RU2780170C2 - Method for precise large-scale fire extinguishing by flocks of unmanned aerial vehicles creating multi-squalls, vortices, tornadoes - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: fire-fighting.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of fire safety, in particular, to methods for extinguishing forest fires and other types of wildfires; in particular, to technologies for aviation, remote spraying of fire-extinguishing agents on forest fires in remote emergency areas. The contemporary state of forest fire extinguishing contains a number of unsolved key issues. The invention proposes a method for solving the issue of a qualitative increase in the effectiveness of the technology of aviation fire extinguishing, expected practical advantages on the basis of the new technology consisting in highly precise, with low specific consumption (cost-efficient) pulsed spraying of liquids, gels, and powders for aviation robotic systems for managing wildfires and man-made fires. The proposed technology combines the principles of finely dispersed, pulsed spraying of water, solutions, gels, sand, soil, dust using directed shock waves and high-speed waves of powder gases, and self-organisation of the flight of a group, or a larger flock, of coaxial unmanned helicopters: such synergy uncovers a fundamental technical capability to create prototypes of aviation, robotic systems for managing wildfires and man-made fires. The systems will potentially have qualitatively higher characteristics of safety, targeted effectiveness, and cost efficiency compared to the currently used systems both in Russia and abroad. Parallel, consecutive, or combined multi-level aerial "attacks" on single or multiple surface, crown, or transitional forest fires by an aviation robotic "flock" consisting of 20 to 30 unmanned fire-fighting helicopters of medium and large payload of at least 100 to 250 litres of fire-extinguishing agents and natural substances. The unmanned helicopters are equipped with a block of cassettes with containers and multi-barrel pulsed spraying modules creating directional squalls and tornadoes on a flexible management scale of fire extinguishing. The blocks and modules are distributed in time and space with a set configuration for impact on the required zones of the fire: in height, depth, and width, so as to be able to fully consider the physical and chemical mechanism of wildfires in order to extinguish forest fires precisely and with high cost efficiency without endangering the life and health of the fire-fighters on the ground and the pilots in the air.

EFFECT: fast, effective fire extinguishing and protection in the absence of people in areas of danger by a set of damaging factors and in hard-to-reach areas by distance from bases and the surrounding terrain.

6 cl, 1 dwg

Description

Area of use. The invention relates to the field of active fire extinguishing, in particular to technologies for aviation, targeted, portioned spraying of fire extinguishing agents on natural fires in forests, savannahs, steppes in remote areas of natural and man-made accidents and disasters.

Analog. A known method of preventing the spread of forest fires, including the creation of fire barriers in all tiers of the forest, by spraying non-combustible substances that harden in air at P=(1±5%) P _atm and (15±5)°C≤T≤50°C for an increase in the specific surface area of the forest canopy, perpendicular to the direction of the spread of fire (A.S. No. 1.134.202, MKI A62S 3/02, dated 15.01.85, Grishin AM, Babaev V.M. and others). Agents are sprayed from aircraft, hardening on treetops. Disadvantage - the cost of the flight is incomparable with the extinguishing effect: the efficiency of localization of the Crown Fire and the ground fire is low due to the fragmented spraying of agents on the grass, the lower canopy of the Forest.

Prototype. Patent No. 2.242.259, 2004, FSUE "NPO "Basalt" - suspended aviation, spray containers (ARC) from a light body of an incendiary bomb of 500 kg caliber, a charge of 5-8 kg TG-40/60 sprays hemispherically 330-400 l with an initial speed V ₀ =200-300 m/s, from the epicenter within a radius of 10-12 m the front speed drops to V _cp =15-20 m/s with a water concentration of 50-100 g/m ³ . The front extinguishes the crowns of most trees, knocking down the flames of local fires in the surface layer 5-6 m high, 25 m (330 l) and 30 m (400 l) in diameter. The formed airborne cloud hangs for 3-5 minutes, moistening the strips of the Forest from the ground to the tops of the crowns. Analogues of ARC spherical spray are produced for extinguishing Forests in the mountains of Switzerland and Germany 3F-Swiss-Monsoon-Technology, Carl-L. Pohler Dipl.-Ing., successfully tested in Poland, Canada.

