Method and system of actuator based valve control to isolate breathable air supplied to one or more levels and/or one or more regions of a structure having a firefighter air replenishment system implemented therein

Abstract

A safety system of a structure includes a number of levels and/or regions and a fixed piping system installed therewithin to supply breathable air from a source across the safety system including the number of levels and/or the regions. A parameter of an environment of one or more level(s) and/or one or more region(s) of the structure and/or the breathable air supplied thereto is sensed. In response to the sensing, an actuator of one or more valve(s) associated with control of the supply of the breathable air to the one or more level(s) and/or one or more region(s) is controlled to isolate the breathable air supplied thereto.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of a safety system of a structure having a plurality of at least one of: levels and regions and a fixed piping system installed therewithin to supply breathable air from a source across the safety system including the plurality of the at least one of: the levels and the regions, comprising:
 sensing a parameter of at least one of: an environment of at least one of: at least one level of the plurality of levels and at least one region of the plurality of regions of the structure and the breathable air supplied thereto; and   in response to the sensing, controlling an actuator of at least one valve associated with control of the supply of the breathable air to the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region to isolate the breathable air supplied thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising, in response to the sensing, controlling the actuator of the at least one valve based on at least one of:
 a control signal from at least one of: a data processing device, a bypass controller device, and an air analysis device coupled to an air flow path of the breathable air from the source within the safety system, and   an isolation switch of a isolation valve control panel device installed within the structure.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising at least one of:
 sensing the parameter of the breathable air using a sensor associated with the air analysis device; and   sensing the parameter of the environment of the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region using an environmental sensor associated with at least one of: at least one emergency air fill station providing access to the breathable air at the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region, the bypass controller device and the air analysis device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling the actuator of the at least one valve to isolate the breathable air supplied to the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region is based on at least one of: the control signal and the isolation switch, controlling opening and closing of the at least one valve using the actuator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising:
 isolating at least one emergency air fill station with respect to access to the breathable air at the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region in accordance with the closing of the at least one valve using the actuator.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the sensed parameter is outside a predetermined threshold value thereof; and   in response to the determination, controlling the actuator of the at least one valve to close the at least one valve to isolate the breathable air.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising:
 the sensor associated with the air analysis device comprising at least one of: a carbon monoxide sensor configured to sense a level of carbon monoxide in the breathable air, a carbon dioxide sensor configured to sense a level of carbon dioxide in the breathable air, an oxygen sensor configured to sense a level of oxygen in the breathable air, a nitrogen sensor configured to sense a level of nitrogen in the breathable air, a hydrocarbon sensor configured to sense a condensed hydrocarbon content in the breathable air, and a moisture sensor configured to sense a moisture concentration in the breathable air.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 the actuator being at least one of: an electric actuator, a pneumatic actuator and a hydraulic actuator.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 the data processing device executing an application thereon through which the control signal is transmitted to control the actuator of the at least one valve.   
     
     
         10 . A method of a safety system of a structure having a plurality of at least one of: levels and regions and a fixed piping system installed therewithin to supply breathable air from a source across the safety system including the plurality of the at least one of: the levels and the regions, comprising:
 sensing a parameter of at least one of: an environment of at least one of: at least one level of the plurality of levels and at least one region of the plurality of regions of the structure and the breathable air supplied thereto; and   in response to determining that the parameter is outside a predetermined threshold value thereof based on the sensing, controlling an actuator of at least one valve associated with control of the supply of the breathable air to the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region to isolate the breathable air supplied thereto.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising, in response to the sensing, controlling the actuator of the at least one valve based on at least one of:
 a control signal from at least one of: a data processing device, a bypass controller device, and an air analysis device coupled to an air flow path of the breathable air from the source within the safety system, and   an isolation switch of a isolation valve control panel device installed within the structure.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising at least one of:
 sensing the parameter of the breathable air using a sensor associated with the air analysis device; and   sensing the parameter of the environment of the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region using an environmental sensor associated with at least one of: at least one emergency air fill station providing access to the breathable air at the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region, the bypass controller device and the air analysis device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the actuator of the at least one valve to isolate the breathable air supplied to the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region is based on at least one of: the control signal and the isolation switch, controlling opening and closing of the at least one valve using the actuator. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising:
 isolating at least one emergency air fill station with respect to access to the breathable air at the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region in accordance with the closing of the at least one valve using the actuator.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising:
 the sensor associated with the air analysis device comprising at least one of: a carbon monoxide sensor configured to sense a level of carbon monoxide in the breathable air, a carbon dioxide sensor configured to sense a level of carbon dioxide in the breathable air, an oxygen sensor configured to sense a level of oxygen in the breathable air, a nitrogen sensor configured to sense a level of nitrogen in the breathable air, a hydrocarbon sensor configured to sense a condensed hydrocarbon content in the breathable air, and a moisture sensor configured to sense a moisture concentration in the breathable air.   
     
     
         16 . A safety system of a structure having at least one of: a plurality of levels and a plurality of regions, comprising:
 a source of breathable air;   a fixed piping system installed within the structure for supply of the breathable air from the source across the safety system including the at least one of: the plurality of levels and the plurality of regions;   at least one valve associated with control of the supply of the breathable air to at least one of: at least one level of the plurality of levels and at least one region of the plurality of regions; and   a control device to, in response to a sensor associated with at least one component of the safety system sensing a parameter of at least one of: an environment of the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region and the breathable air supplied thereto, control an actuator of the at least one valve to isolate the breathable air supplied to the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region.   
     
     
         17 . The safety system of  claim 16 , wherein the control device includes at least one of:
 at least one of: a data processing device, a bypass controller device and an air analysis device coupled to an air flow path of the breathable air from the source within the safety system that transmits a control signal to control the actuator of the at least one valve, and   an isolation valve control panel device installed within the structure comprising at least one isolation switch to control the actuator of the at least one valve.   
     
     
         18 . The safety system of  claim 17 , wherein the isolation valve control panel device further comprises at least one status indicator to at least one of: visibly and audibly indicate whether the at least one valve is open or closed. 
     
     
         19 . The safety system of  claim 17 , wherein, based on at least one of: the control signal and the isolation switch, the actuator controls opening and closing of the at least one valve. 
     
     
         20 . The safety system of  claim 19 , wherein the closing of the at least one valve using the actuator causes isolation of at least one emergency air fill station with respect to access to the breathable air at the at least one of: the at least one level and the at least one region.