Patent Application
20170007865
Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to relates to an intelligent method for protecting forest and brush from a fire in. The present invention relates to fire protection methods, and related deployment methods. In particular, the invention relates to deployment methods used for containing a forest fire having a relatively large expanse.
Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,261,165 teaches a housing unit which includes two parts that define a fire-smothering chemical storing interior volume. The housing unit is transported to a target area of a forest fire by an aircraft and dropped onto the target area. An explosive charge is located inside the housing unit and is detonated when the housing unit impacts the ground. The explosion associated with the detonated charge separates the two parts of the housing and disperses the chemical from the open housing unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,746,355 teaches a fire-extinguishing bomb that can be pre-programmed to explode 2-200 feet above the ground or tree line. The bomb employs a laser or barometric altitude sensor in combination with a GPS-altitude sensor for failsafe detonation with extreme accuracy at the proper altitude. The redundant failsafe altitude-dependent detonation system ruptures a container carrying a payload of wet or dry fire retardant/suppressant, dry environmentally-friendly fire-retardant powder having no toxicity and having fertilizer properties. Upon detonation the device coats the ground below with a uniform fire extinguishing coating. The core components of the bomb can be biodegradable, or alternatively can be readily retrieved and reused after each activation, thereby increasing both economy and reducing environmental concerns.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0238186 teaches a fire-fighting apparatus for fighting a fire having a relatively large area or volume. The apparatus includes a targeting system for identifying a target area to be doused with fire retardant and an ordnance for discharging a multiplicity of projectiles having the fire retardant contained therein. The ordnance of the apparatus includes at least one barrel assembly which has a barrel, a plurality of projectiles axially disposed within the barrel for operative sealing engagement with the bore of the barrel, and discrete propellant charges for propelling respective projectiles sequentially through the muzzle of the barrel, whereby the fire retardant is dispersed over the target area or within the target volume.
Fires which extend over a large expanse, in either two dimensions such as a grass fire or three dimensions such as in a bush or forest fire, industrial or chemical fires or a multi-story building, present particular problems in regard to delivering fire retardant or dousing materials quickly and precisely over threatened areas, whilst minimizing risks for fire fighters and surrounding assets.
Conventional fire-fighting techniques typically involve controlling progress of an expansive fire at a perimeter, which may involve back burning. Back burning operations also involve inherent risk, especially in the case of a change in the direction of prevailing winds.
It is also known to use airborne delivery of fire suppressants wherein suppressant material is dropped into a fire from above by water bombing by fixed or rotary wing aircraft. This is a relatively costly technique requiring special purpose aircraft and skilled pilots for maximum effect.
Furthermore, the presence of toxic fumes or other by-products of industrial or chemical fires, together with the possibility of explosions and debris propelled by such explosions, may pose additional risks to those fighting fires, not to mention other persons and fixed assets in the vicinity. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that such fires be fought from a relatively safe distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,478 teaches a remote controlled hazard-fighting vehicle including a chassis having crawler tracks mounted on opposite sides thereof. Motors are mounted within the chassis for independently advancing the crawler tracks. A movable turret is mounted on the upper part of the chassis and includes a movable nozzle for being attached through a flexible hose to a source of pressurized fluid. A portable transmitter is provided to selectively generate a plurality of unique tone signal combinations. A receiver is mounted within the chassis for receiving the tone signal combinations, and circuitry within the chassis is responsive to the output of the receiver in order to control the advancement of the crawler tracks and the movement of the turret and nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,581 teaches a plurality of vehicles operated through cables for applying various fire-fighting agents to fires. It has been found that the use of such cables presents problems because of the vulnerability of the cables to fouling or to severance by the vehicle wheels and protuberances from the ground. In addition, the use of such cables limits the distance which an operator may stand away from the fire or other catastrophe. Moreover, prior art fire-fighting devices have not been sufficiently versatile or reliable for widespread practical use for hazard-fighting applications. A need has thus arisen for a rugged remote controlled hazard-fighting vehicle which may be directed into close proximity of a fire or other catastrophe without being hampered by ice, boggy ground, high winds, ground embankments, radiation, intense heat, noxious or chemical fumes, hostile crowds, or the danger of explosions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,382 teaches a fire extinguishing device for use in interior or localized exterior conflagrations. The force of detonation of the fire extinguishing device is minimalized through the use of low density/low mass components; no part of the device having sufficient mass or density to typically constitute a safety hazard as flying debris, nor be dangerous in concussive shock due the explosive burst. The present invention is composed of a lightweight casing of rigid plastic foam or other suitably frangible material, with an abrasion-resistant, thin plastic, protective, exterior sheathing. Within the internal cavity of the device, a low explosive yield detonator is located at or near the center of mass, and is actuated by fuse cord(s) extending from the detonator, the end(s) of which extend(s) from the interior detonator to a mounting at or near the exterior surface. The interior volume of the hollow casing is chargeable, through variations in internal configuration, with a variety of fire-retardant chemical agents, including dry powders, two-part reactants, liquid components or others, singly or in combination.
