WO2008133725A2

WO2008133725A2 - Apparatus, system, and method for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks

Info

Publication number: WO2008133725A2
Application number: PCT/US2007/084627
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gary Bodily
Original assignee: Gary Bodily
Priority date: 2006-11-14
Filing date: 2007-11-14
Publication date: 2008-11-06
Also published as: WO2008133725A3

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to suppress chemical attacks. The system (100) includes a target area (102) and a risk detector (202) disposed within the target area (102), the risk detector (202) configured to indicate an attack agent risk. The system (100) also includes a water source (114) that provides water and a humidifier (118) that humidifies the target area (102) with the water from the water source (114). Also included is additives integrator (120) that adds at least one member selected from the group consisting of a suppression enhancement additive and a decontamination additive. A controller (126) is included that receives a risk signal from the risk detector (106), and to suppress a risk indicated by the risk signal by sending actuator commands to the humidifier (118) and the additives integrator (120). The system (100) suppresses a released hazardous material and reduces the danger caused by the material.

Description

APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR

SUPPRESSING AIRBORNE CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, AND

RADIOACTIVE AGENT ATTACKS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to protection from hazardous materials and more particularly relates to suppression of hazardous agents. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Whenever there is a release of hazardous materials people and hardware are at risk. The risk of releases has increased in recent years, as materials have become more hazardous more readily available. Airborne materials are especially dangerous, as they spread quickly throughout an area, contaminating individuals and equipment. Airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agents are among the hazardous materials that generate a particularly high risk when released. These releases may be accidental or deliberate. Accidental releases may include spills of industrial chemicals during transportation, or releases from chemical plants. Deliberate releases can come from enemy action that can include a chemical attack against a fixed military base, an attack against a ship at sea, or an attack by terrorists against soft targets.

There has been a considerable amount of effort expended to response to these releases. These activities generally fall into the categories of Detection, Response, and Remediation. None of these responses provide an immediate reduction of the risks posed by the hazardous material once it has been released. As a result, individuals and equipment in the vicinity of the release remain in danger for a considerable time following a release.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method that rapidly suppresses a hazardous release. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would suppress a released hazardous material and reduce the danger caused by the material.

The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available hazardous material remediation approaches. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide an apparatus, system, and method for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agents that overcome many or all of the above- discussed shortcomings in the art.

A system of the present invention is also presented to suppress chemical attacks. The system may be embodied by a target area, a risk detector, a water source, an additives integrator, and a controller. In particular, the system, in one embodiment, includes a risk detector disposed within the target area, the risk detector configured to indicate an attack agent risk.

The system may further include a water source configured to provide water. In one embodiment, the humidifier of the system is configured to humidify the target area with the water from the water source. In a further embodiment, the additives integrator of the system is configured to add at least one member selected from the group consisting of a suppression enhancement additive and a decontamination additive. In one embodiment, the controller is configured to receive a risk signal from the risk detector, and to suppress a risk indicated by the risk signal by sending actuator commands to the humidifier and the additives integrator.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of a suppression controller in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable system for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a personal system for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a system for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Many of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like. Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions which may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module.

Indeed, a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated herein within modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Reference to a signal bearing medium may take any form capable of generating a signal, causing a signal to be generated, or causing execution of a program of machine-readable instructions on a digital processing apparatus. A signal bearing medium may be embodied by a transmission line, a compact disk, digital-video disk, a magnetic tape, a Bernoulli drive, a magnetic disk, a punch card, flash memory, integrated circuits, or other digital processing apparatus memory device.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, hardware modules, hardware components and devices, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well- known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

Figure 1 is a system diagram depicting one embodiment of a system 100 for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks in accordance with the present invention. The system 100 comprises a target area 102 comprising an area of interest to be protected in the event of an agent attack, accidental release, and/or for suppressing agents in an area where the presence of the agents may be normal but human entry is not (e.g. during the cleaning of a large chemical tank). In one embodiment the target area 102 comprises a sports stadium 104. For illustration, an attack agent 105 is shown as being introduced into the stadium 104. In other embodiments the target area 100 may be a city, a neighborhood, a building complex, a rail yard, a chemical plant, a naval warship, a room, and the like. The system 100 comprises a risk signal generator 106. The risk signal generator 106 is configured to generate a risk signal 108 indicating the potential presence of a specified risk. For example, the risk signal generator 106 may comprise a chemical detection device such as one or more gas chromatograph sensors 108 configured to detect the presence of one or more agents. The risk signal generator 106 may comprise, without limitation, a Geiger counter, a noise detector configured to detect unusually large noise levels, a manual input such as an emergency button, intelligence information indicating an attack, change in a threat level, and/or any other risk detection device known in the art. In one embodiment, the risk signal 108 comprises an indication that a risk or potential risk is present, and may further provide an indication of the type of risk.

