Santa Barbara Research Center

Kidde Technologies Incorporated

Steven E Hodges

Mark T Kern

Gregory L Tangonan

Kenneth A Shamordola

Danny G Snider

Gregory Deane Simpson

A vehicle having a tire fire suppression system includes a vehicle body for transportation of occupants or cargo. A plurality of combustible tires is connected to the body. The tires are susceptible to auto-ignition in response to exposure to an elevated temperature condition. The fire suppression system is connected to the body and includes a container of a fire suppressant. At least one temperature sensor is positioned in close proximity to at least one of the tires. The temperature sensor is adapted to be activated in response to the elevated temperature condition and before the auto-ignition. At least one nozzle is positioned to direct the suppressant toward the tire. An actuator connects the container to the nozzle for the suppressant to be dispersed from the nozzle in response to activation of the sensor.

Tire fire suppression and vehicle with same

A method and improved apparatus for generating and transmitting the distinguishing radiation characteristics of a fire, an ignition and fire, or an ignition without a fire, to a fire sensing system under test are disclosed. Varying radiant energy attributes of a fire, and in particular a hydrocarbon fire such as might be encountered in a vehicle fuel or engine compartment are safely generated by a blackbody transmitter 100, an ultraviolet transmitter 200 and an ignition flash transmitter 300, having appropriate radiation sources. The radiation sources may be conveniently assembled into a palm-sized radiation 'head' 101. The transmitters may be selected sequentially to test installed fire sensing systems in aircraft or vehicles or during manufacture where the environment does not permit the use of an actual fire. The blackbody transmitter 100 has a random-noise generator 20 and amplifier 30, which drive a blackbody source 40 containing a heater wire 110 sealed in a reflective cavity with a carbon dioxide gas and water vapor mixture. The resulting emitted radiation 42 has characteristics of a flickering, 1200 to 1700 degrees Kelvin blackbody superimposed with CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O emission lines. The ultraviolet transmitter 200 uses the noise generator 20 to also drive, through a power amplifier 50, an ultraviolet source 60 which emits an ultraviolet radiation 'spike' 62. The ultraviolet radiant energy output is adjusted to an amplitude with respect to the blackbody source in accordance with a ratio of such energy measured for an actual fire. The ignition flash transmitter 200 has a high voltage source 70 which fires a gas-discharge tube source 80 to simulate an ignition flash 82.

Universal fire simulator

An interferometric sensor (10) employs a sensing optical fiber (12) and a reference optical fiber (14). The sensing fiber (12) has a coating 16 thereon responsive to radiated thermal energy while the reference fiber is shielded therefrom. Both the sensing and reference fibers are subjected to the same ambient environment so that both fibers are subjected to heating by convection or conduction in essentially the same amounts. As a result, the sensor (10) is substantially nonresponsive to convected or conducted thermal energy while being highly responsive to radiated energy, particularly in the 6-30 micron wavelength region.

Interferometric thermal detector

A fire sensing system utilizing fiber optics to extend the physical range of radiation sensing elements into areas and environments which are physically inaccessible to, and/or destructive of, such sensors and their associated electronic circuitry. The fiber optics are combined with signal processing circuitry to achieve reliable fire sensing systems which present particular advantages in special applications.

Fire sensor system utilizing optical fibers for remote sensing

A fire detection system incorporating fiber optics and having a selectively energizable light source for applying light pulses to a fiber optics path and a one way light transmitting element, such as a dichroic mirror, at the remote end of the fiber optics path for reflecting the pulses back to the detection portion of the system, thus providing a Built In Test Equipment (BITE) test capability in the system. Instead of a dichroic mirror, a bandpass filter may be used as the light transmitting member. The bandpass filter is selected to transmit light with wavelengths in the range from about 1.3 to 1.5 microns, in which case the light source is a light emitting diode (LED) emitting light at a wavelength of approximately 0.9 microns. The fiber optics path includes a branch which is coupled to the light source. This branch may comprise one fiber of a multi-fiber bundle or it may be an auxiliary fiber of a commercially available fiber optics combiner. An overall system incorporates a plurality of these individual fire detection arrangements in conjunction with a BITE control stage and associated fire alarm. Any detected fire activates the fire alarm. However, the same fire detection signal, when the system is operated in the BITE test mode, is used by the BITE apparatus to detect failures in the system and identify the portion of the system experiencing the failure.

Growing community of inventors

Eugene, OR, United States of America

Steven E Hodges