Fire-fighting devices in general use at present, are subject to numerous limiting factors with respect to their cost of acquisition, placement, storage, deployment for fire-fighting—or fire suppression—and other factors. By their nature, they may require periodic inspection by qualified, knowledgeable persons, training or esoterically detailed familiarity in their use, are typically bulky and/or require, as centralized sensing and extinguishing systems, extensive, expensive installation to afford the protection they are designed to provide. Small fire safety devices, such as the common pressurized dry chemical extinguisher, are relatively heavy, due to the prerequisite construction of their pressurized containers. Their weight, bulk and relative complexity, adds to the cost of manufacture, and therefore, theoretically, their cost of acquisition. In use, their directed stream of chemical spray requires judgment and forethought, and therefore, a fully conscious and cognizant user whose mental faculties have not been impaired by smoke, heat, mental stress or panic.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0264509 teaches a formulation material which is useful in forestry fire-fighting and which includes (a) an anhydride copolymer having a structural formula wherein a functional group X of the formula is at least one alkyl group selected from the family consisting of methyl, ethyl, and propyl groups! and (b) at least 0.1%, by weight, of at least one cross-linking agent for the anhydride copolymer, the agent selected from the group of cross-linking agents consisting of a biopolymer and a tannin, wherein a weight ratio of the anhydride copolymer to the cross-linking agent is at least 2:1, and wherein a total weight of the anhydride copolymer and the cross-linking agent, within the formulation, is at least 25% on an anhydrous basis.
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Fires start when a flammable and/or a combustible material, in combination with a sufficient quantity of an oxidizer such as oxygen gas or another oxygen-rich compound, is exposed to a source of heat or ambient temperature above the flash point for the fuel/oxidizer mix, and is able to sustain a rate of rapid oxidation that produces a chain reaction. Forest fires are uncontrolled fires occurring in combustible vegetation. A forest fire differ from other fires by its extensive size, the speed at which it can spread from its original source, its potential to change direction unexpectedly, and its ability to jump gaps such as roads and rivers. Water is currently the most frequently used fire-fighting medium. The extinguishing properties of water are based mainly on its effect in cooling the combustible material to a temperature below the ignition point of the material, by absorbing heat through conversion of water to water vapor. Use of water as an extinguishing agent has a number of disadvantages. For example, during the extinguishing process, large quantities evaporate or flow away unused and may cause unnecessary water damage. Use of water is particularly disadvantageous in fighting forest fires, because such fires are frequently preceded by a period of drought, and, accordingly, the ground has a particularly high water absorptive capacity. The waste of water is a very important aspect of forest fire-fighting because a forest fire typically consumes the dry undergrowth (e.g., grass, foliage, and heather) and leads to individual crown fires which then unite. Since most forest fires occur in remote areas, aircraft are often employed. Fighting forest fires with aircraft involves the dropping of large quantities of water on the fire. However, by this method, as much as 80% of the load is wasted due to erosion before reaching the target, such that the aircraft must make a considerable number of trips in order to get the required amount of water on the fire to cool the vegetation to below its ignition point. Numerous attempts have been made to improve water as a fire extinguishing agent. The addition of substances which increase the viscosity of water have been described. These include cellulose derivatives, alginates or water-soluble synthetic polymers, such as polyacrylamides. Use has also been made of non-flammable mineral additives to the extinguishing water, e.g. water-soluble inorganic salts or water-insoluble materials such as bentonite or attapulgite [C. E. Hardy, Chemicals for Forest Fire Fighting, 3rd edition, Boston, 1977]. In special cases, such as when fighting forest fires, use has been made of mineral additives such as bentonite, attapulgite and water-soluble salts, as well as extinguishing water formulations mixed with alginates, which, after special preparation are frequently ejected from aircraft. Disadvantages associated with use of such additives include the high weight percentages of mineral additives generally required in order to achieve a sufficiently high level of thickening (e.g. 10 to 20% by weight); the corrosive action of certain salts such as sulfates or chlorides; and the possibility of undesired environmental influences, such as on fertilizing agents. Furthermore, the preparation of such thickened extinguishing agents generally requires special apparatus, particularly with respect to the mixing process. These agents generally cannot be applied using conventional fire extinguishing syringes and, such as in the case of alginate gums, do not adhere well to the target