Integrated high-performance microcapsule fire extinguishing system for confined spaces with real-time monitoring and early warning capabilities

Abstract

Small-scale fires in confined spaces represent critical precursors to catastrophic disasters, making their early suppression essential for safeguarding lives and property. However, at present, fire extinguishing systems used in confined space still suffer from several limitations, such as large physical scale, the absence of real-time temperature monitoring, delayed release of the extinguishing agent and early efficient fire extinguishing ability. These shortcomings seriously hinder the timely prevention of early fire and restrict the choice of appropriate post-fire management strategies. To overcome these challenges, we have developed an integrated fire extinguishing system based on high-performance composite microcapsules. This miniaturized system integrates real-time wireless monitoring, early warning, rapid fire extinguishing and cooling capacity at the initial stage of fire. The system consists of three core components: a mounting assembly supporting flexible installation, a fire suppression module composed of two-dimensional microcapsule patches, and a temperature-sensing unit for continuous environmental monitoring. The microcapsule patches, thermally triggered to release fire-extinguishing agents, exhibit high extinguishing efficiency and rapid cooling, thereby enabling proactive fire containment in confined spaces. The sensing module provides real-time thermal surveillance with wireless data transmission to remote terminals. Importantly, the temperature monitoring and early-warning system operates independently of the extinguishing agent release to ensure there is no delay in suppression. Experimental validation confirms the system's efficacy in rapid fire suppression, ambient cooling, and intelligent early warning, offering an innovative solution for confined space fire risk mitigation.