LIFESAVING SYSTEM FOR UMSCHLOSSENE AREAS, IN PARTICULAR TUNNELS

The use of umschlossener areas, thus areas, which do not permit an escape before fires or fire sequences (smoke, poisonous gases, heat, steams etc.) due to its situation, geometry, equipment and/or expansion or only in inadequate way, is connected with substantial dangers for life and limb. Such areas (below called “danger area”) are for example tunnel, area with air-locks, cellar, high-altitude floors in multistoried buildings, areas in (core) power stations, pure area, laboratories etc.

Tunnels and other danger areas are provided frequently with shelter (niches), them. however mostly offer no active ventilation and/or cooling. The stay in such shelter can have from there as a consequence, daß Humans only a certain time are protected and with propagation of the fire or fire sequences in mortal danger are.

Are critical thereby breathing air, a bearable temperature and the absence of harmful substances (smoke, steams, gases, Ruß etc.).

1. a) The supply of breathing air by fans is difficult for two reasons: On the one hand the air line of the heat can be suspended and from there a too high temperature exhibit, on the other hand one the circuit of the air flow is provided on the which are applicable shelter with a place-complex and/or technically complex mechanism, which is besides trouble-prone.
2. b) The cooling of air and/or the guarantee of sufficiently cold air actual if at all possible - with difficulty and technically at inadequate expenditure realizable. Compression refrigerant plants need electric current (its availability in the case of fire to be doubtful can) and to work with a refrigerant, which is either toxic (ammonia), is inflammable (hydrocarbons) or becomes e.g. toxic (fluoridated hydrocarbons, which are inclined to the formation of HF). The supply of cold water is doubtful because of the danger of warming up in the piping. Besides muß cold air with heat exchangers, which are in the shelter, to be made available. Here - as general with the refrigerant plant - maintenance questions and problems with the contamination result.
3. c) Keeping from harmful substances away such as smoke, steams or gases is possible only if to the danger place a positive pressure gradient prevails, which prevents a penetration into the shelter. For the maintenance of this pressure gradient breathing air is necessary.

The invention is the basis the task to create a system suitable for danger areas daß an active ventilation and cooling offer and harmful substances away keep.

From the documents DE 2430592 A and DE 106538 C already the supply of fresh air is into a danger area well-known for smoke displacement. Further 4,174,711 A are already the cooling of air well-known from US.

Schließ lich the DE-A-40 describes 25,804 a device to the supply of cooled air in an area, whereby the Kaltstromauslaß a Wirbelrohres into the area leads. In the writing it remains however unclearly whether the Wirbelrohr is arranged in the area. Also it is not revealed where the Warmstromauslaß leads. Rather an air conditioning system is only described for the supply of cooled air into an area with a Wirbelrohr.

Erfindungsgemäß this task is solved by the characteristics of the principal claim, the Unteransprüche against preferential arrangements of the invention on.

Basic idea of the invention is the use of Wirbelrohren in the shelter. Such Wirbelrohre are supplied with compressed air. The function mode of the Wirbelrohres is briefly described below:

To a pipe tangential a pneumatic flow is given. This pneumatic flow divides itself into two component currents: A component current steps over a static throttle at the end of pipe warmed up out, the other component current withdraws over a static screen at the other end of pipe cooled. The pressure and the temperature of compressed air as well as the relationship of the two component currents determine, how strongly compressed air at the “cold end” (screen side) is cooled down.

The invention is the basis the idea to create a life-saving mechanism with which the supply by breathing air with simultaneous cooling of this air and a positive pressure gradient between shelter and danger area are caused. In Fig. 1 is descriptive the fundamental circuit of such a plant:

By the example (are enough) of a tunnel below an invention is described, which for the rescue is suitable by lives. Shows:

1. Fig. 1 the fundamental structure of the system, and
2. Fig. 2 a representation of the circuit of the eddy tubing plant.

In the tunnel 1 shelter 2 (for the admission of person's groups) and/or shelter 3 for the admission of person's groups 4 or individuals, pending of it are how spatial conditions are in the tunnel. In the shelter 2 or 3 is Wirbelrohre 5, from which cooled air withdraws into the shelter. This cooled air serves for the respiration and cooling of the persons and/or the shelter. A closing to the danger area (e.g. door) has a purposeful “leakage”, by which supplied air can escape and because of the positive pressure gradient a penetration of dangerous substances or prevented by flames.

Compressed air is supplied by way of a line 6. This compressed air is made available over a compressed air station, which consists of an air chamber 7, a compressed air compressor 8 and if necessary a compressed air dryer 9. The compressed air station can thereby in the tunnel, in addition, (preferably) auß erhalb the tunnel set up its. The piping 6 should be thermal insulated implemented (e.g. double-walled with between-lying mineral thermal insulation, if necessary also Schmelzbasalt can be used for the increase of the temperature resistance).

