The present invention relates to a fire fight¬ ing equipment comprising a spray head with a number of nozzles.

The object of the invention is to provide a new fire fighting equipment, which is more effective than prior art equipments.

The fire fighting equipment according to the invention is mainly characterized in that each nozzle comprises a nozzle socket fastened inside a housing of the spray head, in which socket are positioned a mouthpiece and a whirler bearing against it, which whirler together with the mouthpiece defines a whirl chamber, and that the whirler is supported in the housing in such a manner that the whirler is set in rotation by the liquid pressure.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the contact surface of the whirler against the mouthpiece comprises at least one oblique groove for leading liquid into the whirl chamber.

The spray head is preferably intended to be operated by a high liquid pressure of e.g. 100 bar or more, to provide a so-called fog formation. The high operating pressure sets the whirler in quick rota¬ tion, due to which the outflowing small drops are brought into strong turbulence, which results in in¬ creased extinction effect thanks to the high speed of the drops. The whirler can preferably be supported in the housing of the spray -head via a filter and an elastic sealing means positioned between the whirler and the filter.

A nozzle formed in this way can be manufactured in a length of about 10 to 12 mm, while conventional

nozzles have a length of about 35 to 40 mm. A spray head of metal provided with e.g. four nozzles accord¬ ing to the invention has a weight of about 600 g, while a corresponding spray head provided with con- ventional nozzles weighs about 3 to 4 kg.

Due to the fact that the spray head can be made small in size, a suitable direction of the nozzles makes it possible to cause them to cooperate, if desired, in such a way that the fog formation areas of the individual nozzles engage with each other and intensify- the fog flows, as well as produce a suction providing a continuous directional fog spray with high penetrating power.

Such directional fog sprays are effective also in connection with fires considered extremely diffi¬ cult to extinguish, such as fires in friteuses or in engine rooms of ships.

In the following, the invention will be de¬ scribed with reference to exemplifying embodiments shown schematically in the enclosed drawing.

Figure 1 is an end view of a spray head.

Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the spray head according to Figure 1, the spray head being activated for fire extinguishing. Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through the spray head according to Figure 1, the spray head being activated for cooling.

Figure 4 shows a side sectional elevation of a preferred embodiment of a nozzle. Figure 5 shows, like Figure 4, an alternative embodiment of a nozzle.

Figure 6 shows schematically an example of an equipment in which the spray heads according to the Figures 1 to 3 preferably can be used. In the Figures 1 to 3, the reference numeral 1

indicates generally a spray head. A housing or a body of the spray head 1 is indicated by 2 and four noz¬ zles directed obliquely downwards to the side are indicated by 3. A nozzle directed downward and positioned cen¬ trally with respect to the nozzles 3 is indicated by 4.

A liquid inlet of the spray head is indicated by 5. The inlet 5 changes into an axial boring 6 a little expanded with respect to the inlet, from which boring extend borings 7 to the side nozzles 3. In the axial boring 6 is positioned a spindle 8 with a through axial boring 9 leading to the centrally positioned nozzle 4 usually directed downwards. A spring 10 is arranged to press the end of the spindle 8 against a shoulder 11 formed in the inlet 5.

If the pressure acting on the end of the spin¬ dle 8 via the inlet 5 overcomes the force of the spring 10, the spindle 8 takes a position according to Figure 2. In this position, liquid can flow from the inlet 5 partially through the boring 9 of the spindle 8 to the centrally positioned nozzle 4 and partially via an annular space 12 between the spindle 8 and the wall of the boring 6 to the borings 7 ex¬ tending from the boring 6 to the side nozzles 3.

If the force of the spring 10 overcomes the pressure counteracting via the inlet 5, the spindle 8 takes the position according to Figure 3. In this position, the end of the spindle 8 is in close con¬ tact with the shoulder 11 of the inlet 5; the connec¬ tion with the side nozzles 3 is closed, while the connection with the centrally positioned nozzle 4 remains. A spray head according to the Figures 1 to 3 is

especially suitable for being used for fire fighting in engine rooms of ships and spaces comparable with them, and thereby it is ^* preferable to use a number of hydraulic accumulators connected in parallel as drive aggregate for extinguishing liquid.