surfaces following spraying, particularly under the action of heat. Additionally, they frequently change their characteristics after even a short storage period and, after drying, sometimes leaving behind residues which are difficult to remove. Other fire-fighting compositions are known in the art, which are aimed at either decreasing water consumption or prevention of re-ignition of fire, or both. Suspensions for use in fire-fighting are known to include insoluble particles dispersed in a water-soluble polymer solution. Two types of such suspension are known: solid-liquid suspensions and gel-liquid suspensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,334, U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,665, U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,727, U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,432 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,106 teach solid-liquid suspensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,383 teaches a solid-liquid suspension composition which includes solid particles of vinyl polymer gelling agent (preferably a polyacrylate) and an ammonium compound suspended in a gelled liquid. Such a composition is not suitable for application using aerial equipment, and the polyacrylates are non-biodegradable materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,524 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,330 teach a fire-extinguishing solid-liquid suspension which includes water soluble poly(ethylene oxide) polymer for extinguishing Class A fire, and in association with fluoro-surfactant for extinguishing Class B fire. The composition is applied as a foam. The flow properties of the composition, the application mode and efficacy of extinguishing action are not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,638 teaches the use of thickened synthetic amorphous silica in water as a fire extinguishing and protection agent which uses water-soluble polymers such as polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols, and their derivatives as thickening agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,728, U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,726; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,176 teach chemical concentrates which are adapted for dilution with water to produce long term fire suppressants specially adapted for aerial application to suppress wild land fires, using guar gum and its derivatives as thickeners and flow conditioners. Disadvantages of these compositions include the fact that the polysaccharides used are very expensive, and the preparation of the aqueous solutions is difficult, requiring specialized equipment. Gel-liquid compositions include those in which the gel phase comprises cross-linked synthetic polymers, known as super absorbent polymers (SAPs). Gels function as short-term fire retardants, since their effectiveness is due to their water content, such that upon evaporation of all the water, the gels are no longer effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,641, teaches the use of a water-swellable, water-insoluble polymer gel which includes a crosslinked polymer or crosslinked copolymer of acrylamide, an acrylate salt, vinyloxazolidinone, vinylpyrrolidinone, a methacrylate salt, or a styrenesulfonate salt, or a copolymer of styrene and maleic acid, which has been crosslinked by reaction with a glycol. The crosslinked gel is mixed with a water-soluble synthetic cationic polymer in order to promote adhesion to cellulosic material. The application mode of the composition is not specified.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,460 teaches the use of solid polymer particles of polyacrylate gel which is encased in a water-soluble release agent to extinguish fires. The time taken for these solid granular particles to expand upon absorption of water is longer than practical for the water to be retained in a fire hose. Additionally, in order to achieve the desired water absorption, 200 grams of gel per liter of water is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,110 teaches absorbent polymers which includes discrete particles of insoluble sodium polyacrylate dispersed in a water miscible medium to be incorporated into water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,849,210 teaches a method of preventing a combustible object from burning by contacting the combustible object, before or during burning, with an aqueous composition which includes a water-insoluble superabsorbent polymer (SAP) and water. The above prior art gel-liquid compositions are not suitable for use against forest fires, since the compositions must be washed away after use, are not biodegradable, and do not prevent re-ignition of the fire after water evaporation. Another problem encountered in fighting a forest fire is an inability to precisely determine which objects, or areas, have been sprayed and which have not. This is an especially difficult problem encountered in aerial fighting of forest fires. Effective fire-fighting requires that all objects or areas of interest are sprayed, while minimizing double spraying of some objects or areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,670,513 teaches a fire-fighting composition which includes a superabsorbent polymer (polyacrylate sodium salt); a soluble or dispersible colorant; an additional opacifying agent; and water. The colorant is selected