Patent ID: 12247703

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It should be noted that in order to clearly and concisely describe the present disclosure, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features of the disclosure may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

Further, when the term “adapted”, or “arranged”, or “configured”, or “shaped”, or a similar term is used herein while referring to any component as a whole, or to any part of a component, or to a combination of components, it has to be understood that it means and encompasses correspondingly either the structure, and/or configuration and/or form and/or positioning.

In particular, for electronic and/or software means, each of the above listed terms means and encompasses electronic circuits or parts thereof, as well as stored, embedded or running software codes and/or routines, algorithms, or complete programs, suitably designed for achieving the technical result and/or the functional performances for which such means are devised.

In addition, when the term “substantial” or “substantially” is used herein, it has to be understood as encompassing an actual variation of plus or minus 5% with respect to an indicated reference value or position.

FIG.1illustrates an anti-fire safety system, indicated by the overall reference number1, suitable for a transport vehicle, for example a hydrogen propelled train schematically represented inFIG.2by the reference number100, which vehicle comprises one or more on-board storage tanks101storing hydrogen H2, and in particular compressed gaseous hydrogen H2.

The anti-fire safety system1according to the invention is particularly suitable to be used in connection with hydrogen-propelled trains and to be usefully exploited when a train enters a confined space, such as a railway tunnel110illustrated inFIG.2, and it will be described hereinafter by making a more specific reference to such applications, without intending in any way to limit its possible field of application and use.

In particular, as those skilled in the art would easily appreciate, the term transport vehicle100herein used can encompass any type of suitable transport vehicle which uses hydrogen stored on board as a source for its propulsion, or that carries on board a certain quantity of hydrogen stored in storage tanks, e.g. to be delivered for whatever suitable use; hence, such term may include for example, trains, trucks, cars, buses and the like.

As illustrated, the anti-fire safety system1according to the invention comprises at least:a first hydrogen-releasing system which is configured, notably in case of a fire lapsing on board of the vehicle100, to release outside the vehicle the gaseous hydrogen H2contained in and outflowing from at least one of the storage tanks101installed on board of the vehicle100itself; anda second release system which can intervene and bypass at least temporary any flow of hydrogen outflowing from the at least one storage tank101into the first hydrogen-releasing system, under one or more determined operative conditions.

In particular, in the anti-fire system100according to the invention, the second release system is configured to chemically transform at least a part of the bypassed gaseous hydrogen H2previously stored in at least one storage tank101, into at least one different substance.

The intervention of the second release system with the consequent chemical transformation of stored hydrogen H2into at least one different substance can occur for example when intervening during a fire event on board of the vehicle.

According to a possible embodiment, the second release system is further configured to release outside the vehicle100the at least one different substance obtained via the chemical transformation.

As schematically illustrated inFIG.1, and according to solutions per se known, each storage tank101installed on board of the vehicle100comprises one thermally activated pressure relief device102; in turn, the first hydrogen-releasing system comprises a hydrogen releasing circuit12which interconnects each pressure relief device102with one or more venting points14, towards which the flow of hydrogen H2leaving a tank101can be routed and discharged outside the vehicle100in case of a fire event.

As those skilled in the art can appreciated, in the first hydrogen-releasing system there could be provided one releasing circuit12and one or more venting points14common for all tanks101installed on board, or the releasing circuit12can comprise multiple independent conduits, each dedicated to interconnect a corresponding tank101to respective one or more venting points14.

In a possible embodiment of the anti-fire safety system1according to the present invention, the second release system is configured to intervene and by-pass, at least temporary, the first hydrogen release system when the vehicle100enters into a closed or confined space110, even if there is not yet a fire event on board of the vehicle. In this operative condition, the second release system is preventively activated to intervene and properly convey any flow of hydrogen H2that may occur when any fire laps on board.

With the definition of closed or confined space110, it is hereby meant any space that is at least partially closed, such as railway or road tunnels, underground lines or roads, indoor parking lots, garages, et cetera.

According to a further embodiment, the second release system is configured to intervene and by-pass, at least temporary, the flow of hydrogen outflowing from at least one tank101inside the first hydrogen release system, when the vehicle100is inside a closed or confined space110and a fire alarm is generated while the vehicle100is still within the closed or confined space110. Hence, in this operative conditions, the second release system intervenes only when a fire event occurs while the vehicle is in a closed or confined space.

According to yet a further possible embodiment, the second release system is configured to intervene and bypass, at least temporary, the flow of hydrogen H2outflowing from the at least one tank into the first hydrogen release system, in case of an on-board fire event and based on fire detectors which are proximate to one or more storage tanks101that are involved by the fire event. According to this embodiment, in certain operative conditions which can be selected based on specific needs/applications, such fire detectors can also activate the intervention of the second release system and thus the bypass of the first hydrogen release system, even if the vehicle is in open atmosphere in certain operative conditions.

In this case, hence, the second release system may optionally intervene even with a fire event occurring when the vehicle is in an open environment.

According to a possible embodiment illustrated inFIG.1, the second releasing system comprises at least one catalyser32which is configured to chemically react with and transform at least a part of hydrogen H2flowing outside the at least one storage tank101into the at least one different substance.

In particular, in a possible embodiment of the anti-fire safety system1, the at least one catalyser32is configured to chemically transform at least a part of hydrogen H2flowing outside the at least one storage tank101into water vapour H2O, in particular hot or high temperature water vapour H2O and regular and control burning of mixed flow of hydrogen H2that react with air flow inside the catalyser.

For example, the catalyser32can be any suitable catalyser commercially available on the market, e.g. a metallic catalyser, wherein the chemical transformation of the flow of hydrogen occurs via redox chemical reactions.

The size of a catalyser32used, as well as the quantity of hydrogen to be transformed can be properly determined when designing the system1on the basis of the specific practical application.

