METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING FIRES BENEATH TRAIN CARRIAGES Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: fire- fighting equipment and method. SUBSTANCE: method involves actuating carriage movement control system in underground narrow-gage railroad, with actuation being executed by underground station attending personnel during arrival of burning carriage with fire in space beneath carriage without deenergizing line voltage. As a result carriages are moved along narrow-gage railroad so as to allow fire-extinguishers to approach fire source in space beneath burning carriage by means of pulling devices actuated by controlling commands supplied from united control system and generated by thermal sensors and tachometers-sensors. When carts with fire-extinguishers reach fire source in space beneath burning carriage, united control system provides leveling of burning carriage and cart speeds of movement and unlocking of closing device of respective fire-extinguisher and enables fire-extinguishant to be delivered through supplying pipeline immediately to fire source in space beneath carriage. On complete consumption of fire-extinguishant from fitted fire-extinguisher (or in case burning fire source is fully suppressed), united control system commands moving by pulling devices of other carts with fire-extinguishers charged with fire-extinguishant (or returns carts to initial position). Apparatus has fire-extinguishers equipped with closing devices and devices for supplying fire-extinguishant to fire source and fixed on frame of one cart or frames of several carts (biaxial or having more axes, single or coupled by links into trains). Carts are positioned on narrow-gage railroad, with narrow-gage being arranged within and joined to main underground train through sleepers. Leading and/or tail wheel pairs of cart (leading and/or train carriages) of narrow-gage railroad are coupled to respective push-pull type devices. Narrow-gage cart movement control system is united with underground train movement control system and is equipped with temperature sensors and tachometers-sensors which set motion mode on narrow-gage railroad and fire-extinguisher closing device unlocking/locking modes. EFFECT: increased efficiency and improved quality of fire-suppression. 5 cl, 2 dwg