is directed downwards and inside the wagon at a particular angle. to be as efficient as possible against a fire on the road vehicle.

The motorized valves Al, Cl, Bl, A2, C2 and B2 are controlled by the signals supplied by an automaton 44 specific to each wagon (FIG. 4).

This automaton 44 is connected by a cable 46 to infrared radiation detectors SI to S18 distributed in half on one side and on the other of each wagon W1 to Wm and arranged in the upper part of the vertical walls of the wagon. The electrical signals supplied by the detectors SI to S18 are analyzed by an electronic device, which is part of the automaton 44, so as to detect, on the one hand a temperature higher than the ambient temperature and, on the other hand, a rate of increase of this temperature which is above a certain threshold.

This algorithm is, for example, intended to detect a class A fire in slow development according to the criteria of the association called "National Fire Protection Association".

By way of example, the electronic device will be adjusted to detect a temperature Ta which is equal to or greater than 40 ° C at ambient temperature and a temperature gradient R which is equal to or greater than Ra = 0.1 ° C / sec .

To this end, this electronic device will include, for example (FIG. 5):

a sampling circuit 50 of the signals supplied by the detectors Si to S18, an analog / digital converter 52 of the amplitude of the samples of the signals,

a memory circuit 54 for recording, for each detector, the n digital codes representative of the n successive samples during a predetermined time interval, a processing circuit 56 for the n digital codes of each detector S, such as a microprocessor, to determine the detector whose signals have exceeded the thresholds of temperature Ta and of temperature gradient Ra, and

a logic circuit 58 for firstly determining the motorized valve or valves to be opened for watering the fire zone corresponding to the detector S whose signals have exceeded the thresholds and, secondly, supplying the control signals for the valves motorized Al, A2, Cl, C2, Bl,

B2.

By way of example, the number n of samples per detector S will be sixteen over a time interval of thirty seconds, or one sample every two seconds at the times VO, VI, ..., V15, VO being the date the most recent (Figure 6).

The exceeding of the temperature threshold Ta must be detected for a detector S on at least three consecutive values T (S, VO), T (S, VI) and T (S, V2) while the temperature gradient R (S) of the detector S is calculated on the sixteen values T (S, VO) to T (S, V15) according to the following formula:

FIG. 7 illustrates, in the form of a logic diagram, the operations carried out by the processing circuit 56 on the n samples coming from a single detector S. The three consecutive values of temperature T (S, V0), T ( S, VI) and T (S, V2) are compared in step 60 to the threshold Ta and provide a logic state 1 if they are equal to or greater than the threshold Ta.

An AND logic operation is performed in step 62 on the three logic states resulting from operation 60 so as to provide a logic state 1 for three simultaneous overruns.

Furthermore, the calculation of the function f (T, V) is carried out on the n = 16 samples of a detector S in step 64 so as to obtain the temperature gradient R (S) for the detector S. A the following step 66, the gradient R (S) is compared to the threshold Ra so as to provide a logic state 1 if it is equal to or greater than Ra. The logic states resulting from steps 62 and 66 are combined in an AND logic operation 68 to provide a fire detection alarm AL (S) if Ta and Ra are exceeded. The position of the fire is defined by that of the detector S. FIG. 8 illustrates the respective positions of the detectors SI to S18 of the sprinkler nozzles NI to N30, of the sprinkler zones A, B and C and of the zones of extinction FS1 to FS2. It also illustrates the valves Al and A2, Bl and B2, Cl and C2 which are actuated to carry out the respective watering of the zones A, B and C. It should be noted that each extinction zone FS1 and FS2 comprises two zones d watering: A and C for the extinction zone FS1 and B and C for the extinction zone FS2. FIG. 9 illustrates a fire fighting strategy in a wagon as a function of the detector which provided the alarm signal AL.

Thus, in the idle state, an alarm AL originating from one of the detectors SI to S4 and S10 to S13 causes watering in the extinction zone FS1 comprising the watering zones A and C.

An AL alarm from a central detector S5 or

514 causes watering in the two extinction zones FS1 and FS2, that is to say over the entire length of the wagon.

An AL alarm from one of the detectors S6 to S9 and

515 to S18 causes watering in the extinction zone FS2 including the watering zones B and C. When an extinction zone FS1 or (FS2) is in the watering (ONE ACTIVE ZONE), then the other zone FS2 (or FSl) is put into watering if one of the detectors S7 to S9 and S16 to S18 (or SI to S3 and S10 to S12) provides an AL alarm. We then pass to the state "TWO ACTIVE ZONES".

