WO2021116718A1

WO2021116718A1 - A chimney fire extinguishing product

Info

Publication number: WO2021116718A1
Application number: PCT/GR2019/000086
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ioannis SDEKAS; Alexandros SDEKAS; Georgios SDEKAS
Original assignee: Sdekas Ioannis; Sdekas Alexandros; Sdekas Georgios
Priority date: 2019-12-09
Filing date: 2019-12-09
Publication date: 2021-06-17

Abstract

The invention relates to a extinguishing product for fires in a chimney, and is a homogenized and compressed mixture (1) in granular form consisting of Potassium Nitrate (KNO₃) and Wood Charcoal Powder (C₇H₄O), packaged inside a paper container (2) and inside a heat resistant casing (3). The product is placed in the middle of the fireplace on the fire. The mixture (1) in the container (2) is activated by burning, using as ignition the fire itself, whereas it extinguishes the fire in less than 10 seconds.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A chimney fire extinguishing product The invention refers to a product consisting of a homogenized and compressed mixture which, by burning in the fireplace, extinguishes immediately the fire when this is caused inside the chimney.

The problem of the today's technique resolved by this invention is the suppressant of fire when this is caused inside the chimney in all types of fireplaces (even open types) that use wood and derivatives thereof as fuel.

The fire inside the chimney is caused as follows:

The three key elements, the so-called "triad" for causing a fire, are a. creosote, a fuel material, i.e. the fuel created from the concentration and heat treatment of wood smoke on chimney walls; b. oxygen, from the air passing through the fireplace to the chimney; and c. heat, i.e. the high temperature gradually developed inside the chimney from the fire burning in the fireplace. When these three elements are present, then a stimulus, which is usually a spark from the combustion in the fireplace that comes up the chimney, causes fire inside the chimney. After the fire in the chimney breaks out, the materials involved in the initial combustion produce free radicals, that is, atoms or molecules having one or more uncoupled electrons. As a rule, this property results in the strong tendency of free radicals to detach electrons from other compounds. Free radicals are involved in the combustion creating chain chemical reactions, causing the fire in your fireplace to become an uncontrolled fire in your chimney. The involvement of free radicals with the chemical chain reactions they cause is what turns this "triad" of fire into a "quadruple".

In order to extinguish fire in general, there are fire extinguishing means, such as fire pumps, portable extinguishers, fire extinguishing systems depending on the type of fire. There are several types of hand fire extinguishers (portable extinguishers): portable extinguishers are usually Type A, B and C & D and in different weights, such as 1, 2, 5, 6 and 12 Kg and contain CO2 or extinguishing powder. Formerly there were fire extinguishers with Halon 1211 or 1311 which have been discontinued due to ozone depletion. There are many fire extinguishing compositions that all apply to the above extinguishing means, that is, they are used with extinguisher devices, are sprayed with the extinguisher and smother fire. This solution is recommended by documents US 003209685 and US 5695688A.

When there is a fire in the chimney, practically the use of such type of fire extinguishers is difficult to impossible due to non-immediate access to the area of the fire. Thus, in order to solve this technical problem, that is, access, the current techniques offer solutions with products that only apply to closed type fireplaces and set as a basic condition to close any air intake in the combustion chamber and the chimney so that oxygen does not enter. One such solution of this technique is that described in US8182622, a pyrotechnic composition comprising by mass strontium nitrate Sr(N03)₂ by 72.40%, potassium nitrate KNO3 by 8.05%, sulfur S by 10,45%, polyvinyl chloride by 5.34%, paraffin oil by 2.82% and sawdust mixture by 0.94%. The pyrotechnic composition is packaged in a cylindrical housing that is closed at one end and has an igniter at the other end to initiate combustion. The pyrotechnic composition works by manual ignition of its igniter and then the user throws it into the fireplace beneath the chimney where a fire has broken out. The pyrotechnic composition works only in closed type fireplaces. The user should immediately close the door of the fireplace, as well as any air inlet, in contrast to this invention which does not require an air block to operate.

Briefly, according to the solution proposed by this invention, in the event of a fire inside the chimney, a special package containing a homogenized and compressed mixture in a granular form is placed in the middle of the fireplace, consisting of: a. Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) and b. Wood Charcoal Powder (C7H4O) in specific proportions and in granular form.

The mixture is activated by burning using the fire of the fireplace as a trigger. The burning mixture produces: a. Potassium carbonate (K2CO3)

c. Nitrogen (N2), and d. Water (H2O) and extinguishes the fire in less than 10 seconds. An advantage of this invention is that for its use the user does not have to block oxygen entry into the area where fire has broken out by closing any possible air intakes, as required by today's technique. This invention results in extinguishing the fire in the chimney, even in open fireplaces (without a door), something that today's technique does not.

Another advantage of this invention is its ease of use, as it extinguishes fire in the chimney, whereas the non-direct access is not a problem for its application, a problem presented in previous techniques.

A further advantage of the invention is the minimum time required for its application, extinguish the fire in less than ten seconds (<10"), in contrast to the solutions of today's technique that extinguishes fire in more than 20 seconds.