such that its color is in contrast to the color of the combustible objects being treated. Due to the solid, granular nature of the absorbent polymer particles used in prior art fire-fighting compositions, it is difficult, if not impossible, to use these polymers in certain applications. For example, if a natural source of water, such as a creek or a river, is to be used as the water source, it is impossible to pre-mix the polymer and batch add it to the water source, as necessary in traditional applications, in order to draw it off to use to combat fires. By pouring the additive-into a stream or river, most of the additive will simply flow past the point of suction of the water for use in combating fires. Because of the particulate nature of the known water-absorbent polymers used in fire-fighting compositions, use of such polymers in standard fire-fighting hoses with standard equipment is nearly impossible. The solid nature of the polymers promotes particle agglomeration and subsequent blockage of the flow of the water. Alternatively, it is also sometimes necessary to provide pumps and spray nozzles adapted for handling such solid granular particles which U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,641 teaches. Some of the disadvantages associated with use of SAP in gel-liquid fire-fighting compositions can be overcome by the use of emulsions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,781 teaches a fire extinguishing emulsion which contains emollient; emulsifier; dispersant; oxygen depleting substance; radical scavenger; and oxygen competitor, in water acting as a carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,446 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,252 teach a water additive which contains a cross-linked, water-swellable polymer additive in a water/oil emulsion produced by an inverse phase polymerization reaction to be added to the fire-fighting water. The polymer is a co-polymer of acrylamide and acrylic acid derivatives. Such formulations may include chemical combinations that are dangerous to plants, and that various compounds disposed in the formulations may be substantially non-degradable or insufficiently degradable, particularly at ambient conditions. The formulations do not contain a long term flame retardant, such that the underlying vegetation may be disadvantageously re-ignited after the water is evaporated.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,033,526 teaches a firefighting composition in the form of a gel containing urea or a urea derivative which retains water and releases CO.sub.2 upon heating. The composition also includes a rheology modifier. Disadvantages of these compositions are similar to those of the above-described emulsions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,189,337 teaches a fire-fighting additive which has a cross-linked, water-swellable polymer and a vegetable oil dispersion. The additive is added to fire-fighting water to form a gel. The use of such an additive may have the same disadvantages as the use of various traditional synthetic polymers.
Large-scale forest fires are prevalent throughout the Midwest and Western states, and significant sums are spent on fire-fighting equipment. The conventional approach is aerial fire-fighting using fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to drop chemicals such as water, foams, gels, or other specially formulated fire retardants. These chemicals are dropped from large air tankers with tanks that can be filled on the ground at an air tanker base. It has been reported that “The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management own, tease, or contract for nearly 1,000 aircraft each fire season, with annual expenditures in excess of US$250 million in recent years. Borate salts were used in the past to fight wildfires but were found to sterilize the soil, kill animals, and are now prohibited. Newer retardants use ammonium sulfate or ammonium polyphosphate with a thickener. These are less toxic but still not environmentally friendly. Brand names of tire retardants for aerial application include Fire-Trol and Phos-Chek. In addition to toxicity, there are serious questions about the effectiveness of air-tankers. The state of Victoria, Australia tested the effectiveness of a fleet of DC-10 Air Tankers during their wildfire season in 2009-2010, and concluded that these aircraft would not be effective in suppressing bushfires, especially in areas where the forest meets communities of relatively high populations. This was partly because the drop cloud released by the DC-10 is not uniform, but has thick and thin sections which leave areas on the ground with insufficient coverage. In addition, one drop impacted an Eucalyptus forest with such force that it broke off a number of trees with diameters of 4 to 10 inches. While the researchers did not have adequate equipment to accurately determine the drop height, it was thought that the aircraft was unintentionally flying too low and the retardant was still moving forward, rather than straight down, when it impacted the forest. Optimal dispersion without damage occurs when the drop is made straight down at 100-200 feet above the tree line, and this is difficult in an airplane. The government was also concerned that such drops have the potential to cause serious injury should the load fall on a person. Rather than flying low and at slower speeds, an aircraft can drop