Patent Description:
Over the last decade, development of electric and hybrid vehicles has significantly changed the car industry globally. The development has been mainly driven by the fast development of battery technology. However, a fire risk and hazard associated with high-energy batteries has become a significant safety concern for electric and hybrid vehicles. Thermal runaway or fire can occur as a result of extreme conditions that may be results of faulty operation. Failure of a battery may then be accompanied by release of toxic gases, fire, jet flames, and/or explosion. Extinguishing a fire on a battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle can be challenging because a burning battery can re-ignite without sufficient cooling. As a corollary, a significant amount of firefighting water is needed to cool the battery, extinguish fire, and prevent re-ignition.

A process where a burning battery of e.g. an electric or hybrid truck is extinguished with a traditional firehose can be problematic because firefighting water is typically directed to a single spot on a surface of the battery whereas there is a need to cool the whole surface of the battery to prevent harmful development of hot spots and to minimize release of toxic gases, fire, jet flames, and/or a risk of an explosion.

Publication <CIT> describes an automobile parking space that comprises a plurality of parking spaces and a plurality of charging piles. The charging piles are arranged on the parking spaces in a one-to-one correspondence mode, the parking spaces are provided with fire extinguishing mechanisms, and each fire extinguishing mechanism comprises a mounting box, a monitoring assembly, a fire extinguishing assembly, and a recycling assembly. A data processing module and a control module are arranged in the mounting box, the monitoring assembly is in a signal connection with the data processing module, the fire extinguishing assembly is in a signal connection with the control module, and the charging pile is electrically connected with the corresponding control module. An automobile in the parking space can be extinguished so that a large-range fire caused by the fact that the fire cannot be extinguished in time is prevented.

Publication <CIT> describes a mobile fire-fighting equipment which comprises a U-shaped frame, water conveying pipes, a supporting rod, a fire-fighting faucet body, and spraying pipes. A water inlet port, a first water outlet port, and a second water outlet port are formed in the fire-fighting faucet body. The fire-fighting faucet body is located between the two U-shaped frames and connected with the two U-shaped frames through the supporting rod. The spraying pipes are connected to the fire-fighting faucet body, and liquid inlet pipe openings of the spraying pipes communicate with the second water outlet end opening. Other spraying pipes are arranged on the inner sides of the U-shaped frame so that the spraying pipes are evenly distributed in the height direction of the U-shaped frame, and liquid inlet ports of the spraying pipes a communicate with the first water outlet port through the water conveying pipes correspondingly. When the fire-fighting water equipment is used, two control valves on the fire-fighting water faucet body are opened, and water flows into the spraying pipes to quickly cool and extinguish a vehicle in fire from multiple angles.

Publication <CIT> describes a fire-extinguishing rescue device for a battery pack of an electric vehicle. The fire-extinguishing rescue device comprises a chassis disinfecting and washing vehicle and a hole-breaking water injection fire extinguisher. The hole breaking water injection fire extinguisher comprises a horizontal jack and a hole drilling water injection platform arranged on a supporting head of the horizontal jack. The drilling water injection platform comprises a bottom plate fixedly connected with the supporting head and a box body hinged to the bottom plate. The angle of the box body is adjustable, and drilling water injection equipment is arranged in the box body. When in use, the hole-breaking water-injection fire extinguisher can be used for hole-breaking water injection of a shell of a vehicle on fire within a safe distance. Then the water injection nozzle is replaced to inject a large amount of water for fire extinguishment, and meanwhile, the chassis disinfecting and washing vehicle can also cool a chassis for fire extinguishment.

The following presents a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments.

In this document, the word "geometric" when used as a prefix means a geometric concept that is not necessarily a part of any physical object. The geometric concept can be for example a geometric point, a straight or curved geometric line, a planar or non-planar geometric surface, a geometric space, or any other geometric entity that is zero, one, two, or three dimensional.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a new extinguishing device that comprises:.

In accordance with the invention, there is also provided a new method for extinguishing fire of an object, e.g. a battery of an electric or hybrid truck. The method comprises:.

In the above-described method, both upper and lower surfaces of the object are sprayed with the firefighting water and the firefighting water flows down along the side surfaces of the object. Therefore, all the surfaces of the object are cooled by the firefighting water. This reduces a risk of development of hot spots and minimizes release of toxic gases, fire, jet flames, and/or a risk of an explosion.

Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments are described in accompanied dependent claims.

Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

The specific examples provided in the description below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the accompanied claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

<FIG> shows a side view of an extinguishing device <NUM> according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. <FIG> shows a top view of a part of the extinguishing device <NUM>. The extinguishing device <NUM> comprises a body structure <NUM> that has a vertical part <NUM> and a horizontal part <NUM>. The extinguishing device <NUM> comprises a movable part <NUM> that is moveably supported to the vertical part <NUM> of the body structure to be above the horizontal part <NUM> of the body structure. The movable part <NUM> is linearly moveable in a vertical direction to vary a distance between the movable part <NUM> and the horizontal part <NUM> of the body structure. In <FIG>, the movable part <NUM> is moveable in positive and negative z-directions of a coordinate system <NUM>. The extinguishing device <NUM> comprises a hose connection <NUM> for receiving firefighting water from an external hose. The extinguishing device <NUM> comprises first pipes <NUM> connected to the hose connection <NUM>, attached to the horizontal part <NUM> of the body structure, and provided with first nozzles configured to spray the firefighting water upwards towards the movable part <NUM>. In <FIG>, one of the first nozzles is denoted with a reference <NUM>. The extinguishing device <NUM> comprises second pipes <NUM> connected to the hose connection <NUM>, attached to the movable part <NUM>, and provided with second nozzles configured to spray the firefighting water downwards towards the horizontal part <NUM> of the body structure. In <FIG>, one of the second nozzles is denoted with a reference <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the extinguishing device <NUM> is positioned so that the first nozzles of the extinguishing device are below an object <NUM> to be cooled and the second nozzles of the extinguishing device are above the object <NUM>. The object <NUM> can be for example a battery of an electric or hybrid truck. Both upper and lower surfaces of the object <NUM> are sprayed with the firefighting water and the firefighting water flows down along the side surfaces of the object <NUM>. Therefore, all the surfaces of the object <NUM> are cooled by the firefighting water. This reduces a risk of development of hot spots and minimizes release of toxic gases, fire, jet flames, and/or a risk of an explosion.

The exemplifying extinguishing device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> comprises a water collecting pool <NUM> attached to the body structure so that the bottom of the collecting pool <NUM> is below the first nozzles. In <FIG>, the collecting pool <NUM> is presented as a section view where a geometric section plane is parallel with the xz-plane of the coordinate system <NUM>.

The exemplifying extinguishing device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> comprises a protective plate <NUM> attached to the vertical part <NUM> of the body structure and configured to protect a user of the extinguishing device from heat. In this exemplifying case, the extinguishing device <NUM> comprises pipes connected to the hose connection <NUM>, attached to the protective plate <NUM>, and provided with nozzles configured to spray the firefighting water forward. The width of the protective plate <NUM> in the y-direction of the coordinate system <NUM> can be about <NUM> meter, the height of the protective plate <NUM> in the z-direction of the coordinate system <NUM> can be about <NUM> meters, and the distance from the lower edge of the protective plate <NUM> to a floor can be about <NUM>. The protective plate <NUM> is advantageously provided with one or more viewing holes to enable the user to see ahead.

The exemplifying extinguishing device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> comprises wheels for carrying the body structure <NUM>. The wheels comprise rear wheels and front wheels so that the rear wheels are nearer to the vertical part <NUM> of the body structure than the front wheels which are attached to the horizontal part <NUM> of the body structure. In <FIG>, one of the rear wheels is denoted with a reference <NUM> and one of the front wheels denoted with a reference <NUM>. In <FIG>, the rear wheels are denoted with references <NUM> and <NUM>. In this exemplifying case, the diameter of the rear wheels is greater than the diameter of the front wheels and the front wheels are supported with respect to the horizontal part <NUM> of the body structure so that a direction of a rotation axis of each of the front wheels is changeable with respect to the horizontal part <NUM> of the body structure.

In the exemplifying extinguishing device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, a position of the rear wheels <NUM> and <NUM> is vertically adjustable with respect to the body structure <NUM>. Suspension beams <NUM> and <NUM> are vertically moveable with respect to the vertical part <NUM> of the body structure. There can be for example threaded rods for vertically adjusting the position of the suspension beams <NUM> and <NUM> with respect to the vertical part <NUM> of the body structure. <FIG> shows section views of the threaded rods which are denoted with references <NUM> and <NUM>. It is to be noted that the threaded rods are one example only, and different means can be used for vertically adjusting the position of the suspension beams <NUM> and <NUM> with respect to the vertical part <NUM> of the body structure. Furthermore, it is also possible that in an extinguishing device according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the rear wheels have a fixed vertical position with respect to the body structure.

