JP7745581B2 - Water discharge equipment - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a water discharge system that discharges water into compartments depending on the location of a fire when it occurs in a large space.

Conventionally, tunnels for expressways are provided with water discharge equipment for discharging water in the event of a fire. Examples of water discharge equipment provided in tunnels are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example.
When a fire breaks out inside a tunnel, the temperature inside the tunnel rises, and the heat can damage the tunnel's inner walls. Therefore, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when a fire breaks out, water is sprayed in a mist toward the tunnel's interior space and inner walls to cool the walls and prevent damage. This type of water spraying equipment, which sprays water inside the tunnel to protect the tunnel's structure, is also called tunnel water spraying equipment.

Furthermore, as another example of a water discharge system, Patent Document 3 discloses an example of a water discharge system installed in a large indoor space.
In buildings with high ceilings, such as atriums, if fire sprinkler heads are installed on the ceiling, the water droplets sprayed from the sprinkler heads will become smaller by the time they reach the floor. When the droplets become smaller, they may be affected by the rising air currents caused by the fire, reducing the amount of precipitation at the fire point.
Therefore, in Patent Document 3, a water discharge head is installed on a side wall within 4 m from the floor, and water is discharged from the side wall over a predetermined range in front of it, making it less susceptible to the effects of rising air currents. Water discharge equipment that discharges water from the side wall in this way to extinguish a fire is also called a sprinkler system such as a water discharge head.

In the above-mentioned water discharge equipment, when the object to be protected is a large space such as a tunnel, discharging water over the entire protected area results in a lot of wasted water. Therefore, compartmentalized water discharge is implemented, in which the protected area is divided into sections and water is discharged on a compartment-by-section basis.
In water discharge equipment for compartmental water discharge, compartmental equipment is provided for each compartment, which is equipped with a water discharge nozzle, piping that supplies water to the water discharge nozzle, and an automatic valve installed on the piping.By opening the automatic valve of one of the compartments, water from the main water distribution pipe is supplied to the water discharge nozzle in the compartment equipment, and compartment water discharge is performed.

As an example, water spraying equipment installed inside a tunnel (tunnel water spraying equipment) sprays water into compartments as follows:
When a fire breaks out, fire detectors installed on the tunnel walls detect it and issue a fire detection signal. Surveillance cameras are installed inside the tunnel, and the images from the surveillance cameras showing the area where the activated fire detector is installed are displayed on a monitor in the monitor's room.
The monitor confirms the location of the fire from the surveillance camera footage, remotely opens the automatic valve in the compartment corresponding to the location of the fire, and releases water from the compartment equipment in that compartment.

In addition, sprinkler equipment such as water-discharging heads may automatically discharge water into a section based on a fire signal from a fire detector installed in each section, but as with the above, a person may also select a section and discharge water into that section before the automatic discharge begins.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-278500 JP 2016-59648 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-291933

As mentioned above, in water spraying equipment such as tunnel water spraying equipment, a monitor identifies the area where a fire is occurring from surveillance camera footage and remotely opens the automatic valve in that area to spray water on the area.
However, because the boundaries of the water discharge compartments are not marked on the tunnel walls, etc., the monitors cannot clearly determine where the boundaries of adjacent compartments are. Therefore, if a fire breaks out near the boundary between two compartments, for example, it is difficult to determine which water discharge compartment the fire location falls into.

If a supervisor selects the wrong section, i.e., if water is sprayed in a section other than the section where the fire is occurring, the automatic valve for that section must be closed and then the automatic valve for the new section must be opened, switching the water spray section. However, even if the automatic valve for the new section is opened, the specified amount of water cannot be sprayed in the new section until the previously opened automatic valve closes, and it can take several seconds to several tens of seconds for the appropriate amount of water to be sprayed, resulting in a significant loss of time.

Therefore, it is necessary to avoid spraying water on the wrong area as much as possible, but as mentioned above, when a fire breaks out near the boundary between two areas, it is difficult for the monitors to determine the appropriate area to spray water on.
Furthermore, even in the case of sprinkler equipment such as water-discharging heads, which normally automatically discharge water into compartments, there are cases where water is discharged into compartments by manual operation before the automatic water discharge begins, which poses a similar problem.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide water discharge equipment that performs compartmental water discharge and that makes it easy to determine which water discharge compartment the location of a fire corresponds to.