Disadvantages: 70-90% of the extinguished area is re-ignited, requiring many sorties to bombard local areas of forest fires and the immediate work of fire brigades after aircraft knocking down the Flame.

The purpose of the invention is to create robotic control systems for natural and man-made fires, with high safety, fire extinguishing efficiency, low price than currently used systems - in the Russian Federation and abroad.

This goal is achieved by the fact that the Method for Accurate, Large-Scale Fire Extinguishing by Flocks of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, which consists in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles carrying a supply of fire extinguishing compositions and a means of spraying or draining them, characterized in that a salvo discharge is carried out one container from each unmanned aerial vehicle of a helicopter type from a group of vehicles flying on the approach course for one target, while spraying from dropped containers is initiated at a given height simultaneously or sequentially according to a given pattern, depending on the area and configuration of the target, with mini-intervals up to 0.5 seconds, between containers in one dropped group; wherein each container carries out finely dispersed directional, for example cone-shaped (hemispherical or disk-shaped) spraying of a fire extinguishing agent, such as water, solutions, gels, powders, dusts using directed blast waves (explosion products) with a shock front; at the same time, the flock on the course of approaching one target consists of groups from 2 to 10 devices, and the group scheme is in the form of a square (circle, ring, oval, line) in which the distance between adjacent devices in the group ensures the interaction of the Squall fronts created by directed spray from groups of dropped containers; each container contains a spray charge initiator with a microchip that slows down the transmission of the initiating electrical signal to the spray charge fuse, the deceleration time is set by the computer according to a single scheme for a group of simultaneously dropped containers, immediately before each container is dropped - depending on the speed, flight altitude of the group of vehicles, temperature and humidity of the layer the atmosphere in which the group flies, the speed and direction of the wind; the scheme for initiating a group of simultaneously dropped containers ensures the interaction of squalls and the merging of their fronts into a continuous single front, which in turn ensures continuous, large-scale extinguishing.

Fire-extinguishing, air attacks are carried out in parallel, sequentially or in combination with groups of devices from one or several levels of height to a given area with single or multiple fires - grassroots, riding and transitional, while the group flies on a burning area, carrying out a series of salvo discharges at intervals, providing a continuous quenching band; and the control of the Flock of devices and the groups that make up the flock is carried out by the ground control point of the Flock with an aviation observer, for example, a light drone with a system of sensors, thermal imagers, video cameras; the computer of the Control Center contains all known, experimentally determined options for triggering various numbers of containers with their different orientations and distances relative to each other, which determine the degree of interaction between the fronts created by them Flurries when spraying from different heights; the computer also determines the size and profile of the burning area, the direction and strength of the wind, the direction and speed of the spread of the fire, according to the readings of the system of sensors, thermal imagers, satellite data, etc.; then, based on the totality of these data, the number and number of groups of apparatuses are determined, the tactics of extinguishing - the choice of the direction of approach to the source of fire and the order in which the groups enter. ground robots with universally spraying multi-barreled modules of fire extinguishing agents and natural soil, sand, dust, dirt, as well as fire troopers with similarly universal sprayers.

