Title: Fire Sprinkler System

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a module for a fire sprinkler system, and a fire sprinkler system comprising a plurality of such modules.

In a conventional fire sprinkler system for buildings with an exceptionally large number of storeys, the system relies on water storage tanks located at different levels in the building. Usually, from a supply tank in the basement, this water caters for up to 30 storeys and at that level, there are more storage tanks to cater for the next 30 storeys further up the building, and so forth. This arrangement is disadvantageous for a number of reasons. Firstly, the tanks themselves take up a substantial volume of the floors on which they are located. Because each tank supplies sprinklers on 30 floors or so, pressure reduction valves must be provided for the fire protection system to ensure that the head of pressure provided by the pumps is not too high. Separate pumps are required for each pumping stage within the building and the provision of pumps and pressure control valves means that the system has more points of failure and requires more maintenance.

Further, each tank is sufficient to supply water to the sprinklers for a given period, say one hour. Ideally, the sprinklers on lower storeys of the building have higher requirements for water storage and preferably should have a longer operational time, to provide more time for evacuation from the upper storeys. In addition, while a building is being constructed, in conventional systems the sprinkler system is not available until it has been completed and is available on all floors.

An aim of the invention is to reduce or overcome one or more of the above problems.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, we provide a module for a fire sprinkler system, the module comprising a water storage vessel, the water storage vessel having at least one of; a) a supply valve connectable to another water storage vessel to receive water from the another water storage vessel, and b) a supply outlet connectable to a further water storage vessel to supply water to the further water storage vessel, the water storage vessel further comprising a sprinkler outlet connectable to a floor sprinkler assembly.

The water storage vessel may comprise a vertically extending tank.

The water storage vessel may comprise a vertically extending pipe.

The pipe may have a diameter of about 1200 mm.

The module may further comprise a framework, the framework supporting the water storage vessel and pipework associated with the water storage vessel, the framework adapted to be received into a structure.

The water storage vessel may have an interim fill connection connectable to supply water to the water storage vessel when the module is located in a structure.

According to a second aspect of the invention, we provide a fire sprinkler system comprising a plurality of modules according to the first aspect of the invention, the modules being disposed in vertically spaced locations, the fire sprinkler system further comprising a water supply system, an uppermost

module being connected to the water supply system, each of the lower modules having its supply valve connected to the supply outlet of a higher module.

The sprinkler outlet of each module may be connected to a floor sprinkler assembly.

The floor sprinkler assembly may comprise sprinklers located on a plurality of floors of a structure.

The water supply system may comprise a pump operable to pump water to the water storage vessel of the uppermost module.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a side view of a higher sprinkler system embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of a module for the fire sprinkler system of Figure 1 , and;

Figure 3 is a side view of the module of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1 , a fire sprinkler system is generally shown at 10 comprising a plurality of modules each shown generally at 11. Each module has a water storage vessel 12, extending vertically for a substantial part of the height of the module 11. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, each module 11 further comprises a framework 13 in which the water storage vessel 12 is supported, together with the ancillary piping 14 necessary to provide a suitable distribution riser, strainer and system drain, and any other function as needed.

The sprinkler system 10 also comprises a water supply generally shown at 15, in the present example comprising a receiving tank 16 and pump means 17 connected to a distribution pipe 15a connected to the uppermost module 11.

As best seen in Figure 1 , each water storage vessel 12 has at least one of a supply valve 18 connectable to another water storage vessel 12 to receive water from the another water storage vessel, and a supply outlet 19 connectable to a further water storage vessel to supply water to the further water storage vessel 12. In the assembled fire sprinkler system 10, the supply valve 18 of each water storage vessel 12 is connected to the supply outlet 19 of the water storage vessel above it. In the present example, the supply valve 18 comprises a simple ball or float valve operated by a float 20, which opens when the water level in the water storage vessel 12 falls below a given level, thus opening the valve and admitting water from the higher water storage vessel 12.

In the uppermost module 11 of course, the water storage vessel 12 does not have a supply valve connected to a further water storage vessel, but instead has a supply valve generally shown at 21 connected to the distribution riser 15a. Similarly, in the lowermost module 11 , the water storage vessel 12 is not provided with a supply outlet for connection to a further, lower, water storage vessel.

Each water storage vessel 12 is provided with a sprinkler outlet generally shown at 22, for connection to a floor sprinkler assembly generally shown at 23. The floor sprinkler assembly fully extends across a plurality of floors, in practice the same number of storeys at the height of each module 11.

In the present example, each module is approximately 46.4 metres high, with a one metre space between each module. The water storage vessel can be of any appropriate size as desired. In the present example, the water tank is

1200 mm in diameter and has a storage capacity of 52 cubic metres. A typical storey in a high rise building has a height of 4 to 5 metres, so in this example each individual module 11 has a vertical height of about 10 storeys.

Each module 11 further has an interim filler connection generally shown at 24. The interim filler connection is provided to permit each module 11 to be filled and brought into operation as discussed in more detail below.

When a building is being constructed in which a fire sprinkler system as shown in Figure 1 is being incorporated, the building need simply provide a suitable recess suitable to receive the framework as shown in plan view in Figure 3. As each group of floors is completed, and a floor sprinkler assembly 23 provided on each of those floors, the water storage vessel 12 of the module 11 corresponding to those floors can be filled through interim filler connection 24, irrespective of the fact that the building is not complete and additional storeys are to be provided. This is advantageous in that sprinkler fire protection can be provided on the lower storeys of a building even while construction is still in progress.

Once the fire sprinkler system 10 is complete, it will be advantageous in that it comprises a substantially passive system which uses the standing static pressure provided by the vertical column of water in each water storage vessel 12. Because the pressure is known and fixed, additional pumps and pressure reduction valves are not required and the water sprinkler system is simpler to provide and maintain.

Further, it will be apparent that when a fire occurs and the sprinkler system is activated on a lower storey of the building, the sprinklers on that floor will have access not only to the water stored in the water storage vessel 12 corresponding to that group of floors, but as the water level in the water storage vessel 12 falls, the supply valve 18 will operate, drawing water via the

supply outlet from the water supply vessel 12 in the next higher module. As the water level in the water storage vessel in that module falls, the supply valve will similarly open to permit water to be supplied from the water supply vessel of the next higher module and so on. Accordingly, it will be apparent that each floor sprinkler assembly can draw not only on the water in its own water supply vessel, but from all vessels located higher in the building. This is thus particularly advantageous in that it provides a longer operational period for sprinklers located on the lower floors of a building, thus allowing a greater period of time for evacuation of the building and/or permitting more sprinklers to be operated at lower floors of the building to provide greater fire fighting capacity.

The modular and self-contained nature of the fire sprinkler system 10 and its component modules 11 improves construction in that each module can be constructed off site and simply incorporated into a building, and that the connections and ancillary pipework 14 provided as part of each module 11 simplifies and speeds up installation of the fire sprinkler system 10.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.