GB2607080A - A fire suppression apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A fire suppression apparatus comprising a threaded conduit 2, an outer sheath 4 and a source or reservoir 30 of pressurised fire suppression fluid, wherein the conduit has a first end 8 and a second, opposed end 6. The conduit is fluidly coupled at its first end to the source of pressurised fire suppression fluid. The conduit includes at least one portion which defines therein a plurality of apertures or holes 12 through which the fire suppression fluid can pass. The outer sheath covers the at least one portion of the conduit which defines therein the apertures, wherein the outer sheath closes the apertures, is impermeable to the fire suppression fluid and has a predetermined melting temperature or sublimation temperature. In the presence of a heat source, the sheath melts, thus allowing the pressurised fire suppressant to be released through the apertures. In use, the conduit may be screwed into a wall cavity insulation layer.

Description

A Fire Suppression Apparatus The present invention relates to a fire suppression apparatus, and, in particular, to a fire suppression apparatus which can be deployed within a cavity and/or within an insulating material.

In the quest to improve heat insulation within buildings, many buildings now include polymeric insulations materials, either internally or externally as part of a cladding arrangement. The polymeric insulation material is often a low density polymer or a foamed polymer, which offer good heat insulation properties.

However, it has been found recently that many of these polymers are flammable or at least aid in the spread of building fires.

Recent building fire disasters have led to the use of such materials to be questioned. However, the costs of removing and/or replacing the polymeric insulation materials is considered to be prohibitive in most case.

Additionally, cavities within buildings may act as chimneys which can draw heat and/or fire around a building, which allows fires to spread more easily and quickly through a building.

Accordingly, there needs to be an alternative method to reduce or minimise the risk of building fires which spread via the polymeric insulation materials and/or via cavities defined within the building.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a fire suppression apparatus comprising a conduit, an outer sheath and a source of pressurised fire suppression fluid, wherein the conduit has a first end and a second, opposed end; the conduit is fluidly coupled at its first end to the source of pressurised fire suppression fluid; the conduit includes at least one portion which defines therein a plurality of apertures through which the fire suppression fluid can pass; the outer sheath covers the at least one portion of the conduit which defines therein the apertures, wherein the outer sheath closes the apertures, is impermeable to the fire suppression fluid and has a predetermined melting temperature or sublimation temperature; and wherein the conduit is closed at its second end.

S

The conduit of the invention may be placed within the insulating polymeric material or cavity such that if a fire breaks out, the heat of a fire within the vicinity of the conduit will melt or sublimate the outer sheath. This in turn will open the apertures defined in the conduit and release the fire suppression fluid directly at the source of the heat/fire.

S

The skilled person will appreciate in the context of the present invention that the term "source of pressurised fire suppression fluid" includes a reservoir of pressurised fire suppression fluid. Such a reservoir may be located within a building or outside of the building.

Furthermore, the term "aperture" refers to a perforation, through-hole, bore or pore that extends through a conduit wall. Thus, the apertures of the invention extend through a wall of the conduit and fluidly connect an internal channel of the conduit with the surrounding environment.

It will be appreciated that the conduit should retain its structural integrity at the temperature at which the outer sheath melts or sublimates. Accordingly, in an embodiment of the invention, the melting temperature or sublimation temperature of the outer sheath is lower than the melting temperature of the conduit.

For example, the outer sheath may have a melting temperature which is less than 250°C, such as less than 200°C, less than 180°C, less than 160°C, less than 150°C, less than 130°C, or less than 120°C.

Furthermore, the conduit suitably has a melting temperature which is greater than 250°C.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the outer sheath is formed from a polymeric material. A polymeric material may be applied as a layer over the outer surface of at least a portion of the conduit and secured thereto to form a closure for each of the apertures defined by the conduit.

Suitably, the outer sheath is formed from a "heat shrink" material. In the context of the present invention, the outer sheath may be in the form of a tube which may be slid over the outer surface of the conduit. Once it is in the desired location relative to the conduit, heat may be applied to the outer sheath, which causes it to shrink over the conduit, thereby forming a secure gas-tight and/or liquid-tight barrier layer over the conduit. The use of a heat shrink outer sheath permits relatively easy construction of the apparatus.

In an embodiment of the invention, the conduit has a circular cross-section and at least a portion of the conduit carries a helical thread on its outwardly facing surface. By providing a helical thread on the outer surface of the conduit, the conduit may be more easily inserted into an insulating material via a screw action. Thus, the conduit may be "screwed" into the insulation material.

The screw action to insert the conduit into an insulation material may be enhanced if the second end of the conduit is closed via a closure element and the closure element defines a leading edge which includes at least one point. For example, the leading edge of the closure element may taper to a point. Optionally, the closure element may be conical.

The skilled person will appreciate that self-tapping screws often include a threaded portion at their leading edge. Similarly, the closure element of the present invention may carry a helical thread on at least a portion of its outwardly facing surface.

The fire suppression fluid may be a liquid, such as water, or it may be a gas, such as carbon dioxide or a halon gas. Fire suppression fluids are known generally and need not be described in more detail herein.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a building that includes at least one cavity, wherein the or each cavity includes a fire suppression apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention.