an explosive payload from a higher altitude, and the concept of a fire extinguishing bomb for extinguishing forest fires is well known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,489 teaches a forest fire extinguishing projectile filled with an inert gas under pressure which is dropped into a fire and, upon impact, automatically disperses the gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,527 teaches a similar fire-extinguishing bomb filled with fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,473 teaches a fire extinguishing system including a sealed and explodable container with an explosive trigger for opening the sealed and explodable container to release the fire extinguishing agents. In use, the sealed and explodable container is placed at a base of the fire either by air dropping the container to the ground or by placing the container in the path of the fire, whereupon the container is opened with either an explosive device or by impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,469 teaches a device which, upon impact, will broadcast a dry material such as fire-suppressing chemicals by explosive force. The device includes an explosive charge within a frangible rigid-wall container, a dry powder payload, and a fuse cord that ignites upon impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,403 teaches an explosive fire extinguisher that is designed to be dropped from an aircraft into fires such as forest fires. The device may be shock triggered on impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,862 teaches a water pod that ruptures when dropped from an aircraft. The water pod may have a barometric activated explosive that is activated at a predetermined altitude. Most of these prior art attempts rely on ground impact to release the fire retardant upon impact. Only the '862 patent to Vasquez suggests a water bomb with a timed-detonation or barometric activated explosive that is activated at a predetermined delay or altitude, but no design details are given, it is no easy task to design a barometric-activated fire-extinguishing bomb. Consequently, there remains a need for an altitude-activated fire-extinguishing bomb that can be pre-programmed to explode at anywhere between 2-200 feet above the tree line, detonating with extreme accuracy and reliability at a preset altitude, and thereby disperse a fire suppressant or fire retardant fire retardant uniformly over a consistent area. There is a further need for an altitude-activated fire-extinguishing bomb as above that is substantially biodegradable such that after detonation it presents no environmental problem, or one that can be readily recovered by a GPS locator and reused, thereby increasing economy and reducing environmental concerns.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,036,942 teaches a projectile that can be equipped with a camera and be configured to detonate after receiving a command to detonate. After the projectile is thrown the camera can capture images. These images can be sent by way of the physical link to the handheld device. The handheld device can display the images. A user of the handheld device can view the images and determine if the projectile should detonate based on the images. In a combat setting, a warfighter can identify an enemy target. This enemy target can be considered a threat to the warfighter and in view of this threat the warfighter can make a decision to attempt to eliminate the threat. Various weapons can be used to eliminate the threat. A shrapnel grenade can be used to eliminate the threat. The shrapnel grenade can have a pin in place that stops the shrapnel grenade from activating. When the pin is pulled, a timer of the shrapnel grenade can activate unless the timer is manually paused or the pin is replaced. The warfighter can throw the shrapnel grenade and the shrapnel grenade can detonate after the timer expires. The goal can be for the timer to expire when the shrapnel grenade reaches the threat such that the threat is subjected to the shrapnel.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0158010 teaches a remote firing system for remotely detonating explosive charges which includes features that provide safety and efficiency improvements. These features include safety communication among multiple remote devices and multiple controller devices, a polling functionality permitting rapid deployment of system devices, electronic key systems, programmable remote devices for easy replacement of failing remote devices, and an event history log for the remote devices for efficient diagnostic evaluation. Blasting technologies have expedited mining operations, such as surface mining and subterranean mining, by allowing the strategic and methodic placement of charges within the blasting site. Despite this, blasting technologies still carry safety risks that should be minimized. Effective blasting requires not only well-placed detonators, but also timed detonation of the charges in a predetermined sequence. Accurate and precise control and firing of the detonators is important for effective and efficient blasting. The more precise and accurate control of the detonators also leads to an increase in safety of the system overall. Thus, it is desirable to have a blasting system that effectively and efficiently controls the detonation of various types of charges while simultaneously increasing the overall safety of the system.