The exemplifying extinguishing device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> comprises an electric drive system configured to drive the rear wheels <NUM> and <NUM>. The electric drive system may comprise for example a first electric drive motor <NUM> configured to drive the rear wheel <NUM> and a second electric drive motor <NUM> configured to drive the rear wheel <NUM>. The extinguishing device <NUM> can be steered by controlling a difference between rotational speeds of the rear wheels <NUM> and <NUM>. It is also possible that a single electric drive motor is configured to drive both the rear wheels <NUM>. In this exemplifying case, the steering can be implemented for example with the aid of the front wheels. It is also possible that an extinguishing device according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment does not comprise an electric drive motor, but the extinguishing device is moved manually or by an external driving apparatus.

In the exemplifying extinguishing device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the electric drive system comprises an electric motor <NUM> configured to move the movable part <NUM> vertically with respect to the body structure <NUM>. A system for vertically moving the movable part <NUM> can be for example hydraulic or mechanical. A mechanical system may comprise for example a threaded rod run by the electric motor <NUM> and configured to vertically move the movable part <NUM>. It is also possible that an extinguishing device according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment does not comprise an electric motor for moving the movable part <NUM>, but the movable part <NUM> is moved manually with a hydraulic or mechanical system.

The exemplifying extinguishing device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> comprises a controller <NUM> that comprises a user interface "UI" and is configured to control the electric drive system in accordance with commands received via the user interface. The control of the electric drive system can be implemented with one or more processor circuits, each of which can be a programmable processor circuit provided with appropriate software, a dedicated hardware processor such as for example an application specific integrated circuit "ASIC", or a configurable hardware processor such as for example a field programmable gate array "FPGA". Furthermore, the implementation of the control may comprise one or more memory circuits each of which can be for example a random-access-memory "RAM" circuit.

<FIG> illustrates a use of an extinguishing device <NUM> according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The extinguishing device <NUM> comprises an electric drive system for steerable moving the extinguishing device <NUM> and for vertically moving the movable part <NUM>. The extinguishing device <NUM> comprises a controller <NUM> that is a remote controller. Furthermore, the extinguishing device comprises a data transfer link <NUM> from the remote controller to the electric drive system of the extinguishing device <NUM>. In this exemplifying case, the data transfer link <NUM> comprises a signal cable but a wireless data transfer link is also possible.

The extinguishing device <NUM> is connected with a hose <NUM> to a source of firefighting water and with a power cable <NUM> to a source of electric power. The remote controller enables a user <NUM> of the extinguishing device <NUM> to control the extinguishing device <NUM> a distance away from an object <NUM> that may release toxic gases, fire, jet flames, and/or has a risk of an explosion.

Firefighting water that has been used may be poisonous and/or otherwise harmful. Thus, the used firefighting water should be prevented from spreading to the environment. Therefore, an extinguishing operation may further comprise erecting a collapsible pool <NUM> to surround the object <NUM> being cooled. The pool <NUM> makes it easier to collect the used firefighting water during and after the extinguishing operation.

<FIG> shows a flowchart of a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment for extinguishing fire of an object that can be for example a battery of an electric or hybrid truck. The method comprises the following actions:.

A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises erecting a collapsible pool to surround the object.

Claim 1:
An extinguishing device (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
- a body structure (<NUM>) having a vertical part (<NUM>) and a horizontal part (<NUM>),
- a hose connection (<NUM>) for receiving firefighting water from an external hose,
- first pipes (<NUM>) connected to the hose connection, attached to the horizontal part of the body structure, and provided with first nozzles (<NUM>) configured to spray the firefighting water upwards, and
- second pipes (<NUM>) connected to the hose connection and provided with second nozzles (<NUM>) configured to spray the firefighting water downwards towards the horizontal part of the body structure,
characterized in that the extinguishing device comprises a movable part (<NUM>) moveably supported to the vertical part of the body structure to be above the horizontal part of the body structure, the first nozzles (<NUM>) being configured to spray the firefighting water upwards towards the movable part, the second pipes (<NUM>) being attached to the movable part, and the movable part being linearly moveable in a vertical direction to vary a distance between the movable part and the horizontal part of the body structure.