In an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the or each cavity includes an insulation material.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a building that includes external cladding, wherein the external cladding includes an outer layer and an insulation layer located between the outer layer and an external surface of the building, wherein the insulation layer of the cladding includes a fire suppression apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention located therein.

An embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conduit and outer sheath which form part of the first aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the conduit and outer sheath shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic view of part of a building which includes a fire suppression apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention.

For the avoidance of doubt, the skilled person will appreciate that in this specification, the terms "up", "down", "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "width", etc. refer to the orientation of the components as found in the example when installed for normal use as shown in the Figures.

Figures land 2 show a conduit 2 and an outer sheath 4 which form part of the fire suppression apparatus of the invention. The conduit 2 includes a male threaded portion 6 at one end thereof and a female threaded portion 8 at the opposite end thereof. In this way, an elongate conduit arrangement may be formed by threadedly coupling the male threaded portion 6 of a first conduit 2 to the female threaded portion Sofa second conduit 2. A conduit arrangement having a desired length may be formed by repeating the coupling of the conduits 2 as described above.

Furthermore, one or more angled components 2a (shown in Figure 3) may be provided, wherein each angled component includes a male threaded portion at one end and a female threaded portion at the opposite end such that the conduit arrangement may be angled.

As shown in Figures land 2, the conduit 2 has a circular cross-section and carries on its outer surface an outwardly extending helical thread 10.

The conduit also includes between the helical thread a plurality of apertures or perforations 12 which extend through a wall 14 of the conduit.

The outer sheath 4 is formed from a heat shrink polymeric material and is tightly secured around the outer surface of the conduit wall 14. In this way, the apertures 12 are closed while the outer sheath material is intact (i.e., in its solid form).

As shown in Figure 1, a distal end (male threaded portion) of the conduit arrangement is closed via a closure element 16. The closure element 16 is conical in shape and includes a female threaded portion 18 at one end which permits the distal end of the conduit arrangement to threadedly engage the closure element 16. A fluid tight seal between the closure element 16 and the male threaded portion 6 of the terminal conduit 2 is provided by a sealing washer 20. The opposite end 22 of the closure element 16 terminates in a sharp point A portion of the outer surface of the closure element 16 also carries an external threaded element 24.

Figure 3 shows a part of a building wall 28 which includes a conduit arrangement as described above. In the arrangement, a proximal end (female threaded portion) of the terminal conduit of the conduit arrangement (comprising a plurality of the conduits 2) is connected to a reservoir 30 of pressurised fire suppression fluid, such as water. As a result of this arrangement, an internal cavity 26 of each of the conduits 2 which form the conduit arrangement contains the pressurised fluid.

The building wall 28 shown in Figure 3 includes an external cladding arrangement which comprises an aluminium outer layer 32 and a solid polymeric insulation layer 34 disposed between the outer layer 32 and the external surface of the building wall 28.

The conduit arrangement is screwed into the insulation layer 34, whereby the helical threaded elements 10 urge the conduits 2 through the insultation layer 34.

In the event of a fire that spreads through the insulation layer 34, the heat of the fire will melt the outer sheath 4, which in turn opens the apertures 12 and permits the pressurised fire suppression fluid (water) to be forced from the respective conduits 2. The fire suppression fluid stops or slows the spread of the fire through the insulation layer 34.

The skilled person will appreciate that instead of locating the conduit arrangement within an insulation layer 34 of a cladding arrangement on the outside of a building 28, it may be located within a cavity defined within the building wall 28 or within any cavity defined by walls of a building. The fire suppression apparatus would function in a similar way: a fire within the cavity would melt the outer sheath 4, which in turn would release the pressurised fire suppression fluid from within the conduits 2. The release of the fire suppression fluid within the cavity would stop or slow the spread of the fire within the cavity.

Claims (9)

1. Claims 1. A fire suppression apparatus comprising a conduit, an outer sheath and a source of pressurised fire suppression fluid, wherein the conduit has a first end and a second, S opposed end; the conduit is fluidly coupled at its first end to the source of pressurised fire suppression fluid; the conduit includes at least one portion which defines therein a plurality of apertures through which the fire suppression fluid can pass; the outer sheath covers the at least one portion of the conduit which defines therein the apertures, wherein the outer sheath closes the apertures, is impermeable to the fire suppression fluid and has a predetermined melting temperature or sublimation temperature; and wherein the conduit is closed at its second end.
2. 2. A fire suppression apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the melting temperature or sublimation temperature of the outer sheath is lower than the melting temperature of the conduit.
3. 3. A fire suppression apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the outer sheath has a melting temperature which is less than 150°C.
4. 4. A fire suppression apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer sheath is formed from a polymeric material.
5. 5. A fire suppression apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the polymeric material is a heat shrink material.
6. 6. A fire suppression apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the conduit has a circular cross-section and at least a portion of the conduit carries a helical thread on its outwardly facing surface.
7. 7. A fire suppression apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the second end of the conduit is closed via a closure element and the closure element defines a leading edge which includes at least one point.
8. 8. A fire suppression apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the closure element carries a helical thread on at least a portion of its outwardly facing surface.
9. 9. A fire suppression apparatus according to any of Claims Ito 8, wherein the fire suppression fluid is selected from water, carbon dioxide and halon gas.