(1) The water discharge equipment according to the present invention is a water discharge equipment that divides a large space into sections and discharges water on a section-by-section basis,
Equipped with a light source that can be automatically or manually illuminated in the event of a fire,
The light emitter is characterized by irradiating light onto at least one of the ceiling, wall and floor surfaces that make up the large space, thereby indicating the boundary lines of the compartments.

(2) In addition, in the device described in (1) above, a fire detector that transmits a fire detection signal to the control unit when a fire is detected is further provided,
The control unit is characterized by illuminating only the light emitter that indicates the boundary line between the compartment in which the fire detector that emitted the fire detection signal is installed and the compartment adjacent to that compartment.

(3) Furthermore, in the device described in (1) or (2) above, adjacent boundary lines are displayed in different light colors.

(4) Furthermore, the device described in (1) to (3) above is characterized in that it further comprises a second light emitter that irradiates light onto the ceiling surface, the wall surface, or the floor surface on which the boundary line is displayed, thereby displaying the partition symbol of the partition near the boundary line.

In the case of a fire, this invention illuminates the ceiling, wall, or floor with light to display the boundaries of the water discharge zones, making it clear which water discharge zone the fire location falls into, making it easier for the monitor to select the appropriate water discharge zone.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a water discharge facility according to an embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another aspect of the water discharge equipment according to the embodiment (part 1). FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another aspect of the water discharge equipment according to the embodiment (part 2). FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another aspect of the water discharge equipment according to the embodiment (part 3).

A water-discharge system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The water discharge equipment 1 of this embodiment is a water spray equipment installed in a tunnel 3, which is a large space, and is configured to discharge water into water discharge compartments set at predetermined intervals in the tunnel axial direction, on a compartment-by-compartment basis depending on the location of a fire.
As shown in Figure 1, the water discharge equipment 1 includes compartment equipment 5 provided in correspondence with the water discharge compartments, a fire detector 7, and a light emitter 9 provided between adjacent compartment equipment 5.

A guard passage 11 of a specified height is constructed on one shoulder of the tunnel 3, and a water distribution main pipe 13 is installed below the guard passage 11 along the axial direction of the tunnel 3. In the event of a fire, water is supplied to the water distribution main pipe 13 by a water supply pump from a water tank (not shown).

The compartmentalization equipment 5 comprises a riser pipe 15 whose lower end is connected to the main water distribution pipe 13 and rises along the tunnel inner wall, a branch pipe 17 connected to the upper end of the riser pipe 15 and extending in the direction of the tunnel axis, ten water spray nozzles 19 provided at predetermined intervals on the branch pipe 17, and an automatic valve device 21 provided midway on the riser pipe 15 to control the water supply to the water spray nozzles 19.
The automatic valve device 21 can be opened and closed remotely by a supervisor, and by opening the automatic valve device 21, water from the main water distribution pipe 13 flows into the riser pipe 15 and branch pipe 17, and water is sprayed simultaneously from the ten water spray nozzles 19.
In the example of Figure 1, each compartment equipment 5 is provided with the same number (10) of water spray nozzles 19, but the number of water spray nozzles 19 provided in each compartment equipment 5 is not limited to 10, and the number may differ for each compartment.

Fire detectors 7 are installed on the side walls of tunnel 3 at predetermined intervals in the tunnel axial direction, and when a fire is detected, they send a fire detection signal to a control unit (not shown). Examples of fire detectors 7 include flame detectors. In the example in Figure 1, two fire detectors 7 are installed in each section.

In addition, in each section, a fire hydrant device 23 is installed on the tunnel wall next to the automatic valve device 21 for road users and others to use in initial fire extinguishing.

Multiple surveillance cameras (not shown) are installed at intervals along the tunnel axis on the upper side walls of tunnel 3. Images from the surveillance cameras are displayed on a monitor in the monitor's room, and the monitor monitors the traffic conditions inside tunnel 3 using the images from the surveillance cameras.
Furthermore, when the fire detector 7 issues a fire detection signal, the image from the surveillance camera capturing the area where the activated fire detector 7 is installed is displayed on the monitor. The monitor confirms the location of the fire on the image and determines the area where the fire is located. Then, the monitor opens the automatic valve device for that area and starts spraying water into the area.