According to this embodiment, the second release system further comprises at least:a bypass circuit34which connects the at least one tank101with the at least one catalyser32;a by-pass valve36, for example a pneumatically actuated valve, which is positioned along the bypass circuit34;and a control system38which is configured to switch the bypass valve36to convey the gaseous hydrogen H2flowing outside the at least one storage tank101towards the at least one catalyser32, based for example on a fire alarm signal SFIREreceived in input by any alarm device installed on board.

The control system38can be of concentrated or distributed type, and it can be constituted by, or comprise, any suitable processor-based device, e.g. a processor of a type commercially available, suitably programmed and provided or associated to the extent necessary with appropriate circuitry, in order to perform the functionalities devised according to and within the frame of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the anti-fire safety system1, the second release system further comprises at least one buffer tank40which is positioned along the bypass circuit34, in particular between the bypass valve36and the at least one catalyser32.

Usefully, the at least one buffer tank40is configured to adjust the flow rate of hydrogen H2conveyed towards the catalyser32.

The desired adjustment can be obtained for example via a suitable sizing of the buffer tank40and/or by associating the buffer tank40with one or more suitable flow regulating devices, which can be controlled for example by the control system38.

Advantageously, the second release system comprises, for example, airflow sensors that optimize the air mixing of hydrogen and air inlet on the catalyser(s) to guarantee the best conversion performance.

According to a possible embodiment, the second release system further comprises a detecting device42which is configured to detect when the vehicle100enters or is located inside a closed or confined space110.

For example, the detecting device42can comprise at least one or more of:one or more pressure sensors which are installed on board of the vehicle100and are suitable to detect the pressure waves which are generated when a vehicle enters a tunnel or a similar confined structure, and to send corresponding signals SDETindicative of the vehicle entering into such confined space110to the control system38; and/orone or more optical sensors also installed on board of a vehicle and capable of detecting when the vehicle has entered or is inside a confined space, such as a closed garage or an indoor parking lot, and to send corresponding signals SDETindicative of the actual position of vehicle inside the confined space110to the control system38.

Clearly, other types of detecting devices may be used, such as image capturing devices, and any combination of different types of detecting devices can be implemented in the system1catalyser

In practice, the control system38can output a command signal Scdriving the commutation of the bypass valve36, based on: only signals SFIREreceived in input by any fire alarm device installed on board the vehicle110, which are indicative of the presence of fire on board; or only on signals SDETreceived in input and issued by one or more detecting devices42indicating that the vehicle100has entered or is inside a confined or closed space110; or only when both type of signals are received in input.

According to a further possible embodiment, the second release system further comprises at least one steam turbine44which is positioned downward the at least one catalyser32along a releasing path46along which the different substance generated via the catalyser32by means of the chemical transformation of the flow of hydrogen H2, is routed for being released.

According to this embodiment, for example the water vapour H2O generated is not released immediately and directly outside the vehicle110but it is forced to pass through the steam turbine44; in this way, the steam turbine44can produce power which can be used for instance to feed fans aimed at ventilating the surrounding ambient, thus contributing to reduce the temperature and improve the overall effectiveness of the anti-fire system1.

Conveniently, the anti-fire safety system1according to the present invention, can be suitably scaled and adapted to the various applications, and especially to the various types of transport vehicles it is installed on.

In particular, for transport vehicles100having a plurality of storage tanks, as for example schematically represented inFIG.1, the second release system comprises preferably a plurality of catalysers32which are connected, in parallel among each other, and each to a corresponding storage tank101.

Each of such catalysers32can receive a corresponding flow of hydrogen and chemically transform it via a redox reaction, as described above.

Preferably according to the invention, the second release system comprises a corresponding plurality of buffer tanks40; accordingly, each buffer tank40is connected upward an associated catalyser32and is configured to adjust the flow of hydrogen H2destined to pass through such associated catalyser32.

According to this embodiment, the second release system can comprise a single bypass circuit34and a single bypass valve36common to and interconnecting all the storage tanks101each with a corresponding catalyser32of the plurality of catalysers32; or there could be a dedicated bypass circuit34and an associated by-pass valve36connecting individually each storage tank101to a corresponding single catalyser32.

In both cases, the or each bypass valve36, and optionally also the or each buffer tank40, can be controlled by a unique control system38.

Hence, it is evident from the foregoing description that the anti-fire safe system1according to the present invention allows achieving the intended aim since it allows to improve the overall functioning and effectiveness of the on board anti-fire system equipping vehicles having hydrogen stored on board. The system1is especially useful if fires occur in closed or confined spaces; indeed, in such cases the chemical transformation of the gaseous hydrogen into another substance, such as water vapour, i.e. a less dangerous substance, allows to reduce conveniently the risk of generating highly hazardous conditions inside the closed or confined spaces.

In particular, the anti-fire system1as a whole has a kind of modular composition where a first releasing system can be used in certain operative conditions, and in particular when a fire event occurs in open spaces, and a complementary second releasing system which can be selectively and properly activated ad hoc, in a way that can be properly tailored. For example, the second releasing system can be configured so that the control system38can actuate the bypass valve36, thus bypassing the first releasing system, when entering or being in a closed or confined space even if there is not a fire event on board, only when the vehicle is in a closed or confined space and there is at the same time a fire event on board, or even when there is a fire event and the vehicle is in an open environment and the intervention of the second release system may be anyhow suitable and appropriate.

The anti-fire safety system1thus conceived is susceptible of modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept as defined in particular by the appended claims, and contemplates any possible combination of the embodiments or parts thereof hereinbefore described; for example, in relation to the specific application, some of the components or parts described, can be shaped or positioned differently from what described, or there could be a number of components different from that described.

All the details may furthermore be replaced with technically equivalent elements.