The system 100 further comprises an external environment reporter 110. The external environment reporter 110 generates one or more external environment signals 112 configured to convey information about the external environment of the system 100 that may not be directly related to the risk. For example, the external environment reporter 110 may comprise a humidity detector configured to convey the relative and/or absolute humidity of the target area 102 as an external environment signal 112. The external environment reporter 110 may be configured to convey wind speed, temperature, time of day, and the like as external environment signals 112. The information for each external environment signal 112 may be provided by one or more sensors, through manual input, through updated information from a website and/or communicated over a network, and through any other method known in the art. In one embodiment, the external environment reporter 110 may be configured to convey a schedule of events and/or a number of people present in the target area 102 as an external environment signal 112.

The system 100 further comprises a water source 114. The water source 114 may comprise a water tower, water tank, city water access point, water access to a river or lake, and the like. The water may feed to the system 100 from inherent pressure (e.g. gravity feed or city water pressure) and/or through a pump 116. The system 100 may further comprise various conduits, valves, and pumps to regulate the supply of water to various components of the system 100. The system 100 further comprises a vaporizer 118. The vaporizer 118 is configured to provide a suppression fluid 119, which may be water vapor, to humidify the target area 102. The suppression fluid 119 may further comprise suspended liquid water (aerosols) added by the vaporizer 118 to the air within the target area 102. The vaporizer 118 may comprise a steam vaporizer, an impeller humidifier, an ultrasonic humidifier, an evaporative humidifier, or the like. Aerosols may be provided by high pressure injection of suppression fluid 119 through a nozzle, and/or through other means known in the art. The vaporizer 118 may be configured to provide aerosols in a specified size range, for example > 20 microns.

The water source 114 and vaporizer 118 should be sized to provide target humidity levels and target aerosol levels to the target area 102. Based on the disclosures herein, the types and sizes of water sources 114 and vaporizers 118 for a given system 100 can be determined by one of skill in the art. Specifically, the target humidity for the target area 102 is determined, and a mass balance of air flow into the system 100 and air flow out of the system 100, combined with an estimate of the ambient air humidity outside the system 100 provides the delivery capability required from the water sources 114 and vaporizers 118. The water source 114 and vaporizer

118 may be configured to respond to a suppression command 121 and insert suppression fluid

119 to the target area 102 according to the suppression command 121.

The system 100 may further comprise an additives integrator 120. The additives integrator 120 may be configured to add suppression enhancing additives 122 and/or decontamination additives 124 to the suppression fluid 119. Suppression enhancing additives 122 may comprise additives (e.g. surfactants) configured to enhance absorption and condensation of the attack agent 105 into the suppression fluid 119. For example, a suppression enhancing additive 122 may comprise alcohol, glycol, and/or other material added to the suppression fluid 119 to enhance absorption of a hydrophobic attack agent 105 in the suppression fluid 119. In one embodiment, a suppression enhancing additive 122 may comprise an absorbent such as baking soda, starch, and the like such that once the suppression fluid 119 settles on a surface and dries, the absorbent 122 continues to physically bind the attack agent 105. Care should be taken to ensure that all additives are not toxic to personnel who may be present. After all personnel have been evacuated other materials may be used as discussed later. The decontamination additives 124 may comprise additives configured to decontaminate a chemical or biological attack agent 105 of interest. For example, the decontamination additives 124 may comprise an oxidizing agent such as ozone or hydrogen peroxide. In another example, the decontamination additives 124 may comprise a pH increasing agent such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium hydroxide, ammonia, and the like. Water of any pH will hydrolyze most chemicals eventually. Low pH levels around 3 will provide minimal hydrolization with the rate increasing for higher pH levels. The exact rate of hydrolization is dependent on the chemical and composition of the water present. The pH increasing agent may be configured to achieve a pH of about 9 in the suppression fluid 119. A pH around 9 achieves most of the benefits of chemical hydrolyzation without creating a serious environmental hazard with the suppression fluid 119. Practically any pH above neutral (i.e. 7) may provide some utility in neutralizing attack agents 105.

