Device and system for fire extinguishing on a ship
The present invention relates to a device and a system for extinguishing fires on the deck of a ship, such as a containership, comprising a number of nozzles arranged to receive an extinguishing agent such as water/foam.
Fire onboard ships, and in particular containerships, today constitutes large costs for ship owners and charterers. Fire constitutes a third of all incidences of material damages, and costs can amount to more than 100 million US$. The size of containerships is steadily increasing, and today it is not uncommon with 7-8 containers on top of each other where the containers can hold all types of dangerous goods. A larger fire onboard this type of ship with danger of explosion can lead to large material damage, injuries to sailors and/or loss of life and have great and serious environmental consequences.
According to international regulations, for example from SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea), fires on these types of ships shall be fought with the use of fire hoses. Experiences from fires and explosions in deck cargo on these types of ships show that this form of fire fighting, where access and visibility is particularly difficult, is extremely dangerous and not very effective. Other extinguishing method considered by classification bodies, for example Det Norske Veritas and Lloyds, is, among others, use of permanently arranged cannons on the wheelhouse with a "water-jet length" of at least 150m controlled from the bridge. In addition, hosepipes are used as back-up.
This type of permanently arranged cannon on the wheelhouse has several disadvantages: Amongst other things, a "water-jet length" of 150 m requires high water pressures and large amounts of water, for example 60 000 l/min or more, and furthermore, the "water-jet length" will be much reduced and ineffective when it is windy.
According to the present invention, a solution is provided that reduces the response time in relation to today's solutions. The safety of personnel onboard can be increased. Shorter distance between fire and extinguishing unit is obtained. It will be possible to be able to fight fires from different positions, and the outside of the container load can be cooled to prevent the fire spreading.
The abovementioned objects, according to the present invention, are provided by a device as defined in the characteristic part of the independent claim 1 , in that the nozzles are arranged to an upper part of a telescopic mast, where the telescopic mast, when inactive, is adapted to be arranged completely, or partially, below the deck of the ship and, when activated, adapted to be raised to an extinguishing position above the deck of the ship.
Alternative, preferred embodiments of the device are characterised by the dependent claims 2-10.
A preferred embodiment of a system according to the present invention is characterised by the independent claim 11.
Alternative embodiments of the system are characterised by the dependent claims 12-14.
The invention shall now be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a perspective drawing of a device according to the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a section of the device shown in figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a supply system for extinguishing agent to a number of devices according to the invention.
Figures 4a and 4b show the arrangement of the devices shown in figures 1 and
2 onboard a ship.
As mentioned, fires onboard a ship, and in particular containerships, can result in large costs for ship owners and charterers. Furthermore, a larger fire onboard this type of ship with danger of explosion can lead to much material damage, injuries to sailors and/or loss of life, and great and serious environmental consequences. The present invention is developed to reduce these disadvantages, among other things, in that the response time from a fire being discovered until the extinguishing is started can be reduced, which thereby results in the safety of the personnel onboard being increased. Shorter distance between fire and extinguishing unit is obtained, and it will be possible to be able to fight the fire from several positions. Furthermore, the outer sides of the container load can be cooled to prevent the fire spreading.
Figures 1 and 2 show a device according to the invention, in perspective and cross section, respectively, and in a folded position. As the figures show, the device comprises a telescopic mast 10 incorporating a stationary outer telescopic part 12 and an inner radially extendable telescopic part 16. A number of extendable telescopic parts 14a, 14b, 14c are arranged between the outer telescopic part 12 and the inner extendable telescopic part 16. In the example shown, there are three intermediate extendable telescopic parts, but several or fewer then shown, of course can be used.
A number of nozzles 18a, 18b, 18c are arranged to the inner telescopic part 16, but it shall again be pointed out that more or fewer then shown in the drawing can be used. The inner telescopic part 16 will also be the uppermost telescopic part when the telescopic mast is extended. All the extendable telescopic parts 14a, 14b, 14c and 16 can be driven separately with the help of hydraulic drive means. The nozzles can be ordinary water/foam types, or they can be specially developed for this purpose. The nozzles must preferably give a flat dispersion of the extinguishing agent.