Other advantages are that carbon dioxide produced by the chemical reaction not only causes the chimney to smother fire with oxygen decrease, it also cools the chimney space, dropping the chimney temperature below the temperature required for ignition, thereby excluding the possibility of fire re-ignition.

Finally, an advantage of the invention is that it does not belong to pyrotechnic products and, unlike the products of today's technique, it does not produce: (a) Sodium sulphate which may cause temporary asthma or eye irritation of the user, or (b) dinitrogen oxide which is an important agent binding stratospheric ozone, such as CFC. Both substances of the mixture of this invention are completely safe for humans and the environment and are also completely safe in the form of their composition. Also the chemical reaction derivatives upon combustion of the mixture are all safe for humans and the environment.

Drawing 1 accompanying this description illustrates the chimney fire extinguishing agent in its special packaging.

A detailed description of this invention follows, with reference to the attached drawing.

The chimney fire extinguishing product consists of a homogenized and compressed mixture (1) in a granular form contained in a paper container (2), preferably cylindrical in shape. It is compressed with the compression process used in the current fireworks technique. The invention is applied in exactly the same way, whichever shape the container has (2), such as, for example, a rectangular shape, etc. inside which the homogenized mixture (1) is always packaged with the compression process.

The packaging of the homogenized mixture with the compression process is necessary because it ensures that the chemical reaction of combustion of the homogenized mixture (1) will be gradual and not abrupt and instantaneous, that is, the mixture (1), which when burn extinguishes the fire, will burn longer.

The cylindrical container (2) into which the homogenized mixture (1) is packaged with compression has one circular base sealed, while the other circular base (5) has an opening sealed with a membrane (4) made of flammable material which is readily burnt, preferably made of PVC.

The cylindrical container (2) is then positioned in a casing (3) in such a way that the circular base (5) with the opening sealed with a membrane (4) of PVC protrudes out of the housing (3). The casing (3) provides the heat protection and delay of time required so that the very high temperature in the fireplace does not pass directly inside the container (2) and changes the behavior of the 2 materials of the product mixture (1). Without the casing (3), the mixture (1) is affected by the high temperature of the fireplace and its components are altered, thereby stopping the desired chemical reaction. The materials from which the casing (3) is made should be such as to provide the mixture (1) packed in the cylindrical container (2) with heat protection and delay time for the time required to complete the chemical reaction of combustion of the mixture (1) without the materials being altered due to the high temperature of the fireplace. The time, for an amount of mixture (1) about 200 g, is estimated to be about 3 minutes. This is the time needed to complete the gradual continuous chemical reaction of the combustion of the homogenized and compressed mixture (1) until the complete combustion of the materials involved therein to produce the derivatives of the chemical reaction that achieve the immediate fire suppression inside the chimney. And while the fire is suppressed in less than 10 seconds, the prolonged constant combustion of the mixture (1) ensured by the heat casing (3) for 3 whole minutes ensures the complete elimination of the factors necessary for the fire, that is, the high temperature of the chimney and the chain reactions of the combustion causing the fire, thereby excluding the possibility of the fire starting again. Such heat-protecting and time-delay materials of the casing (3) may be e.g. processed mica or a combination of materials e.g. ceramic fibers, fiberglass, vermiculite and fire-resistant silicone etc.

The paper cylindrical container (2) containing the mixture (1) may not be separate from the casing (3) with a heat-protection material but a single body with it. Thus, the container (2) may have an outer embedded coating with any of the above heat-protecting materials of the casing (3) or a mixture thereof.

As mentioned above, the container (2) may have any shape except cylindrical, always a part thereof will be outside the heat-resistant casing (3) and will have an opening sealed with a membrane (4) made of PVC.

The fitting of the container (2) inside the casing (3) will be such that whatever shape the container (2) has, the casing will have a shape adjusting thereof and ensure that they are not accidentally separated.

The container (4), other than paper, may be made of light wood or processed mica, etc., and generally of a material which will not participate in the combustion reaction and will not produce derivatives that will affect the combustion reaction, or derivatives harmful to humans and the environment.

The homogenized and compressed mixture (1) in granular form consists of: a. Potassium Nitrate (KNO₃) b. Wood Charcoal Powder (C7H₄O)

The maximum effectiveness of the mixture (1) is achieved when the proportions are:

Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) by a percentage of 85.35% and Wood Charcoal Powder (C₇H₄O) by a percentage of 14.65%.

However, the mixture (1) is activated in a range of: from 92% KNO3 and 8% C7H₄O up to 82% KNO3 and 18% C7H₄O

The homogenized and compressed mixture (1) is in powder form, i.e. in granular form.

As soon as a fire breaks out inside the chimney, the user throws the product as it is packed into the cylinder (2) and into the heat resistant casing (3), over the fire in the middle of the fireplace in such a way that the base (5) of the container (2) with the opening sealed with a membrane (4) of PVC protruding from the heat resistant casing (3), faces the inside (back) of the fireplace, so that the smoke produced immediately enters the chimney to achieve optimum time efficiency of the product with the immediate extinguishing of the fire inside the chimney.