Initially, the water pressure is so high that each spindle 8 of the spray heads 1 takes a position according to Figure 2, whereby liquid is sprayed out through all nozzles and extinguishes the fire. With the hydraulic accumulators approaching discharge, the water pressure falls in the inlet 5 of the spray heads and the spray head 8 takes the position accord¬ ing to Figure 3. The rest of the water is sprayed out through each central nozzle 4 and has a function of cooling in the first place.

In Figures 4 and 5, the reference numeral 20 indicates a mouthpiece of the nozzle intended for spreading liquid in the form of fog-like drop forma¬ tion. For this purpose, the liquid in a space 21 in front of an outlet 33 of the mouthpiece 20 must be subjected to a strong whirling motion provided by means of a whirler 22 bearing against the body of the mouthpiece 20, the contact surface of which whirler against the inner conical surface of the mouthpiece 20 in the embodiment of Figure 4 is provided with at least one groove, suitably e.g. four preferably obli¬ que grooves 23, for the liquid flowing in from a feed channel 7 via a disc filter 25, preferably a sintered metal filter, to an annular space between a nozzle socket 24 and the whirler 22, which groove 23 leads to the whirl chamber 21.

A nozzle seat of the housing 2 is provided with an annular shoulder 26, against which the sinter fil¬ ter 25 bears thanks to the influence of the nozzle socket 24, which is fastened to the housing 2 by

means of a threading 32 and presses the mouthpiece 20 against the whirler 22 and further via an elastic sealing, preferably in the form of an 0 ring 25 of a thickness of e.g. 1 mm, against the sinter filter 25 and the shoulder 26 of the housing 2.

For a satisfactory operation of the nozzle, close contact between the annular shoulder 26 of the housing 2 and the filter 25 as well as between an an¬ nular shoulder 30 of the sprinkler housing 2, the shoulder bearing against a flange 31 of the socket 24, is required; the threading 32 is not tight.

A required sealing is achieved thanks to an elastic sealing means 28, which automatically compen¬ sates for deviations in tolerance as far as the shoulders 26 and 30 with respect to the filter 25 and the flange 31 are concerned, and in addition to that, keeps the whole joint tight and enables a relatively loose, i.e. untight installation of the filter 25 on a tap 34 of the whirler 22 at 29. Under the influence of the pressure of the driving liquid, the whirler 22 can rotate alone, to¬ gether with the 0 ring 28 and even bring along the filter 25, depending on mutual friction ratios.

In the alternative embodiment of Figure 5, the whirler is indicated by 40. Grooves 42 leading to the whirl chamber are not oblique, but on the other hand, the whirler 40 comprises a support flange, which is provided with e.g. four oblique grooves 41, by means of which the pressure of the driving liquid sets the whirler 40 in rotation. Between the support flange and the bottom of the nozzle seat is arranged an elastic sealing ring 43. The grooves 41 are deeper than the thickness of the sealing ring 43.

The whirler can also be brought into rotation in other ways within the scope of the enclosed

claims.

The spray head can have four nozzles 3 directed obliquely downwards at an angle of about 45°. Especi¬ ally when the individual nozzles are formed in accor- dance with the enclosed drawing, in which the nozzles take up relatively little space and can therefore be placed close to each other, it is possible to achieve concentration of the fog formation of the individual nozzles into a directional spray. The concentration becomes stronger when the operating pressure in¬ creases; the fog sprays turn quickly towards each other and are accompanied thereafter. The concentra¬ tion effect can be secured by means of a fifth nozzle 4 directed centrally straight downwards. Achieving the desired concentration of the fog spray depends on several parameters, primarily on individual spread angles and mutual main directions of the individual nozzles; a large individual spread angle facilitates contact with the fog screen of adjacent nozzles and thus the total concentration by means of suction from outside. The resulting fog flow pattern has a resem¬ blance to a sponge with a relatively round head. The initial drop size of the nozzles 3 can preferably be about 60 μm, while the drop size of the central noz- zle 4 can be about 80 μm.