Every year millions of dollars-worth of timber land, recreational facilities, homes and other natural resources are lost due to fire. Many of these fires take several days or even weeks to contain. Realizing that one way to stop the loss is to prevent the fires from occurring, great efforts are made and much time is spent in educating the public so that the fires will not occur. However, no matter how much care is taken, there is no way to stop forest fires from occurring. Therefore, the next question is whether the present methods for fighting forest fires are adequate. Unfortunately, the answer seems to be “no.” When a fire breaks out in one of the forests, many crews of men are sent in to try and contain it, but they are not given effective tools in order to achieve their task. The men generally try to stop the fire by digging holes and grading roads and just plain hoping that the fire will not jump across the fireline. For reasons discussed below, fire retardant sprays and powders that are presently being used are generally not effective in stopping the travel of the fire. The conditions necessary for the existence of fire are the presence of a combustible substance, a temperature high enough to cause or support combustion (called the kindling temperature), and the presence of enough oxygen (usually provided by the air) to enable combustion to continue. Therefore, fire-fighting consists of removing one or more of these. It is known in the art to have water supplied to a fire to cool the fire below combustion temperatures. It is also known to involve chemicals other than water, especially useful for fires involving flammable liquids, particularly when water may be dangerous. A variety of chemicals may be added to water to improve its ability to extinguish fires. Wetting agents added to water can reduce its surface tension. This makes the water more penetrating and facilitates the formation of small drops necessary for rapid heat absorption. Also, by adding foam-producing chemicals and liquids to water, a fire-blanketing foam is produced which is used to extinguish fires in combustible liquids, such as oil, petroleum, and tar, and for fighting fires at airports, refineries, and petroleum distribution facilities chemical additive can also expand the volume of foam, perhaps by 1000 times. This high-expansion foam-water solution is useful in fighting fires in basements and other difficult-to-reach areas because, the fire can be smothered quickly with relatively little water damage. It is also known to use chemicals, such as carbon dioxide, to displace needed oxygen from a fire. Carbon dioxide is used particularly for extinguishing fires because it does not burn and does not support ordinary combustion. It is also known to have various equipment to deliver water or other chemicals to the fire. With the development of the internal-combustion engine early in the Twentieth Century, Fire Department pumpers became motorized. Because of problems in adapting geared rotary gasoline engines to pumps, the first gasoline-powered engines had two motors, one to drive the pump and the other to propel the vehicle. The pumps were originally of the piston or reciprocating type, but these were gradually replaced by rotary pumps and finally by centrifugal pumps, used by most modern pumpers. At the same time, the pumper acquired its main characteristics: a powerful pump that can supply water in a large range of volumes and pressures; several thousand feet of fire hose, with short lengths of large-diameter hose for attachment to hydrants; and a water tank for the initial attack on a fire while fire fighters connect the pump to hydrants, and for areas where no water supply is available. In rural areas, pumpers carry suction hose to draw water from rivers and ponds. Various nozzles are capable of projecting solid, heavy streams of water, curtains of spray, or fog. Fire trucks carry a selection of nozzles, which are used according to the amount of heat that must be absorbed. Nozzles can apply water in the form of streams, spray, or fog at rates of flow between 57 liters (15 gal) to more than 380 liters (more than 100 gal) per minute. Straight streams of water have greater reach and penetration, but fog absorbs heat more quickly because the water droplets present a greater surface area and distribute the water more widely. Fog nozzles may be used to disperse vapors from flammable liquids, although foam is generally used to extinguish fires in flammable liquids. Methods of fighting forest fires are necessarily different than fighting areas in developed areas, where access and water supply are generally less of a problem. Forest fires, often called wildland fires, are spread by the transfer of heat, in this case to grass, brush, shrubs, and trees. Firefighting crews are trained and organized to handle fires covering large areas. They establish incident command posts, commissaries, and supply depots. Two-way radios are used to control operations, and airplanes are employed to drop supplies as well as chemicals. Helicopters serve as command posts and transport fire fighters and their equipment to areas that cannot be reached quickly on the ground. Some severe wildfires have required more than 10,000 fire fighters to be engaged at the same time. Various forest fire-fighting techniques are known in the art. These techniques require placing the fire-fighting chemicals onto the fire from above. This may be difficult and may be inefficient. This is especially true if access is limited or difficult. In a forest fire, an aircraft may be used to drop chemicals onto the fire from above, but such chemicals must be designed to penetrate extremely hot conditions before reaching a location at which they can be effective. This may be inefficient. Furthermore, some of the chemicals may become dispersed in trees or other objects that are well above ground level thereby diminishing the amount of fire-fighting chemical reaching the ground. Aircraft such as the C-130 presently used for fire-fighting by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service are outfitted with liquid fire retardant dispersal systems including a liquid retardant reservoir, compressed air tanks, air compressor, discharge tube and nozzles, and related equipment all mounted on movable pallets. The systems are designed to perform multiple individual discharges each of several hundred gallons over a 4 to 5 second period, in a single flight, or to discharge the entire contents in a single burst. The systems are generally large and heavy, have power requirements that severely tax the available power supply aboard an aircraft, and potential electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the equipment that can be disruptive to the aircraft avionics. Because it is frequently difficult to extinguish a forest fire by attacking it directly, the principal effort of forest fire fighters is often directed toward controlling its spread by creating a gap, or firebreak, across which fire cannot move. Firebreaks are made, and the fire crews attempt to stop the fire by several methods: trenching, direct attack with hose streams, the aforementioned aerial dispersing, spraying of fire-retarding chemicals, and controlled back-burning. As much as possible, advantage is taken of streams, open areas, and other natural obstacles when establishing a firebreak. Wide firebreaks may be dug with plows and bulldozers. The sides of the firebreaks are soaked with water or chemicals to slow the combustion process. Some parts of the fire may be allowed to burn themselves out. Fire-fighting crews must be alert to prevent outbreaks of fire on the unburned side of the firebreaks. Furthermore, reflash, or re-ignition of an extinguished area may still occur if conditions are right. This presents a serious drawback in fighting the fire, and also presents a serious danger to crews. Chemicals applied from above may permit such conditions to occur. It is clear that fire-fighting, both in wilderness conditions and in developed areas, still lacks a capability of an immediate response safe to the fire fighter because of an inability to immediately deliver fire retarding chemicals to the fire in an efficient manner and in a manner that will prevent re-flash of the fire.