In some embodiments, both decontamination additives 124 and suppression enhancement additives 122 may be added to the suppression fluid 119. The additives 122, 124 may comprise the same compounds in some cases (e.g. baking soda). The additives may be configured to be added according to an additives control command 125 that may control the types, amounts, and concentrations of additives added to the suppression fluid 119. Depending on the nature of the agent 105 there may be a staged approach to suppression. For example, the response may be: a) detect the agent 105 an initiate the response, b) suppress the attack to protect personnel and materiel, c) when personnel are evacuated maintain suppression and begin decontamination, d) stop suppression when conditions allow.

The system 100 further comprises a suppression controller 126 that may be configured to receive the risk detection signal and the external environment signal, and to provide the suppression command and the additives control command. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of a suppression controller 126 in accordance with the present invention. The suppression controller 126 may comprise a plurality of modules configured to functionally execute suppressing chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks. In one embodiment, the suppression controller 126 comprises a risk detection module 202, a climate condition module 204, a risk response module 206, a suppression command module 208, and an additives command module 210.

The risk detection module 202 may be configured to interpret the risk signal 108. In one embodiment, the risk signal 108 indicates the type of attack agent 105 and the location within the target area 102 of an attack. In one embodiment, the risk signal 108 may comprise a generalized indication of a risk occurrence. For example, where the risk signal 108 is generated by a risk signal generator 106 comprising a loud noise detector, the risk signal 108 may be a general indication of a risk. Where the risk signal 108 is generated by risk signal generator 106 comprising an array of gas chromatograph sensors, the risk signal 108 may comprise an attack agent 105 and/or an attack location. The risk detection module 202 may be configured to generate a risk response indicator 211 based on the risk signal 108. The climate condition module 204 may be configured to interpret external environment signal 112. The climate condition module 204 may be configured to generate an environment response indicator 212 based on the external environment signal 112. The environment response indicator 212 may comprise one or more relative humidity values, a wind speed, temperature, precipitation, the presence and/or likely presence of people in the target area 102, the presence of cleanup crews in the target area 102, a remaining amount of water in the water source 114, additive 122, 124 levels available, the fault or failure status of the vaporizer 118 and/or risk signal generator 106, and the like.

The risk response module 206 may receive the risk response indicator 211 and the environment response indicator 212 and develop a suppression response 214 and an additives response 216. In one embodiment, the suppression commands may comprise a relative humidity value above 70%. Most attack agents 105 have some difficulty maintaining an effective concentration in a target area 102 above 70% relative humidity. Humidity values above 80% are very effective at controlling attack agent 105 concentrations in a target area 102. Humidity values near 100% relative humidity are the most effective at suppressing chemical, biological, and radioactive attack agents. Additionally, providing liquid water suspended in the air (aerosols) will strip additional contaminants in the air. A size limitation on aerosols should be considered. Sizes from 2-20 microns are in the respirable range, and should be minimized in target areas wherein people are present. Larger aerosols fall faster in the air, but require more water to achieve saturation of the target area 102. Therefore, a primary suppression response 214 comprises a high relative humidity command in the target area 102. The suppression response 214 may further comprise an aerosols target in the target area 102.

Several example suppression commands 214 and additives commands 216 are provided to illustrate the use of various information available on the risk response indicator 211 and the external environment response indicator 212. The examples are intended for illustration and do not limit the uses of the risk response indicator 211 and the external environment response indicator 212. One of skill in the art can develop suppression responses appropriate for a given system 100 based on the disclosures herein.

Example 1. The risk signal 108 indicates a present risk, and the external environment signal 112 indicates the presence or lack of people in the target area 102. While the external environment signal 112 indicates that people are present, the risk response module 206 issues a suppression response 214 that comprises a 100% relative humidity command, and an additives response 216 that comprises a command that no additives 122, 124 be added to the suppression fluid 119. When the external environment signal 112 indicates that people are no longer present, the risk response module 206 issues a suppression response 214 that comprises a 100% relative humidity command, and an additives response 216 that comprises a command that additives 122, 124 should be added to the suppression fluid 119.

