Fire suppression system
A fire suppression system including a gas detector device associated with an electrochemical unit and configured for detecting at least one gas character; a control unit coupled to the gas detector device and configured to, in a first comparison execution, compare said at least one gas character with at least one pre-set indicative gas character; wherein the control unit is configured to command an outlet device to discharge a fire extinguishing fluid over the electrochemical unit if the first comparison execution signifies that the detected gas character corresponds with the pre-set indicative gas character.
1 . A method of reducing heat output of an electrochemical unit by an automotive fire suppression system of a vehicle and comprising:
a fire extinguishing fluid container arranged adjacent to and/or in contact with the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid container adapted to hold a fire extinguishing fluid for reducing heat output of the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid being a liquid; and
a secondary fire suppression system adapted to be coupled to an automotive computer system of the vehicle, the secondary fire suppression system comprising:
an outlet device coupled to the fire extinguishing fluid container and configured to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid upon command;
a gas detector associated with the automotive electrochemical unit and configured for detecting at least one gas character;
a control unit coupled to the gas detector and configured to, in a first comparison execution, compare said at least one gas character with at least one pre-set indicative gas character;
wherein the control unit is configured to command the outlet device to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid on and/or into and/or fully around and/or partly around the automotive electrochemical unit if the first comparison execution signifies that the detected gas character corresponds with the pre-set indicative gas character; the method comprising the steps of:
positioning the automotive electrochemical unit in a protective housing;
arranging the fire extinguishing fluid container adjacent or in contact with the automotive electrochemical unit;
filling the fire extinguishing fluid container with the extinguishing fluid prior or after said arranging step;
detecting a gas leakage from the automotive electrochemical unit via the gas detector;
performing said first comparison execution;
commanding the outlet device to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid if the detected gas character corresponds with the pre-set indicative gas character;
detecting a temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit by a temperature detector coupled to the control unit;
comparing, in a second comparison execution, the temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit with a pre-determined temperature change and/or a temperature;
commanding the outlet device to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid if the detected temperature change and/or temperature corresponds with a pre-set indicative temperature change and/or temperature;
wherein the first comparison execution is configured to prevail over the second comparison execution; and
the step of discharging the fire extinguishing fluid comprises discharge of the fire extinguishing fluid into the protective housing.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
coupling the control unit to a communication protocol of the automotive computer system; and
comparing, in a back-up automotive comparison execution, a real time temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit detected by the automotive computer system with a pre-set indicative temperature change and/or a temperature set in a program of the control unit.
3 . An automotive fire suppression system of a vehicle, the automotive fire suppression system comprising:
an automotive electrochemical unit;
a fire extinguishing fluid container arranged adjacent to and/or in contact with the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid container adapted to hold a fire extinguishing fluid for reducing heat output of the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid being a liquid; and
a secondary fire suppression system adapted to be coupled to an automotive computer system of the vehicle, the secondary fire suppression system comprising:
an outlet device coupled to the fire extinguishing fluid container and configured to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid upon command;
a gas detector associated with the automotive electrochemical unit and configured for detecting at least one gas character;
a control unit coupled to the gas detector and configured to, in a first comparison execution, compare said at least one gas character with at least one pre-set indicative gas character;
wherein the control unit is further configured to command the outlet device to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid on and/or into and/or fully around and/or partly around the automotive electrochemical unit, if the first comparison execution signifies that the detected gas character corresponds with the pre-set indicative gas character; and
a temperature detector coupled to the control unit and configured for detecting a real-time temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to, in a second comparison execution, compare the real time temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit with a pre-determined temperature change;
wherein the control unit is configured to command the outlet device to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid if the detected temperature change and/or temperature corresponds with a pre-set indicative temperature change and/or temperature; and
wherein the first comparison execution is configured to prevail over the second comparison execution.
4 . The automotive fire suppression system according to claim 3 , wherein the automotive electrochemical unit is arranged in a protective housing; and the outlet device is configured to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid into the protective housing.
5 . The automotive fire suppression system of claim 3 , wherein the automotive electrochemical unit includes an electric battery, and wherein the gas detector and/or the temperature detector is positioned inside the electric battery.
6 . The automotive fire suppression system of claim 5 , wherein the electric battery comprises a plurality of battery cells, and wherein the secondary fire suppression system comprises a plurality of gas detectors, each of the gas detectors positioned on a battery cell of the plurality of battery cells or between adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells.
7 . The automotive fire suppression system of claim 5 , wherein the electric battery is positioned in a protective housing, and wherein the fire extinguishing fluid container is disposed outside of the protective housing.