The operation of the system according to the invention is as follows:

In normal operation, that is to say without fire, the conduits 40 and 42 contain an extinguishing liquid with _, anti-freeze under a pressure between 20 and 25 bars. The motorized valves A1 and A2, Bl and B2, Cl and C2, are closed so that the irrigation nozzles NI to N30 are in the dry state, that is to say without liquid. The pressure is maintained between 20 and 25 bars thanks to the pressure contactors PSI and PS2 which provide, one a signal PI to start the pump 28 and the other, a signal P2 to stop the pump 28. In the presence of an alarm signal AL, at least one of the motorized valves Al, A2, Bl, B2, Cl and C2 is open so that the pressure in the conduits 40 and 42 drops to the value of 10 bars , which is detected by the pressure switch PS3 supplying the signal P3. Furthermore, the pump 28 has been started by the signal PI so that the extinguishing liquid circulates in the conduits 40 and 42 in the direction of the arrows f1 and f2. This circulation is detected by the device 98 which then supplies an IF signal.

The combination of the signals P3 and FI opens the motorized valve 82 so that the pump 22 is supplied with extinguishing liquid, which is propelled at high pressure, for example 130 bars, in the pipe 34 by the pump 22 started by the signals P3 and FI. The pipe 34 supplies the conduits 40 and 42 so that the extinguishing liquid circulates in the direction of the arrows f3 under a high pressure which is greater than the threshold of the contactor PS3. The pump 28 is therefore stopped by the signal P2. Furthermore, the signals P3 and FI close the motorized valve 112 so that the pump 22 is no longer supplied with anti-freeze, which prevents the emptying of the tank 26 in the event of fire.

The invention has been described in relation to a particular embodiment. However, it can be implemented according to different embodiments. Thus, the infrared radiation detectors can be arranged in a layout adapted to the types of vehicles to be transported. The sprinkler nozzles can also be installed on the wagon in positions more suited to fighting the fire. Furthermore, the fire fighting strategies can also be different without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Fire detection and fire fighting system in a railway convoy comprising several wagons (Wl to Wm), at least one wagon (18) of which comprises at least one tank of extinguishing liquid (20) and at least one device for propulsion (22) of the extinguishing liquid in distribution pipes (34, 40, 42) to the other wagons, said pipes being fitted, on each transport wagon of road vehicle (s), with valves supplying nozzle nozzles watering, characterized in that each transport wagon of road vehicle (s) comprises:

- a device for detecting (50, 52, 54, 56) the position of a fire source comprising a plurality of infrared radiation detectors (SI to S18) at determined positions of the wagon relative to the sprinkler nozzles , and

- an electronic control device (58) of the valves (Al, A2, Bl, B2, Cl, C2) equipping the distribution pipes (40, 42) of each wagon as a function of the position of the detector (SI to S18) which has detected infrared radiation so as to trigger the sprinkler nozzles (NI to N30) near the fire.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection device comprises: means (50, 52) for analyzing the electrical signals supplied by the infrared detectors for measuring the temperature (T), - means (54, 56 ) to process the temperature values measured by each detector in order to determine that a threshold (Ta) has been exceeded temperature and a temperature gradient threshold (Ra), and means (60, 62, 64, 66, 68) for providing an alarm (AL) when the temperature (T) and the temperature gradient (R) d 'a detector are equal to or greater than respective thresholds (Ta, Ra).

3. System according to claim 2, characterized - in that the sprinkler nozzles (NI to N30) are arranged in zones (A, B, C), the sprinkler nozzles of each zone being supplied by at least one valve motorized (Al, A2, Bl, B2, Cl, C2), and in that the electronic control device (58) of the motorized valves comprises a logic circuit (58) for actuating at least one motorized valve according to the detector which has supplied the alarm (AL).

4. System according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the exceeding of the temperature threshold

(Ta) is measured on at least three consecutive temperature values and in that the temperature gradient is measured on the basis of a plurality (n) of consecutive temperature values.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the temperature gradient is calculated according to the form

in which :

Vj_ is the measurement of the instant i among n, S is the detector concerned by the measurement Vj_, T (S, Vj is the temperature measured at the instant i for the detector S.

6. System according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: the sprinkler nozzles of a transport wagon of road vehicle (s) are connected to the valves of the distribution pipes by dry type supply lines.

7. System according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it further comprises a reservoir (2b) of anti-freeze liquid, which is arranged on the wagon transporting the reservoir of the extinguishing liquid , - means (28) for propelling the anti-freeze liquid in the pipes (40, 42) for distributing the extinguishing liquid and maintaining (PSI, PS2) a determined pressure in said pipes, means (PS3, 98) for detecting a drop in pressure in said pipes (40, 42) and to start the propulsion device (22) of the extinguishing liquid so as to supply said pipes (40, 42) under high pressure when a distribution valve (Al, A2, Bl, B2, Cl, C2) on a transport wagon of road vehicle (s) has been opened by the electronic control device (58) of the valves. System according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: means (112, PS3, 98) for stopping the supply of said pipes with anti-freeze liquid as soon as the propulsion device (22) is started up liquid extinguisher.