FI113012B - Fire extinguishing system and method - Google Patents

Description

113012

Fire Extinguishing System and Method - Brandsläckningssystem och -metod

The invention relates to a fire extinguishing system and method and to the use of an aqueous solution of potassium salt of carboxylic acid in such a system and method.

Aqueous solutions of potassium salts of carboxylic acids, for example potassium formate and potassium acetate, are widely used as heat transfer fluids and deicing agents. Other potential applications include fire extinguishing and hydraulics.

A heat transfer agent containing potassium formate dissolved in water, preferably in a concentration of 40 to 65% by weight in solution, is known from FI-101547 B. This heat transfer medium is disclosed for use in cooling a subject, for example, in refrigeration equipment.

Patent application FI-19992592 A discloses a hydraulic medium for use in a hydrostatic transmission 15 containing an aqueous solution of a salt of formic acid such as potassium formate. The concentration of formic acid salt in the hydraulic medium may be 5-75% by weight, preferably 5-60% by weight.

WO-99 11327 discloses a fire extinguishing composition containing potassium acetate, boric acid and water. The preferred composition contains 40% by weight of ka-20 glacial acetate, 2% by weight of boric acid and 58% by weight of water. The composition E 'shown: can advantageously be used for quenching grease pieces. In this case, a small container containing said composition can be installed underneath the cooker hood • ·. ···. side. The tank is equipped with an automatic spraying device which is triggered by the heat generated by the fire.

• V ·: 25 Therefore, aqueous potassium acetate also acts as a fire extinguishing agent. According to research * * *, this brine acts as a non-freezing fire extinguishing agent and. extinguishes a burning object better than water According to the literature, its quenching capacity is based on the fire inhibitory effect of the potassium radical and on the carbon dioxide produced by the decomposition of the carboxylates. One quenching factor,! : 30 is the hygroscopicity of the solution, which reduces the risk of lumps by binding water.

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The potassium salts of carboxylic acids function well as heat transfer fluids. They have high viscosity, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity. Ko. the phase diagram of the salts (e.g., potassium formate, eutectic point about -80 ° C) and their low viscosity allow their use at very low temperatures. In addition, they are known to work well as deicing agents, faster and at lower temperatures than the widely used deicing agent, rock salt or sodium chloride.

The potassium salts of carboxylic acids also have the advantage of their low corrosion resistance, safe use, biodegradability and biostatic properties.

In the above applications, the potassium salts of carboxylic acids are used either as single component or as mixtures.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system which simultaneously functions as a fire extinguishing system and a heat transfer system, a de-icing system or a hydraulic system.

The present invention is based on the idea of combining, within the same system, heat transfer and fire fighting, de-icing and fire fighting, or hydraulics and fire extinguishing using a single medium which is an aqueous solution of the potassium salt of carboxylic acid.

Thus, according to the invention, there is provided a system comprising, in combination, a first system which is a fire extinguishing system with a fire extinguishing agent and a second system which is a heat transfer system. -:; system or hydraulics system and having an aqueous medium wherein one and the same aqueous solution of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid are used as the fire extinguishing agent and said aqueous medium.

. . According to the invention there is also provided a method of extinguishing a fire with a fire extinguishing agent, which is an aqueous solution of a potassium salt of carboxylic acid taken from a system designed for another use, which is a heat transfer system: an ice melting system or a hydraulics system.

According to the invention there is further provided a method for melting ice with an ice-cold loading agent, which is an aqueous solution of a potassium salt of carboxylic acid taken from a system designed for another use, which is a fire extinguishing system. In this case, automatic fire damming systems built eg in bridges and tunnels etc. can be used for anti-skidding.

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The above-mentioned heat transfer system may be a ship, industrial or real estate air conditioning, cooling, heating or heat recovery system.

The invention further relates to the use of an aqueous solution of a potassium salt of a carboxylic acid within the same system as a fire extinguishing agent and as a medium for heat transfer, de-icing or hydraulics.

Said aqueous solution of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid may contain from about 20% to about 70% by weight of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid, preferably from about 40% to about 60% by weight of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid.

Said potassium salt of the carboxylic acid may be potassium formate, potassium acetate 10 or potassium propionate or a mixture thereof.

The idea of the present invention is to combine fire protection with the use of the potassium salt of carboxylic acids or mixtures thereof in refrigeration, heating, heat recovery, de-icing or hydraulics, that is to say generally in systems where cold solutions have to be used due to low ambient temperatures. Due to its low pressure and / or low solution volume, Compound 15 may not always be used as the sole extinguishing system, but may protect critical sites where the ambient temperature is below freezing point and fire extinguishing can be initiated immediately and no extinguishing delay will occur.

According to the invention, the fire extinguishing system may be formed for another purpose, i.e. heat transfer, de-icing or hydraulics, designed; into the system using known solutions, such as various spraying or spraying equipment, which may be automatic and / or • depending on the application. i valves and / or piping.

