GB2330783A - Sprinkler device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sprinkler device has an inner (B) and outer (A) layer of jets which are co-axial with a rotor (3) having blades symmetrical to the flow path of said jets. The first set of jets act directly on the rotor at (4) to produce maximum RPM,while the residue is deflected to react with a second set of jets at (5) which is arranged to skiff or lightly brush past the rotor blades resulting in vaporisation of part of the said jet. Residue of said first set of jets are arranged to impact on and transport said vapour towards target area. The device is suitable for fire fighting, irrigation, artificial snow etc.

Description

Sprinkler Device. Ref 271097G1 1) This invention relates to sprinkler devices for dispersing liquids.

2) It is well known to use fixed systems of sprinklers for fire suppression but to date no such system has coped satisfactorily with a wide range of fire risks including flammable liquids which may be masked or sheltered from the direct jets issuing from said sprinkler.

3) According to the present invention a sprinkler device comprises a liquid inlet and at least two sets of liquid outlets joined by a flow passage. The flow passage is constructed to produce a substantially laminar fluid flow at the outlets to cause substantially laminar jets to issue from said outlets, and a co-axially mounted rotor having blades arranged to react with said jets.

4) Each set will be symmetrical about the axis of the now passage and a first set will be designed and located to impact directly on a suitable part of the rotor and at a suitable angle to produce maximum RPM in said turbine.

5) A second set is also symmetrical about the axis of the flow passage. It is designed & aligned at a suitable angle to lightly brush or "Skiff" against the tips of the rotor blades which are being driven at high speed by the first set ofjets.

6) Both sets ofjets, the turbine & turbine blades are all co-axial with the flow passage and each other.

7) Although called a sprinkler device the unit whose detailed description follows is in fact a hazard fire fighting nozzle and solves a problem which has been common to all existing nozzles of this general type namely an inability to perform consistently in the face of obstructions & varied geometry in conflagration area.

8) The hazard fire nozzle described in this patent utilises heat sink to cool the flames and a conical v : liter curtain to prevent ingress of Oxygen in similar manner to other water mist systems but it achieves this by utilising the first set of jets to drive the rotor which impacts on the outer part of the second set ofjets shattering the impact point, a small portion of which is accelerated away so violently that the co-efficient of adhesion is exceeded and the liquid globule absorbs the energy by vaporising.

9) Students of fire mist philosopy will understand that this inertia free vapour is readily transported by and within the BLASTER curtain. It matches the deluge characteristics of Halon and floods the area behind & around obstructions.

Near instant transfer of vapour to steam realises further heat sink potential.

10) Single nozzles with 3 M range and 10 LPM flow at 40 bar will quench petrol fire in a meter square tray in 7 seconds. If obstructed by a barrel 9" above tray & directly in line with nozzle quench is 25 secs at a fraction of halo cost..

The invention also facilitates and permits other processes including irrigation, airborne fire suppression, Spring snow creation and water purification.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which Fig 1. Is a vertical cross section of a sprinkler device hereafter called a "BLASTER" nozzle and representing a first embodiment Fig 2. Is a plan view of the nozzle showing sets of jets at "A" & "B" Fig 3. Is a plan and section of the rotor.

Referring to fig 1 the BLASTER comprises a substantially cylindrical body (1) It is equipped with a coupling device (2) Which receives a pressurised water supply (3) Through a filter (4).

These items together forming a streamlined fluid delivery system This system connects to one or more radially disposed sets of jets.

In the configuration described a first set of jets is indicated at (B) It is shown in plan at Fig (2) These are known as Dynamic Jets.

They are located at an angle (Y) to the vertical which is calculated to impact on the turbine at the best angle to produce maximum RPM.

Number of turbine blades is indivisible by the number of dynamic jets.

The profile of nozzle body has an external surface (8) at right angles to the jets.

Additional set or sets of jets (5) are called"Vaporisers" They are shown in plan in Fig (2) as "A" Angle"X"insures that jets "Skiff" or lightly brush against turbine blades tips..

Studying Fig 3; the free spinning turbine or rotor (15) is made from material with minimum coefficient of friction and has a bearing or is hard anodised at axis (19). The flat impact surface (30) extends for about half of its diameter and matching parallel vertical slots (31) radiate outwards from it with a specific pitch (32). These slots are cut in the vertical or "X" axis and have a constant decline angle from the impact surface (30) to the external periphery as shown at (33) A bevel (34) on the upper surface helps define the trajectory of Xhe vaporising jet.

Returning to fig 1 the rotor (16) is accurately located in the vertical plane by a stud (17) with a thrust surface (18) and a shoulder (19). A diminished diameter is threaded at (13) to screw into the horizontal terminatioc of the surface indicated at (12). The jets, the jet outlets, the turbine itself and all profiles forming the periphery of the device are co-axial, symmetrical and evenly spaced generally as indicated in Fig.2.

Part impact of turbine tips produces minute globules from the jet surfaces..

They also destroy momentarily portions of boundary layer and surface tension.

This leaves a void and permits some of the expanding vapour to enter.

Installing a supersaturated solution of water vapour within tbe liquid jet.

Impact frequency caused a jet vibration with cycle time matching impact value.

Resulting outgoing H20 combines many different constituent parts of spray, mist, fog and vapour which can be varied to match the specific requirements of the applications.

Application No. 9723119. 5 Ref. 110728G4 Preamble. A sprinkler device with inlet for liquid & a flow passage connecting it with a multiplicity of outlets producing liquid jets arranged to intercept a coaxially mounted rotor or turbine. wherein the flow passage is streamlined to permit the exiting jets to be of substantially laminar form as in my international patent WO 96/01153.

Claims 1. A sprinkler device as in preamble except that the outlets are arranged to project two or more sets or layers of jets all of which are coaxial with said rotor the blades of which are symmetrical and co-axial with the flow path and arranged to react with said jets with a first set of jets impacting directly on a turbine to produce maximum RP.M.and residue deflected to impact on second set of jets which are arranged to "Skiff*' the blade tips of said turbine resulting in vaporisation. Said first set of jets are arranged to impact on and transport said vapour towards a target area.

Claims (1)

1. 2) A sprinkler device as in claim 1 in which a first set of said jets will be designed, angled and located to impact directly on a suitable part of the turbine or rotor to produce the maximum RPM. and the residue of the jets be deflected to impact on the residue of a second set of jets.

   3.. A sprinkler device as in claims 1 & 2 in which a second set of jets is designed and located to brush or "Skiff" the rotor tips which are being rotated at high speed by the first set of jets. Said second set of jets are so arranged that the skiffing contact or force of impact temporarily destroys local surface tension and boundary layer in said jet creating a void in proximity to turbine and permitting entry of some of the vapour caused by the glancing impact. Vapour is trapped in jet when surface tension reforms.

   4. A sprinkler device as in claims 1 to 3 in which the impacts detacb particles of water and transfer much more energy than can be absorbed by acceleration alone resulting in change of state to gaseous form and consequential massive expansion....

   5. A sprinkler device as in claims 1 to 4 vaporises water particles producing massive expansion of around 1700 times which has little or no inertia or mass in accordance with normal laws of physics. However the residue of the first set of jets as claimed in claim 2 will impact on and transport said vapour in the direction the flow is pointed 6. A sprinkler device as in claims 1 to 5 in which the residue from one set of impacted water jets is used to transport and direct a second set of water jets or the residue thereof or a mixture of water and vapour or pure water vapour towards a target area.

   7. A sprinkler device as described herein with reference to figures 1 to 4 of drawings