Example 2. The risk signal 108 indicates a present risk, and the external environment signal 112 indicates the water source 114 has only ten minutes of water available, while a system 100 design variable indicates that the suppression should continue for one more hour. The risk response module 106 issues a suppression response 214 that comprises a minimum effective relative humidity - which may be above 70% relative humidity. NOTE: Experience indicates that 70% rarely works while an RH > 80% usually works. 90%+ RH has always worked in the past.

Example 3. The risk signal 108 indicates a present risk, and the external environment signal 112 indicates that one pump in the water supply system to one vaporizer 118 in the system 100 is broken. The risk response module 106 issues a suppression response 214 that increases the pumping rate for vaporizers 118 in the vicinity of the broken vaporizer 118. Example 4. The risk signal 108 indicates a present risk, and the external environment signal 112 indicates highly variable wind conditions and a varying relative humidity level in the target area 102. The risk response module 106 engages a feed-forward control algorithm to respond to wind changes with increasing and decreasing flow of suppression fluid 119 according to the wind. The risk response module 106 further engages a feed-back control algorithm to respond to humidity fluctuations with increasing and decreasing flow of the suppression fluid 119.

Example 5. The additives integrator 120 comprises a first surfactant that dissolves a first chemical well, and a second surfactant that dissolves a second chemical well. The risk signal 108 indicates a present risk involving the second chemical. The risk response module 106 issues a suppression response 214 and an additives response 216 configured to add the second surfactant to the suppression fluid 119.

In one embodiment, the risk response module 206 may trigger a suppression response 214 when the risk signal 108 indicates a present risk, and the risk response module 206 may require a manual input, a minimum suppression time, or the like before turning off the suppression response 214. This is because the nature of the suppression system 100 creates a feedback issue - namely the risk signal 108 may stop indicating a present risk while the system 100 is suppressing an attack as no appreciable concentration of the agent 105 may be detected by the risk signal generator 106. Various embodiments of managing this feedback issue are contemplated within the scope of the present invention, including without limitation - ramping down the suppression response 214 each set period of time (e.g. 30 minutes) and monitoring for an agent 105 level increase, ramping down the suppression response 214 in a small portion of the target area 102 and monitoring for an agent 105 level increase, and the like. The exact response of the system 100 to the feedback issue depends upon the nature of the agent 105 under suppression, the size and sensitivity of the target area 102, the available water from the water source 114, and the like. It is within the skill of one in the art to develop an appropriate response to the feedback issue for a given system 100 based on the disclosures herein.

The suppression command module 208 may be configured to receive the suppression response 214 from the risk response module 206. The suppression module 208 may be configured to generate a suppression command 121 comprising valve and actuator commands

218 such that the vaporizer 118 humidifies the target area 102 according to the suppression response 214.

The additives command module 210 may be configured to receive the additives response

216 from the risk response module 206. The additives command module 210 may be further configured to generate an additives control command 125 such that the additives integrator 120 adds additives 122, 124 to the suppression fluid 119 according to the additives response 216. Figure 3 is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable system 300 for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks 105 in accordance with the present invention. The portable system 300 may be beneficial in fire and rescue, military, law enforcement, and oil field applications. For example, a portable system 300 may assist in a methamphetamine lab shut down operation where time is a factor and there are chemicals suspended in the air that may be toxic.

Figure 4 is an illustration of one embodiment of a personal system 400 for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent attacks in accordance with the present invention. The personal system 400 may include goggles 402 to protect the eyes of the wearer, and/or a drain location 404 in a mask 406 to allow absorbed, condensed agents 105 to escape the mask 406. The personal system 400 may be beneficial in fire and rescue, military, law enforcement, and oil field applications. The personal system 400 may be superior to a carbon filter mask in some applications - especially in high relative humidity ambient environments that can cause breakthrough of the carbon filters. Further, the personal system 400 can provide an indication to the wearer the time left for suppression capacity.

Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a system 500 for suppressing airborne chemical, biological, and radioactive agent 105 attacks in accordance with the present invention. Figure 5 comprises an abstract view of the system 100 showing relationships between the components of the system 100.

Claims

1. A system to suppress chemical attacks, the system comprising: a target area; a risk detector disposed within the target area, the risk detector configured to indicate an attack agent risk; a water source configured to provide water; a humidifier configured to humidify the target area with the water from the water source; an additives integrator configured to add at least one member selected from the group consisting of a suppression enhancement additive and a decontamination additive; and a controller configured to receive a risk signal from the risk detector, and to suppress a risk indicated by the risk signal by sending actuator commands to the humidifier and the additives integrator.