Fuel cell devices for fire prevention on-board aircraft
Described are inerting systems that may be used on board an aircraft or other passenger transportation vehicle to reduce a risk of fire due to electronic components or to other elements in a compartment and to assist in preventing or extinguishing any fire or hazardous condition that may occur. The systems include a source of inert gas such as oxygen depleted air generated from a fuel cell on board the aircraft. The oxygen depleted air or other inert gas is conveyed through ducts to compartments that house the electronics, thus changing the conditions in the compartment to be less conducive to fire.
1. An inerting system for an aircraft or other passenger transportation vehicle, comprising:
(a) a fuel cell system;
(b) a source of inert gas comprising an oxygen depleted air output of the fuel cell system;
(c) a compartment located on-board the vehicle;
(d) a conduit configured to convey inert gas from the source of inert gas to the compartment to reduce a risk of fire ignition in the compartment or to facilitate extinguishing of fire within the compartment and
(e) a one-way valve coupled with the compartment and configured to release inert gas from the compartment without permitting other gas to enter the compartment through the one-way valve,
wherein the compartment houses one or more of:
the fuel cell system,
at least one electronic component,
electronics that control, operate, or are powered by a fuel cell system, or any combination thereof,
avionics electronics or electronics for navigation,
one or more batteries,
one or more electrical cables,
at least one electrical panel,
an electrical panel for managing power consumption of in-flight entertainment services, for managing galley functions, or for managing functions not directly associated with the galley,
or any combination of the foregoing,
a heat exchanger associated with the compartment and configured to transfer heat away from the compartment,
a controller;
one or more processors in communication with the controller; and
memory including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
in response to information received from a sensor indicating that conditions in the compartment are indicative of fire or imminent ignition therein, cause the heat exchanger to activate so as to transfer heat away from the compartment.
2. The inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the source of inert gas is configured to manage a hydrogen leak in the compartment.
3. The inerting system of claim 1 , further comprising a valve or other regulator configured to control a flow level of inert gas from the source to the compartment.
4. The inerting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller;
one or more processors in communication with the controller; and
memory including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
in response to information received from a sensor indicating that conditions in the compartment are indicative of fire or imminent ignition therein, cause the valve or other regulator to direct inert gas from the source to the compartment.
5. The inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the compartment corresponds to a galley of the aircraft and wherein the galley comprises at least one electronic component comprising a control panel configured to control electrical loads of food preparation devices of the galley.
6. The inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the compartment houses a duct comprising electrical cabling.
7. The inerting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of separate compartments each including at least one electronic component housed therein; and
a regulator or one or more valves, the regulator or one or more valves configured for selectively directing the inert gas among the plurality of separate compartments.
8. The inerting system of claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir comprising at least one section formed of flexible material that is stretchable such that a volume of the reservoir may stretch and increase a volume of the inert gas contained therein.
9. An inerting system for an aircraft or other passenger transportation vehicle, comprising:
(a) a fuel cell system;
(b) a source of inert gas comprising an oxygen depleted air output of the fuel cell system;
(c) a compartment located on-board the vehicle;
(d) a conduit configured to convey inert gas from the source of inert gas to the compartment to reduce a risk of fire ignition in the compartment or to facilitate extinguishing of fire within the compartment; and
(e) a one-way valve coupled with the compartment and configured to release inert gas from the compartment without permitting other gas to enter the compartment through the one-way valve,
wherein the compartment houses one or more of:
the fuel cell system,
at least one electronic component,
electronics that control, operate, or are powered by a fuel cell system, or any combination thereof,
avionics electronics or electronics for navigation,
one or more batteries,
one or more electrical cables,
at least one electrical panel,
an electrical panel for managing power consumption of in-flight entertainment services, for managing galley functions, or for managing functions not directly associated with the galley,
or any combination of the foregoing,
at least one conditioner, the at least one conditioner comprising at least one of:
a dryer configured to remove moisture from the inert gas prior to introduction of the inert gas into the compartment;
a cooler configured to reduce a temperature of the inert gas prior to introduction of the inert gas into the compartment; or
a compressor configured to adjust a pressure level of the inert gas prior to introduction of the inert gas into the compartment.
10. The inerting system of claim 9 , wherein the source of inert gas is configured to manage a hydrogen leak in the compartment.
11. The inerting system of claim 9 , further comprising a valve or other regulator configured to control a flow level of inert gas from the source to the compartment.
12. The inerting system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller;
one or more processors in communication with the controller; and
memory including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
in response to information received from a sensor indicating that conditions in the compartment are indicative of fire or imminent ignition therein, cause the valve or other regulator to direct inert gas from the source to the compartment.
13. The inerting system of claim 9 , wherein the compartment corresponds to a galley of the aircraft and wherein the galley comprises at least one electronic component comprising a control panel configured to control electrical loads of food preparation devices of the galley.
14. The inerting system of claim 9 , wherein the compartment houses a duct comprising electrical cabling.
15. The inerting system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of separate compartments each including at least one electronic component housed therein; and
a regulator or one or more valves, the regulator or one or more valves configured for selectively directing the inert gas among the plurality of separate compartments.
16. The inerting system of claim 9 , further comprising a reservoir comprising at least one section formed of flexible material that is stretchable such that a volume of the reservoir may stretch and increase a volume of the inert gas contained therein.