The light emitters 9 are, for example, laser light emitters, and are provided on the guard passages 11 between adjacent compartment facilities 5. Specifically, the light emitters 9 are positioned on the boundaries of the water discharge ranges of adjacent compartment facilities 5.

Under normal circumstances, the light emitters 9 do not emit light, but in the event of a fire, they are powered and activated, emitting light (laser beams 25a-25c) onto the ceiling, walls, or floor (road surface) of the tunnel 3. The light only needs to be emitted onto at least one of the ceiling, walls, and floor (road surface), and may also be emitted onto two or more. While light is emitted here from a single light emitter 9, multiple light emitters may be placed in one location and each may emit light onto the ceiling, walls, and floor (road surface). The laser beams 25a-25c emitted by these light emitters 9 mark the boundary lines of the sections on the walls and road surface of the tunnel 3. The light emitters 9 may be any type that can emit light indicating the boundary lines onto the walls and road surface of the tunnel 3, and may use LEDs or other devices.

By displaying the boundary lines of the compartments on the tunnel walls, etc. using the light emitted by the light emitter 9, the boundaries of the water spray compartments can be seen at a glance. This means that when a monitor checks the location of a fire using surveillance camera footage, they can quickly and accurately determine the water spray compartment corresponding to the fire location, allowing water to be sprayed quickly into the compartment where the fire has occurred.

In the event of a fire, the light emitter 9 may be activated automatically or manually (through human operation). For example, the light emitter 9 may be activated in conjunction with the start of a pump that supplies water to the main water distribution pipe 13 or the activation of a fire detector 7.

To supply power to the light emitter 9, a dedicated power cable for the light emitter may be installed inside the tunnel 3, or wiring may be provided from other powered equipment, such as a fire hydrant device 23.

Furthermore, Figure 1 shows an example in which all light emitters 9 installed in the tunnel 3 are illuminated in the event of a fire, and the boundaries of all sections are displayed. However, it is not necessary to illuminate all light emitters 9, and it is also possible to display the boundaries of the water discharge sections only in the vicinity of the fire location.
In this case, the control unit that receives the fire detection signal from the fire detector 7 should be provided with a light-emitting device control function that activates only specific light-emitting devices 9, so that only the light-emitting devices 9 that indicate the boundary line between the compartment in which the fire detector 7 that emitted the fire detection signal is located and the compartments adjacent to that compartment are illuminated.

Furthermore, the light color of the light emitters 9 is not particularly important, but the color of adjacent boundary lines may be different by making the light colors of adjacent light emitters 9 different. This point will be explained using a specific example.

For example, in Figure 1, the water discharge sections are designated in order from the tunnel exit side as section A, section B, section C, etc., and the light color of laser light 25a indicating the boundary between section A and section B is red, the light color of laser light 25b indicating the boundary between section B and section C is blue, and the light color of laser light 25c indicating the boundary between section C and the section adjacent to the back of section C (not shown) is green.
The supervisor will have a sample diagram on hand showing the water discharge areas within tunnel 3 and color samples of the boundary lines that will be displayed in the event of a fire.

For example, if a fire breaks out in section B, the monitor in the supervisor's room will display the surveillance camera footage of section B. In the image displayed on the monitor, it can be seen that the fire is occurring between the red and blue boundary lines. By comparing the colors of the two boundary lines on either side of the fire with the sample diagram, the supervisor can determine that the section in which the fire is occurring is section B.
In this way, it is possible to easily determine which section is displayed on the monitor from the color of the boundary line, and therefore water can be sprayed onto that section quickly.

The above is an example in which the boundary lines are colored in three colors, but two colors may be displayed alternately, or four or more colors may be used. Because the surveillance cameras are installed on the side walls of tunnel 3 facing the tunnel axis, it may be difficult to distinguish between the boundary lines displayed in the foreground and the background. However, by displaying at least adjacent boundary lines in different light colors, it becomes easier to distinguish between the boundary lines displayed in the background and the background.

As a method for making it easier to distinguish between sections, light may be shone onto the ceiling, wall, or floor where the boundary lines are displayed, and a section symbol (A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, etc.) may be displayed near the boundary lines. An example of this is shown in Figure 2.

In addition to the components shown in Figure 1, the water discharge equipment 1 in Figure 2 is provided with a second light emitter 27, such as a laser light emitter, on the upper wall of the tunnel 3. In the event of a fire, the second light emitter 27, together with light emitter 9, is activated to irradiate the ceiling, wall, or floor of the tunnel with laser light 29, and displays the compartment symbols for the compartments on both sides of the boundary line indicated by light emitter 9 near the boundary line.