Chemical flame retardants disposed inside the folded cover material. The chemicals used are brominated polymeric acrylic or vinyl acetate binders like the TexFRon series from ICL-IP (see http://www.dsbg.com/ in “Textile Applications”, Bareket, Y. (2005). To B. G. Polymers), PCT Patent Appl., WO 05/070980 and as well as other non-polymeric flame retardant products including poly brominated aromatic and aliphatic compounds such as FR 9020, FR 720, as well as phosphorous containing insoluble salts such as ammonium polyphosphates and others. The Flame retardant (FR) may be dispersed in water or in natural or synthetic polymers including poly acrylates, poly acetates, poly-sacharides, starches and modified starches, gums, saps and polypeptides. Co-solvents may s be used to prepare the dispersions including primary secondary and tertiary alcohols, esters, linear and cyclic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons and phenyl type solvents. The aqueous and non aqueous dispersions may also include polymeric adhesives intended to promote adhesion of the formulation to plant surfaces including polyamide, polyester, polyol, and polyolefin. Sequential steps of preparing the formulation: a) TexFRon or other fire retardant is diluted in water or solvents to a range of 50 to 5% solids; b) Non ionic wetting agent is added at a concentration range of 0.1 to 5% by weight. c) Thickening and adhesion agents as detailed above are added as needed to obtain a viscosity range of 20 to 2,000 cps. Other additives (synergists, pigments, lubricants, adhesives, etc.) are added as needed d) formulation is applied to cover material surfaces at wet pick up ranging from 1 to 80%. based on estimated substrate weight (substrate being the cover material) e) Coating is allowed to air dry for a minimum of 2 hrs. Synergists include antimony, tin, boron, zinc, aluminum oxides and salts and insoluble phosphorous containing salts include ammonium polyphosphates. Synergists are added at a ratio ranging from 1:1 to 1:20 synergist to fire retardant agent. The novelty of the formulation is obtaining good flame retardancy once spilled on the foliage and at the same time sufficient add-on (1 to 80% on dry weight of cover) of the fire retardant agent to impart flame retardancy that will prevent ignition or re ignition as the adjoining flame front reaches the treated area
The inventors hereby incorporate the above-referenced patent into their specification.
The present invention is generally an intelligent method of fighting a forest or brush fire in a remote area and includes the steps of targeting the remote area by means of an aerial surveillance device and generating a map of the forest or brush fire.
In a first aspect of the present invention the method also includes the step of delivering a plurality of containers to the remote area with each container containing a fire retardant material and an explosive device and having a GPS locating device, a position transmitting device and a remote detonating device electronically coupled to the explosive device.
In a second aspect of the present invention the method further includes the steps of locating the position of each container, selecting according to a plan which of the containers are to be selected to be detonated and remotely detonating the selected containers. The forest or brush fire can be either extinguished or contained in an intelligent manner.
In a third of the present invention an individual generates the plan according to which of said containers are to be selected to be detonated in order to maximize effectiveness of said intelligent method.
Other aspects and many of the attendant advantages will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description and considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference symbols designate like parts throughout the figures.
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From the foregoing it can be seen that an intelligent method of fighting a forest or brush fire in a remote area has been described. It should be noted that the sketches are not drawn to scale and that distances of and between the figures are not to be considered significant.
Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing disclosure and showing made in the drawing shall be considered only as an illustration of the principle of the present invention.