The product ignites on the side of the container (2) protruding from the heat resistant casing (3), while the remainder inside the container (2) is protected by the case (3), burning not instantaneously but for up to 3 minutes, and produces dense smoke that is moved immediately upwards by the chimney draft.

When the mixture (1) is in the proportions that achieve optimum yield, i.e. Potassium Nitrate 85.35% and Wood Charcoal Powder 14.65%, the smoke particles contain: a. Potassium carbonate (K2CO3) at 58.34%, b. Carbon dioxide (CO2) at 24.77%, c. Nitrogen (N2) 11.80% d. Water (H₂0) at 5.07%.

The above are found in abundance in nature and are not harmful to humans and the environment.

The chemical formula of the reaction produced is:

6 KNO3 + C7H4O ®3 K2CO3 + 4 C0₂ +2 H2O + 3 N₂ then the following chain reactions occur repeatedly until the chimney fire extinguishes

K2CO3 + 3C0₂ + 3H₂0 ® 2KHCO3 + 2CO2 + 2H₂0 2KHCO3 ® K2CO3 + C0₂ + H2O

Carbon dioxide causes choking, decreasing oxygen, cooling the chimney area simultaneously.

At the same time the particles of potassium carbonate surround and come in contact with the flame. The particles absorb the thermal energy of the flame, breaking down and releasing large concentrations of potassium (K+) radicals (ions with uncoupled electron). Potassium radicals are linked to the free radicals of hydroxide (OH+), hydrogen (H+) and oxygen (0+), which aid the process of flame burning, creating harmless by-product molecules, such as potassium hydroxide (KOH) and water (H2O). K · + OH · = KOH KOH + H · = K · + H₂0

Potassium radicals multiply as both are consumed and produced by reaction with the fire sources. By interrupting the reactions necessary to maintain the combustion of the flame, the cycle continues until the combustion chain reactions are terminated and the flame extinguishes. Potassium carbonate acts on the free radicals of the quadruple of the fire and stops its chain reactions immediately, thus extinguishing the fire immediately, in less than ten seconds (10").

The invention also works with any homogenized and compressed granular mixture containing, instead of Wood Charcoal Powder (C7H4O), carbon (C) in whole or partially, or any form of organic carbon compound with hydrogen (CH), all in granular form.

The production of potassium carbonate and carbon dioxide extinguish fire, and if the homogenized and compressed mixture uses a form of organic compound of carbon with hydrogen (CH), then combustion produces water (H2O) also.

The invention is applied in homes, businesses or the countryside, for the direct fire suppression in all types of fireplaces that use wood as a fuel and its derivatives, such as fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, wood boilers, barbecues that have chimneys made of materials such as asbestos pipe, cement pipe, stainless steel, steel, masonry, red brick, etc.

Claims

1. A chimney fire extinguishing product containing Potassium Nitrate, characterized by the fact that

- it contains a homogeneous mixture (1) in granular form, of a. Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) from 82% to 92% b. Wood Charcoal Powder (C₇H₄O) from 18% to 8% respectively, and by that

- the homogenized mixture (1) is packaged with compression process in a container (2), a part of which has an opening that is sealed with a membrane (4) made of flammable material which is readily burnt,

- the container (2) with the homogenized and compressed mixture (1), is housed in a casing (3) made of heat resistant material in such a way that the sealed opening protrudes out of the case (3).

2. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the proportions of the components of the homogenized and compressed mixture are 85.35% Potassium Nitrate (KNO₃) and 14.65% Wood Charcoal powder (C7H4O).

3. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1 -2, characterized by the fact that the heat resistant casing (3) is made of a combination of processed mica, ceramic fibers, fiberglass, vermiculite and heat resistant silicone.

4. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-3, characterized by the fact that the container (2) is incorporated in the heat resistant casing (3) with an outer coat made of the heat resistant material or mixture.

5. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-4, characterized by the fact that the opening of the container (2) protruding from the heat resistant casing (3) is sealed with a PVC membrane (4).

6. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-4, characterized by the fact that the opening of the container (2) protruding from the heat resistant casing (3) is sealed with a pyrotechnic igniter.

7. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-6, characterized by the fact that the homogenized and compressed mixture (1) in granular form comprises a. Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) from 82% to 92% and b. any form of organic carbon compound with hydrogen (CH) from 18% to 8%, respectively.

8. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-6, characterized by the fact that the homogenized and compressed mixture (1) in granular form comprises a. Potassium Nitrate (KNO₃) from 82% to 92% and b. carbon (C) from 18% to 8%, respectively.

9. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-8, characterized by the fact that the container (2) is made of paper.

10. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-8, characterized by the fact that the container (2) is of light wood or processed mica.

11. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-10, characterized by the fact that the container (2) is of cylindrical shape, is fit in the casing (3) so that the base (5) of the container (2) protrudes from the casing (3) with a sealed opening.

12. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1-10, characterized by the fact that the container (2) is of any shape, is fit in the casing (3) so that the part of the container (2) with a sealed opening protrudes from the casing (3).

13. A chimney fire extinguishing product according to claims 1 -12, characterized by the fact that the container (2) consists a single body with the casing (3) having an outer embedded coating with any of the heat resistant materials of the casing (3) or a mixture thereof.