Artificial Intelligence Automatically Extinguishes Only Real Fires in the Early Stage

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials Develops Autonomous Initial Fire Suppression System for Combat Vessels and Other Applications

Artificial intelligence fire extinguishing system developed by Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A technology that can recognize a fire at the early stage of its occurrence and automatically aim and spray extinguishing water at the fire source to suppress it has been developed for the first time in Korea.

On the 13th, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced that the research team led by Chief Researcher Jeong Jeong-hoon of the System Dynamics Research Lab, Mechanical Systems Safety Research Division, developed an autonomous initial fire suppression extinguishing system that can quickly suppress fires at the early stage of occurrence.

The autonomous initial fire suppression extinguishing system is a new concept technology that can complement the shortcomings of existing fire extinguishing facilities. By autonomously aiming and spraying extinguishing water at the fire source when the fire is still small at the early stage, it fundamentally blocks the spread of fire within the golden time and minimizes damage to surrounding equipment and facilities.

Existing extinguishing facilities such as sprinklers spray extinguishing water throughout the entire space when a fire is detected. In case of false alarms, unnecessary extinguishing water is sprayed in the space, causing significant damage, so manual operation was often preferred. The autonomous extinguishing system developed by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials this time is designed to operate only in actual fire situations by learning fire and non-fire scenarios. Instead of spraying extinguishing water throughout the entire space, it directly aims and sprays at the fire source like a firefighter putting out a fire, resulting in less damage to areas outside the fire source. The autonomous initial fire suppression extinguishing system developed by the research team consists of a fire detection sensor, extinguishing monitor, fire authenticity judgment using artificial intelligence, fire location estimation, and an analysis and control device that controls the extinguishing monitor.

The research team achieved a fire detection accuracy of over 98% and implemented extinguishing water spraying up to 65 meters. They also verified the normal operation of the developed extinguishing system under sea state 3 or higher through a ship motion simulation device and simulation, confirming its applicability to naval vessels. This technology can be applied not only to various naval vessels but also to ammunition depots, military supply warehouses, aircraft hangars, and logistics warehouses. Especially in combat situations where multiple fires occur simultaneously in several compartments of a ship due to hits, the autonomous function helps greatly in maintaining combat power and improving survivability by initially suppressing fires in multiple compartments.

Chief Researcher Jeong said, "The autonomous initial fire suppression extinguishing system developed this time can reduce human and property damage caused by fire and is also significant in effectively responding to the ongoing reduction in naval crew members." He added, "In the future, it is expected that rapid fire suppression will be possible when installed in military logistics fields as well as vehicle carriers, cargo ships, passenger ships, offshore plants, and ultra-high-rise apartments where fire ladders cannot be used."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.