Fire sensing and suppression method and system responsive to optical radiation and mechanical wave energy

Claim 1

A method for sensing explosive fires which includes: (a) sensing the substantially simultaneous occurrence of electromagnetic wave energy and mechanical wave energy emanating from said fire or explosion within a preselected time frame to in turn generate first and second detection signals, said mechanical wave energy being generated by an event likely to initiate a fire or explosion and preceding the generation of the electromagnetic wave energy; and (b) simultaneously processing said first and second detection signals in parallel to generate a fire suppression output signal; and (c) activating a fire suppressant in response to said output signal.

Claim 2

A method for sensing explosive fires which includes: (a) sensing the substantially simultaneous occurrence of electromagnetic wave energy and mechanical wave energy emanating from said fire or explosion within a preselected time frame to in turn generate first and second detection signals, said mechanical wave energy being generated by an event likely to initiate a fire or explosion and preceding the generation of the electromagnetic wave energy; and (b) simultaneously processing said first and second detection signals in parallel to generate a fire suppression output signal; and (c) activating a fire suppressant in response to said output signal.

Claim 6

A system for sensing explosive fires which includes: (a) means for sensing the substantially simultaneous occurrence of electromagnetic wave energy and mechanical wave energy emanating from a fire or explosion within a preselected time frame to in turn generate first and second detection signals, said mechanical wave energy being generated by an event likely to initiate a fire or explosion and preceding the generation of the electromagnetic wave energy; (b) means connected to said sensing means for simultaneously processing said first and second detection signals electrically in parallel and at high speeds on the order of milliseconds to generate a first suppression output signal, said means including a circuit for stretching the second detection signal associated with mechanical wave energy to permit the generation of the fire suppression signal when the second signal precedes the generation of the first signal associated with the electromagnetic wave energy by a given time period; and (c) means for connecting said output signal to a fire suppressant for activating the fire suppressant in response to the generation of said output signal.

Claim 7

A system for sensing explosive fires which includes: (a) means for sensing the substantially simultaneous occurrence of electromagnetic wave energy and mechanical wave energy emanating from a fire or explosion within a preselected time frame to in turn generate first and second detection signals, said mechanical wave energy being generated by an event likely to initiate a fire or explosion and preceding the generation of the electromagnetic wave energy; (b) means connected to said sensing means for simultaneously processing said first and second detection signals electrically in parallel and at high speeds on the order of milliseconds to generate a first suppression output signal, said means including a circuit for stretching the second detection signal associated with mechanical wave energy to permit the generation of the fire suppression signal when the second signal precedes the generation of the first signal associated with the electromagnetic wave energy by a given time period; and (c) means for connecting said output signal to a fire suppressant for activating the fire suppressant in response to the generation of said output signal.

Claim 16

The system according to any one of claims 5-13 above wherein the fire suppression output signal is connected to drive a high speed valve for releasing a chosen fire suppressant such as halon gas or the like within a period of time on the order of milliseconds after the onset of a fire or explosion.

Claim 17

A system for detecting explosive fires, said system comprising: (a) mechanical wave detector means for detecting the occurrence of mechanical wave energy associated with a fire or explosion, operative to generate a first output signal in response to mechanical wave energy above a given threshold level; (b) first electromagnetic sensor means for sensing the occurrence of electromagnetic energy having a given wavelength that is associated with a fire or explosion; (c) second electromagnetic sensor means for sensing the occurrence of electromagnetic energy having a second wavelength associated with a fire or explosion; (d) first and second threshold means for defining given threshold levels for the first and second electromagnetic sensor means, respectively; operative to generate second and third output signals in response to detection of electromagnetic wave energy above said given threshold levels by the first and second electromagnetic sensors, respectively; (e) first gating means for activating a fire suppressant in response to the substantially simultaneous occurrence of the first, second and third output signals; (f) third and fourth threshold means also coupled to the first and second electromagnetic sensors and defining respectively higher threshold levels therefor than the threshold levels set by the first and second threshold means, with the third and fourth threshold means providing fourth and fifth output signals when the electromagnetic energy sensed by the first and second sensors are respectively above said higher threshold levels; and (g) second gating means for activating said fire suppressant independently of said first gating means in response to the substantially simultaneous occurrence of the fourth and fifth output signals.

Claim 18

A system for detecting explosive fires, said system comprising: (a) mechanical wave detector means for detecting the occurrence of mechanical wave energy associated with a fire or explosion, operative to generate a first output signal in response to mechanical wave energy above a given threshold level; (b) first electromagnetic sensor means for sensing the occurrence of electromagnetic energy having a given wavelength that is associated with a fire or explosion; (c) second electromagnetic sensor means for sensing the occurrence of electromagnetic energy having a second wavelength associated with a fire or explosion; (d) first and second threshold means for defining given threshold levels for the first and second electromagnetic sensor means, respectively; operative to generate second and third output signals in response to detection of electromagnetic wave energy above said given threshold levels by the first and second electromagnetic sensors, respectively; (e) first gating means for activating a fire suppressant in response to the substantially simultaneous occurrence of the first, second and third output signals; (f) third and fourth threshold means also coupled to the first and second electromagnetic sensors and defining respectively higher threshold levels therefor than the threshold levels set by the first and second threshold means, with the third and fourth threshold means providing fourth and fifth output signals when the electromagnetic energy sensed by the first and second sensors are respectively above said higher threshold levels; and (g) second gating means for activating said fire suppressant independently of said first gating means in response to the substantially simultaneous occurrence of the fourth and fifth output signals.