Innovation often starts with a simple question: Can we solve an old problem in a better way?
For Harrington Group, Inc.’s Fire Protection Consultant, Ivan Rhodehamel, that question led to a patent-pending fire protection concept aimed at addressing one of the most persistent challenges associated with in-rack sprinkler systems: accidental damage and the costly water damage that can follow.
Drawing on his experience in research and development at Tyco/Johnson Controls, Ivan helped develop an approach that seeks to preserve the benefits of in-rack sprinklers while reducing one of their biggest drawbacks.
In-rack sprinklers have long played an important role in protecting high-piled storage warehouses, particularly those storing plastic and other highly combustible commodities. Unlike ceiling-only sprinkler systems, in-rack sprinklers apply water much closer to the origin of a fire, helping suppress flames before they can grow and spread throughout a storage arrangement. While highly effective, in-rack sprinklers come with a challenge: they are vulnerable to accidental impact.
Forklifts operating in warehouse aisles can occasionally strike sprinkler heads located within storage racks. Because these systems are typically wet pipe systems, always containing water, even a minor impact can immediately release water, resulting in significant product damage, operational disruptions, and costly cleanup efforts.
“Damaged in-rack sprinklers are a known challenge in warehouse environments,” Ivan explains. “The systems work extremely well for fire protection, but accidental activation can create a different kind of loss.”
Rather than accepting accidental damage as an unavoidable consequence of using in-rack sprinklers, Ivan began exploring whether the system itself could be designed differently. The concept he developed centers on interlocking in-rack sprinklers with the ceiling sprinkler system.
Under the patent-pending design, if an in-rack sprinkler is accidentally damaged, water would not immediately discharge. Instead, the in-rack sprinkler would remain inactive until the ceiling system also operates, creating an additional layer of protection against unintended water release.
The idea offers a potential compromise between two competing objectives:
- Maintaining the fire suppression benefits of in-rack sprinklers
- Reducing the risk of water damage caused by accidental impacts
While the concept would require further testing and evaluation before widespread implementation, it represents a new way of approaching a longstanding industry challenge. One of the insights that helped shape the invention came from fire modeling studies evaluating the effectiveness of in-rack versus ceiling-only sprinkler protection. According to Ivan, those studies reinforced the importance of applying water directly at the base of a fire. In high-piled storage warehouses, water discharged from ceiling sprinklers must travel through racks, commodities, and rising heat before reaching the base of the fire. Some of that water may evaporate, become trapped, or otherwise lose effectiveness before reaching the hazard. In-rack sprinklers help overcome that challenge by delivering water closer to where it is needed most.
“That direct application of water is one of the major advantages of in-rack systems,” Ivan says. “The question became whether there was a way to keep that benefit while addressing some of the practical concerns that have caused the industry to move away from them.”
Once the idea was developed, Ivan collaborated with two fellow engineers to refine the design. His role focused on the overall concept, while teammates contributed expertise in valve design and system interlocks. The team then worked through the patent process, which included researching existing technologies, reviewing industry standards, and conducting patent searches to determine whether similar concepts already existed.
The results were encouraging. Neither industry standards nor patent research revealed an existing solution that addressed the problem in the same way, supporting the novelty of the concept and ultimately leading to a patent application. For Ivan, one of the most fascinating aspects of the process was watching as the engineers’ technical descriptions were transformed by the legal team into formal patent language.
While receiving recognition as an inventor was certainly rewarding, Ivan says his motivation comes from solving difficult problems.
“What I enjoy most about fire protection engineering is that there usually isn’t just one correct answer,” he explains. “Many problems can be approached from different angles, and finding a practical solution often feels like solving a puzzle.”
That mindset has been shaped by years of mentorship, industry experience, and time spent working in an environment where innovation was part of everyday work.
Whether the patent-pending concept ultimately becomes a commercial product remains to be seen. In many cases, patents are filed to protect promising ideas even if they are not immediately developed. Regardless of its future application, the invention highlights an important principle: innovation often comes from revisiting assumptions that others have accepted.
As warehouse protection continues to evolve, Ivan believes there is still value in exploring the potential of in-rack sprinkler systems rather than focusing exclusively on ceiling-only approaches. In-rack sprinklers are extremely effective at what they do, and the challenge is finding ways to overcome their limitations. That’s what made this problem worth exploring.
From groundbreaking technologies to creative solutions that challenge conventional thinking, at HGI we believe innovation takes many forms. We are proud to celebrate Ivan’s accomplishment and look forward to seeing how his passion for problem-solving continues to contribute to the fire protection industry.