The droplet size provided by the fire extinguishing system according to the invention is advantageous. 25 µm, particularly preferably between 100 and 1000 µm.

Advantages of the invention include, among other things, extending the fire extinguishing capabilities to a number of locations and reducing the fire extinguishing delay, since no so-called *. separate dry systems for low temperatures. In addition, unexpected fire situations can be dealt with quickly, eg by using deicing agents used in airports and on roads; Even automated de-icing systems built into bridges and: ··: tunnels, etc., can be used for fire protection.

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The invention also provides economic advantages in that the investment costs of the combination according to the invention are reduced because no separate systems are needed. In addition, eg on ships, separate fire extinguishing systems will not gain extra weight.

Another advantage of the invention is that the threshold for the construction of a fire extinguishing system is reduced. For example, detached houses are better equipped for fire extinguishing with fire extinguishing in combination with geothermal heat pumps.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of examples.

Example 1

Vessel conditioning, cooling, heating and heat recovery systems 10 Vessels shall be equipped with air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and heat recovery systems. Often, because of their low operating temperature, they need to use a cold solution instead of water. A solution circuit of such a system containing a potassium salt of a carboxylic acid has, in accordance with the invention, a fire extinguishing system.

15 Example 2

Industrial Air Conditioning, Cooling, Heating and Heat Recovery Systems • · I · ·

Air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and heat recovery systems will be built in industry.

MM

'' Systems using various cold solutions. In connection with such a system containing an aqueous solution of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid, according to the invention, there is a fire extinguisher attached.

Example 3

Air conditioning, cooling, heating and heat recovery systems in buildings · * ·, ···. Many properties have air conditioning, cooling, heating and heat recovery, 9 · * using cold solutions. In connection with such systems containing an aqueous solution of carboxylic acid: 25 potassium salt, a fire extinguishing system is also constructed in accordance with the invention.

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Example 4

Ground source heat pumps

The latest applications of cold solutions are geothermal heat pumps. In those terrestrial circuits, the fluid containing the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid is also conveyed, for example, to a fire extinguishing system in a garage, attic space or the like. Often, cooling systems and solar panels are also built in connection with geothermal systems. In addition, the warm solution coming from the ground can be recycled in the yard to reduce problems with snow and ice in winter.

Example 5 10 Airfield Defrosting

Aqueous solutions of potassium salts of carboxylic acids in defrosting runways and taxiways are used at airports. At the same time, these substances can also be used according to the invention for the initial extinguishing of a nearby burning machine or the like.

Example 6 15 Fire bridges and tunnels. . Bridges and tunnels are often built with automatic de-icing systems with slides. Such a system containing an aqueous solution of the potassium salt of a carboxylic acid is also used according to the invention as an initial fire extinguishing system for bridges or tunnels. Similarly, fire extinguishing systems built into tunnels, for example: 20 can be used for anti-skidding.

* · • · «·

Example 7

Hydraulics * · * ·. The hydraulic medium used in forestry machines or the like, containing an aqueous solution of potassium salt of carboxylic acid, is utilized according to the invention in fire-fighting.

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Claims (12)

A system, characterized in that it comprises a first system which is a fire extinguishing system having a fire extinguishing agent and a second system which is a heat transfer system, an ice defrosting system or a hydraulic system having an aqueous medium, wherein said fire extinguishing agent and said aqueous the medium used is the same aqueous solution of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid. System according to Claim 1, characterized in that the heat transfer system is a system for air-conditioning, cooling, heating or heat recovery of ships, industrial or real estate. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said aqueous solution contains 20-70% by weight of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid, preferably 40-60% by weight of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid is potassium formate, potassium acetate or potassium propionate or a mixture thereof. 5. Use of an aqueous solution of potassium salt of carboxylic acid within the same system as a fire extinguishing agent and heat transfer, de-icing; or as a hydraulic medium. * · · · · Use according to claim 5, characterized in that said aqueous solution ··. contains 20-70% by weight of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid, preferably 40-60% by weight *. : potassium salt of carboxylic acid. • · 6 113012 Use according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid is potassium formate or potassium acetate or a mixture thereof. • · ♦. ··· '25 A method for extinguishing a fire with a fire extinguishing agent, characterized in that the fire extinguishing agent is an aqueous solution of a potassium salt of a carboxylic acid taken from: a system designed for another use, which is a heat transfer system, an ice melting system or a hydraulic system. • ·::; A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the heat transfer system is an air conditioning, cooling, heating or heat recovery system for ships, industry or real estate. 7 113012 10. A method for defrosting ice with an deicing agent, characterized in that the deicing agent is an aqueous solution of a potassium salt of a carboxylic acid taken from a system designed for another use, which is a fire extinguishing system. Process according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that said aqueous solution contains 20-70% by weight of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid, preferably 40-60% by weight of the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid. Process according to one of Claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the potassium salt of the carboxylic acid is potassium formate, potassium acetate or potassium propionate or a mixture thereof. 10