To provide the extinguishing agent to said nozzles, an additional telescopic mast 20 can be provided, in a preferred embodiment, which is arranged to be extended in a similar way to the telescopic mast 10 and which is arranged to follow, in a slave function, the telescopic mast 10 when this is extended. The telescopic mast 20 can comprise the same or a different number of telescopic parts as the telescopic mast 10. The upper part of the additional telescopic part 20 is preferably connected to the inner extendable telescopic part 16 via a coupling joint 22 through which the extinguishing agent can be transferred to the nozzles.
The extinguishing agent can, in an alternative embodiment, be provided through an annular space 24 in the telescopic mast 10, i.e. the annular space 24 can be provided in the inner extendable telescopic part 16 and in combination with the inner of the remaining telescopic parts in the telescopic mast 10. Alternatively, an annular space in the telescopic part 16 can be connected to a reeled hose or the like, where the hose end fastened to the annular space can be moved together with the inner telescopic part 16, when the telescopic mast 10 is extended.
Alternatively, the additional telescopic part 20 can be replaced by a reeled hose which is fastened to a connecting element, corresponding to the coupling joint 24, and where the hose end can be transferred together with the inner extendable telescopic part 16 when the telescopic mast 10 is extended.
The telescopic mast 10 and the possible additional telescopic mast 20, can be anchored in a plate element 26. The plate element 26 can be the deck of the ship, or preferably, a lower part of a storage house below the deck of the ship.
A number of devices according to the invention can be arranged on or below the deck of the ship, and are arranged to cover their own zone of the deck of the ship and/or cargo. Figure 4a shows an example of placing of telescopic masts and are shown by the circles. Activation of the middle four telescopic masts by their nozzles is shown in figure 4b.
There is consequently provided a device for extinguishing deck fires onboard a ship, such as a containership, comprising a number of nozzles, 18a, 18b, 18c arranged to receive an extinguishing agent, such as water/foam, where said nozzles are arranged at an upper part of the telescopic mast 10. When inactive, the telescopic mast is arranged to be placed completely or partially below the deck of the ship, and when activated, the telescopic mast is arranged to be extended to an extinguishing position above the deck of the ship.
The extendable telescopic parts are arranged to be extendable upwards to a position in which at least the inner (upper) telescopic part extends above a container cargo onboard the ship, and where said nozzles are arranged on the top of the inner, uppermost, extendable telescopic part. The inner telescopic part comprises a number, preferably three, of adjustable nozzles arranged to cover a defined area of the container cargo. The telescopic mast is arranged to stop in any position between a fully retracted and a fully extended position, and said nozzles are arranged to be activated independently of the position of the telescopic mast or its movement.
Figure 3 shows a system for supply of extinguishing agent to the fire extinguishing devices according to the invention. A tank 30 for foam liquid, a pump 32 for pumping of foam liquid, a fire pump for pumping seawater, a mixing unit 36 for mixing of water and foam liquid and zone valves 38 for regulation of supply of extinguishing agent to the different devices according to
the invention are shown in figure 3. In addition, the system can comprise one or more safety valves 40, and a number of bypass valves 42.
In connection with the system shown in figure 3, a control panel is also included for individual control of the different sections or zones. The control panel is preferably PLS-controlled, and the control panel is preferably arranged on the bridge of the ship, but can be located anywhere onboard the ship, and/or it can be provided by sub-control systems for control of the fire extinguishing system from different positions onboard the ship.
The system for extinguishing deck fires onboard a ship, such as a containership, consequently comprises a water/foam agent arranged to supply a number of nozzles with an extinguishing agent, and a number of devices according to the invention, where said devices are placed so that they cover their own section of the deck of the ship and/or container cargo. Said devices are connected to a control panel where the control panel is set up for individual control of the sections.