For example, in the case of section B in Figure 2, it is advisable to display section symbols both near the boundary line between section A and section C. In this case, it is even easier to determine if the boundary line and the two section symbols are displayed so that they fit within the angle of view of the surveillance camera.
By displaying the compartment symbols near the boundary lines as described above, when a monitor checks the location of a fire using surveillance camera footage, he or she can see at a glance that, for example, laser light 25a is the boundary line between compartments A and B, and laser light 25b is the boundary line between compartments B and C, and can more quickly determine which water spray compartment corresponds to the location of the fire.
The installation position of the second light emitter 27 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the second light emitter 27 may be installed in the same position as the light emitter 9 or in another position.

1 and 2 show an example in which the light emitter 9 is installed in the guard passage 11 on the boundary of the water discharge section, but the light emitter 9 may be installed in other locations. For example, although not shown in Fig. 1, the light emitter 9 may be installed on a fence provided at the end of the guard passage 11, or the light emitter 9 may be installed on the tunnel wall (or ceiling) as shown in Fig. 3.
If the light emitters 9 are installed at the boundaries of the water discharge compartments as in the examples of FIGS. 1 to 3, the laser beams 25a to 25c are emitted in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface, making it easy to adjust the installation angle.

4, the light emitter 9 may be installed in the automatic valve device 21, the fire hydrant device 23, or the like. Since the automatic valve device 21, etc., is connected to wiring for power supply and remote control, by installing the light emitter 9 in or near the storage box of the automatic valve device 21, etc., it becomes easier to supply power to the light emitter 9 and to install the wiring required for controlling the light emitter 9.
In the example of FIG. 4, the light emitter 9 is installed at a location away from the position where the boundary line is displayed, so it is necessary to adjust the radiation angles of the laser beams 25a to 25c and the mounting angle of the light emitter 9.

As described above, in this embodiment, by displaying the boundaries of water discharge zones on the tunnel walls or road surface in the event of a fire, observers can easily determine which water discharge zone the location of the fire corresponds to. This allows water to be discharged quickly in the appropriate zone.

Although the above embodiment has been described using a water spray system for tunnels as an example, the same effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to other water spray systems that spray water into compartments.
Furthermore, even in sprinkler equipment such as water-discharging heads that automatically discharge water into compartments based on fire signals from fire detectors, there are cases where a person selects a compartment and discharges water into the compartment before the automatic water discharge begins, so it is preferable to apply the present invention and display the boundary lines of the compartments.

1 Water discharge equipment 3 Tunnel 5 Compartment equipment 7 Fire detector 9 Light emitter 11 Supervisor passage 13 Water distribution main 15 Riser pipe 17 Branch pipe 19 Water spray nozzle 21 Automatic valve device 23 Fire hydrant device 25a to 25c Laser light (boundary line)
27 Second light emitter 29 Laser light (area symbol)

Claims (4)

In tunnel water spraying equipment that divides a large space into sections and sprays water on a section-by-section basis, or in water spraying equipment that automatically sprays water on sections and that requires manual operation before the automatic water spray begins ,
Equipped with a light source that can be automatically or manually illuminated in the event of a fire,
The water discharge equipment is characterized in that the light emitter irradiates light onto at least one of the ceiling, wall, and floor surfaces that make up the large space, thereby indicating the boundary lines of the compartments. Further provided is a fire detector that transmits a fire detection signal to the control unit when a fire is detected,
The water discharge equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit illuminates only the light emitter that indicates the boundary line between the compartment in which the fire detector that emitted the fire detection signal is installed and the compartment adjacent to that compartment. The water discharge equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that adjacent boundary lines are displayed in different light colors. This is a water discharge facility that divides a large space into sections and discharges water in sections.
Equipped with a light source that can be automatically or manually illuminated in the event of a fire,
the light emitter irradiates light onto at least one of a ceiling surface, a wall surface, and a floor surface that constitute the large space, thereby indicating the boundary line of the section;
This water-discharge equipment is characterized in that it further comprises a second light emitter that irradiates light onto the ceiling surface, the wall surface, or the floor surface on which the boundary line is displayed, thereby displaying the division symbol of the division near the boundary line.