The air chamber 7 is to be implemented thereby so, daß it groß enough is. Compressed air for the length of time and the volume need größ ten fire which can be accepted to make available. Thus on the one hand the compressor 8 would be relatively small, besides no inevitable starting of compressed air compressors is necessary in the danger case, i.e. life-saving air is in a static system available and is not subject to the reliability of moved construction units and groups of machines.

Between the compressed air unit and/or the air chamber 7 and the Wirbelrohr 5 in the shelter 2, 3 is not armatures or other closing off construction units. Compressed air is available up to the rescue area unabsperrbar, which a failure of valves, flaps etc. ausschließ t and also no interference of humans require

For redundancy reasons the air supply line 6 can be supplied from both sides the tunnel entrance with an appropriate compressed air mechanism. Likewise the air supply line 6 can be divided into several partial lines, in order to reproach with a damage of a piping still tubing reserves.

A more exact circuit of the eddy tubing plant is in Fig. 2 represented. The Wirbelrohr 5 is supplied with the air supply line 6 from the air chamber 7, which again by the compressed air compressor 8 and if necessary a compressed air dryer 9 with compressed air one supplies. The air chamber 7 is with a Sumpfablaß 10 provides, over the condensed water vapour after auß EN to be exhausted can.

A relief valve provides for it, daß the pressure in 7 inadmissibly does not rise and with exceeding of the maximum pressure over a Auslaß 11 blows off. Humidity of compressed air can condense in a condenser 9 and anschließ end over a Ablaß 12 to be discharged. If necessary it is possible and even meaningful to constantly discharge over a screen 13 a small component current of compressed air over the compressed air compressor 8. Thus both one is regelmäß ige Funktionskontrolle possible, on the other hand is kept “warm” the compressed air compressor 8, which prevents corrosion with lengthy downtimes. In order to prevent withdrawing compressed air with stop of the compressed air compressor 8, can a check valve 14 be used.

The air supply line 6 enters the shelter 2, 3 and flows into a cock (in Fig. 2 as ball valve represented). The cock 15 is under normal conditions, i.e. if the shelter is not occupied and/or is not operated, closed. Humans, who visit the shelter in the danger case, can open the cock 15 (e.g. over a lever or a chain, who are clearly characteristic and only in a direction act or over footboard, which is so connected with the cock 15, itself this when entering the shelter over a bar, chain or by load automatically opens such). Compressed air tangential entering the Wirbelrohr 16 steps at the Warmluftauslaß 17 over the throttle 19 warms up and at the Kaltluftauslaß 18 cooled over the screen out. The warmed up component current becomes over the Warmluftauslaß 17 by the wall of the shelter to the danger area discharged (again a positive pressure gradient), cooled air at the Kaltluftauslaß 18 is to humans in the shelter at the disposal.

Compressed air can be used also for the operation of an emergency power generator, in order to make a lighting possible of the shelter.

The invention has the following advantages:

• No moved parts in the shelter (up to e.g. a manually operated ball valve),
• No moved mechanics at the Wirbelrohr, the robustness of the Wirbelrohres can be increased by material and wall thickness at will,
• Air supply and cooling take place inevitably, i.e. it muß not to be manipulated or not regulated,
• The waste heat of the Wirbelrohres can be delivered - because of the higher pressure - problem-free into the danger area,
• No heat exchangers, i.e. no maintenance, no contamination,
• Small space requirement. in addition very flexibly to local conditions adaptable,
• Amount of air is highly enough, in order to keep a positive pressure gradient upright to the danger area,
• Small space requirement for the air supply line, good heat damming barness of the line,
• Contamination of the mechanism is without negative effect on achievement and function of the Wirbelrohres,
• Good redundancy conditions (several compressed air producers possible, groß e air chamber, separate lines, placing the compressed air feed circuit mechanisms e.g. at both ends of the tunnel,
• Simple operation (emergency " lever ", Reiß or the like chains), i.e. the air supply and cooling can be served without specialized knowledge by the layman.

The partition between shelter and danger area can consist of fireproof or fire-retardant material with good thermal insulation and is preferably as firm wall with door/gate or only as door/gate implemented. Leakages with “more closed” door are intended, in order to exhaust the entering cold breathing air from the Wirbelrohr with positive pressure gradient to the danger area, which a penetration of flames, gases, Ruß , Steams or other substances verhmdert. Because of the positive pressure in the shelter opening of the door/the gate is surely possible, if persons arriving later want to still reach the shelter.