8 . A vehicle, comprising:
the automotive fire suppression system according to claim 3 ; and
the automotive computer system.
9 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit is adapted to be associated with the automotive computer system via a communication protocol, and is configured to compare, in a back-up automotive comparison execution, a second real time temperature change and/or a second temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit detected by the automotive computer system, with a pre-set indicative temperature change and/or a pre-set temperature in the control unit.
10 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the automotive computer system is configured to monitor different temperatures of different electrochemical units in a battery pack of the vehicle and is configured to identify at least one temperature change and/or temperature of at least one automotive electrochemical unit deviating from at least one pre-set indicative temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit depending on a driving mode of the vehicle.
11 . A data medium configured for storing a program, the program configured for controlling the automotive fire suppression system of the vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein said data medium comprises a program code stored on the data medium, wherein the program code is readable on the control unit.
12 . A data medium product comprising a program code stored on a data medium according to claim 11 , wherein the program code is readable on the control unit for when the data medium is run on the control unit.
13 . A method of reducing heat output of an automotive electrochemical unit by an automotive fire suppression system of a vehicle, the automotive fire suppression system comprising:
a fire extinguishing fluid container adapted to be arranged remote and/or adjacent to and/or in contact with the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid container adapted to hold a fire extinguishing fluid for reducing the heat output of the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid being a liquid; and
a secondary fire suppression system adapted to be coupled to an automotive computer system of the vehicle, the secondary fire suppression system comprising a control unit and at least one fire extinguishing fluid outlet device coupled to the fire extinguishing fluid container and configured to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid over the automotive electrochemical unit upon command from the automotive computer system of the automotive fire suppression system and/or from the control unit of the secondary fire suppression system, the method comprising the steps of:
arranging the fire extinguishing fluid container in the vehicle;
filling the fire extinguishing fluid container with the extinguishing fluid prior or after said arranging step;
coupling the automotive computer system of the automotive fire suppression system to the control unit of the secondary fire suppression system via a communication protocol;
comparing, in an automotive comparison execution, a real time temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit detected by the automotive fire suppression system, with an indicative temperature change and/or indicative temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit; and
comparing, in a first comparison execution, at least one gas character, generated by the automotive electrochemical unit and detected by the secondary fire suppression system, with at least one indicative gas character pre-set in the control unit of the secondary fire suppression system; and
commanding discharge of the fire extinguishing fluid, if either of the automotive comparison execution or the first comparison execution or both comparison executions implies that an indicative limit is exceeded.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
signaling the real time temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit detected by the automotive computer system to the control unit of the secondary fire suppression system; wherein the control unit commands discharge of the fire extinguishing fluid.
15 . An automotive fire suppression system for a vehicle configured to reduce heat output of an automotive electrochemical unit of the vehicle, the automotive fire suppression system comprising:
a fire extinguishing fluid container adapted to be arranged remote and/or adjacent to and/or in contact with the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid container adapted to hold a fire extinguishing fluid for reducing the heat output of the automotive electrochemical unit, the fire extinguishing fluid being a liquid; and
a secondary fire suppression system adapted to be coupled to an automotive computer system of the vehicle, the secondary fire suppression system comprising:
a control unit adapted to couple to the automotive computer system via a communication protocol; and
at least one fire extinguishing fluid outlet device coupled to the fire extinguishing fluid container and configured to discharge the fire extinguishing fluid over the automotive electrochemical unit upon command from the automotive computer system and/or command from the control unit of the secondary fire suppression system,
wherein the control unit is configured to
compare, in an automotive comparison execution, a real time temperature change and/or temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit detected by the automotive fire suppression system, with an indicative temperature change and/or indicative temperature of the automotive electrochemical unit;
compare, in a first comparison execution, at least one gas character, generated by the automotive electrochemical unit and detected by the secondary fire suppression system, with at least one indicative gas character pre-set in the control unit of the secondary fire suppression system; and
command discharge of the fire extinguishing fluid, if either of the automotive comparison execution or the first comparison execution or both comparison executions implies that an indicative limit is exceeded.
16 . A vehicle, comprising:
the automotive fire suppression system according to claim 15 ; and
the automotive computer system.
17 . A data medium configured for storing a program, the program configured for controlling the automotive fire suppression system of the vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein said data medium comprises a program code stored on the data medium, wherein the program code is readable by the automotive computer system.
18 . A data medium product comprising a program code stored on a data medium according to claim 17 , wherein the program code is readable by the automotive computer system when the data medium is run by the automotive computer system.