Figure 6 shows schematically an embodiment of an installation especially intended for fire fighting in engine rooms of ships and other such spaces.

The reference numeral 50 of the figure indi- cates a liquid pump, the driving motor of which is indicated by 51. Three pressure governors, preferably adjusted to react at 50 bar, 180 bar and 200 bar, re¬ spectively, are indicated by 52, 53, 54, respective¬ ly. The numeral 55 indicates five hydraulic accumu-

lators connected in parallel, 50 litres each with a charging pressure of about 200 bar and a discharged pressure at rest of about 50 bar. Reference numerals 56, 57, 58 and 61 indicate valves, the lastmentioned of which is preferably manual. Two pneumatic accumu¬ lators with a charging pressure of e.g. 7 bar are indicated by 59 and 62, 60 indicates a line extending from the accumulator 59 to the control valves 57 and 58. The numeral 63 indicates a fire zone, in which are placed a number of spray heads 1; the feeder from the hydraulic accumulators 55 to the fire zone 63 is indicated by 64, 65. A water pipe extending to the pump 50 is indicated by 66. In the rest state of the equipment, the hydrau¬ lic accumulators 55 are charged up to 200 bar and the pump 50 and the motor 51 are each out of function. The valves 56 are closed, the pneumatic accumulators 59 and 62 are charged up to 7 bar and the valves 57 and 58 are currentless. The valves 61 are unactivat- ed.

In case of a fire alarm, an electric signal is produced at the fire centre, which in a ship usually is situated on the bridge, to the valve 58, due to which the valve spindle is displaced and the valve leads pressure to a precontrol part of the valve 57, which part moves the spindle to the opposite end po¬ sition. The valve 57 leads the pressure to the oppo¬ site area of a torsional cylinder of the valve 56 and the cylinder moves to the other end position. The valve 56, such as a ball valve, is now open and water flows to the spray heads 1.

After the pressure of the hydraulic accumula¬ tors 55 has fallen to 50 bar, the pressure governor 52 produces a signal to the valve 58, which becomes

currentless and is moved to the basic position, and also the valve 57 is moved to the basic position and the valves 56 are closed. The pump 50 and the motor 51 have both received a starting signal at 180 bar from the pressure governor 53 and charge the hydrau¬ lic accumulators 55 up to 200 bar, after which the pump is stopped by the pressure governor 54. In the embodiment according to Figure 4 the pump 50 can have a volume flow of about 35 litres per minute and the motor 51 a power of 15 kW. The charging time of the hydraulic accumulators 55 will be about 5 minutes, after which the equipment is ready to repeat the same procedure.

The manual valve 61 operates in the same way as the valve 58, except that water flows into the system as long as the valve 61 is kept activated. After the pressure has fallen, the valve shall be closed for a recharge of the accumulators 55.

The pneumatic accumulators 59 and 62 are kept charged by a compressed-air system.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, in the individual spray heads the force of the spring 10 acting on the spindle 8 is fitted preferably in such a manner that the spindle 8 within the range of pres- sure of 200 bar to about 70 bar takes the position according to Figure 2 and within the range of pres¬ sure of about 70 bar to 50 bar takes the position according to Figure 3. Between 200 bar and 70 bar, the volume flow of typically 6,5 litres per minute on an average can be obtained, and between 70 bar and 50 bar, a flow of about 2 litres per minute.

By means of five hydraulic accumulators with a nominal volume of 50 litres each, an initial charging pressure of 50 bar and maximum working pressure of 200 bar, a water volume of about 190 litres is

available.

An equipment like this provided with a suitable number of spray heads 1 can, without difficulties, meet a demand for water of about 120 litres in ap¬ proximately 10 seconds within the pressure area of 200 to 70 bar, and after that, a demand for water of about 70 litres in approximately 25 seconds within the pressure area of 70 to 50 bar, thus in total 190 litres within 35 seconds.