The method is carried out as follows. A flock of devices that create multi-Squalls, Whirlwinds, Tornadoes to extinguish natural and man-made fires, consists of many devices, for example, unmanned fire helicopters of a coaxial scheme - medium (total weight 300-600 kg and load capacity 100-250 kg) or large (weight general 650-3000 kg and load capacity 300-1500 kg). When extinguishing a winding, narrow in width, forest fire front, helicopters with a crew, and even more so aircraft, cannot maneuver exactly along the fire front line. Devices - 1 will easily perform this maneuver. The number of devices in the group 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 is determined based on the width and height of the flame at the fire front. One group of four devices, moving at low speed over the front of a forest fire, drop by drop one container - 2 from each device, with such an interval that the extinguishing zone - 3 is continuous. Containers before the moment of separation from the device from its on-board computer receive a deceleration time setting based on data on speed, flight altitude, air temperature and humidity in the surface layer of the atmosphere, wind speed and direction, speed and density of ascending smoke flows and heated air from the flame. This deceleration time is transmitted via the trigger wire to the microchip initiator in the container just before the signal to reset the container is given. When containers are blown up simultaneously in bursts or with mini-intervals synchronously at a given height above the burning surface, cone-shaped Squalls - 4 with shock fronts are formed. At a certain part of the downward trajectory, the fronts of the Squalls connect, mutually reinforcing each other and creating a continuous, dense shock front that knocks down smoke and flames with minimal loss of microdroplets. When the front meets the surface of burning wood due to the multivortex structure of the front, a continuous, penetrating spraying of a mass of OM droplets into the high-temperature, charred surface of the burning material is ensured, which destroys the structure of the condensed combustion zone, diluting the burning material and cooling it. As a result, effective extinguishing is achieved over a large area - 5 without re-ignitions and with a minimum specific consumption of 0.2-0.35 l/m ² instead of 5-50 l/m ² for the traditional aviation drain technique. The next salvo is carried out on the next burning area - 6 along the flight path. The quenched area Si from 4 containers is 8-12 times greater than the quenching area Si from a single container (see figure).

After dropping all the containers, a group of unmanned vehicles deviates from the course and flies to the base for reloading, giving way to the next group of vehicles above the forest fire front, which extinguishes its area and flies to the base for reloading. The third group enters the extinguishing course and continues to work. The first group returns with containers and refilled fuel tanks and joins the flock to continue fighting. In this way, continuous or short extinguishing intervals are achieved. To extinguish a forest fire, interruptions in extinguishing are the most dangerous, since after traditional extinguishing methods, repeated ignitions begin quickly and develop rapidly. The proposed technology eliminates this disadvantage by the quality of extinguishing and the continuity of the extinguishing process. Thus, a flock of apparatuses can continuously extinguish a multi-kilometer front of a forest fire - one group extinguishes, others take its place in turn.

The extinguished area is controlled, quickly suppressing fires that are not extinguished in hollows, under fallen trees, fire troopers from ordinary helicopters or on motorcycles repeat a few fires. Firefighters are equipped with unique, long-range fire extinguishers with a shot, successfully extinguishing sand, soil, dirt, dust with shots. A firefighter carries only a fire extinguisher weighing 4-5 kg and 200-500 spray cartridges, such as blanks. This is the first fire extinguisher for autonomous extinguishing (patents Zakhmatov V.D. No. 2.055.767 (C1) "Manual fire extinguishing impulse device", No. 2.692.272. "Mini impulse spray fire extinguisher) - it is completely combined in novelty and efficiency with the claimed technology, successfully complementing it.

Such a scheme distributes the created fire extinguishing squalls in time and space with a given frequency and given parameters of finely atomized drops (microparticles) for their introduction into the condensed fire zone, mainly with penetrating spraying of a set of drops (particles), which destroys the structure of the burning layer and cools the mass of high-temperature surfaces. The scheme is based on the physical and chemical laws of a natural fire and will make it possible to fully use the potential of fire extinguishing agents, reduce their specific costs and ensure highly economical (effective) extinguishing of forest fires. The use of devices that drop containers, spray fire extinguishing compositions finely dispersed and according to a given program - will provide accurate, highly effective - virtually deserted extinguishing that does not require the flight of manned helicopters and aircraft in hazardous areas over the fire and the work of firefighters in hazardous areas in front of the front of transitional and crown fires . Extinguishing forest fires for the first time will not pose a threat to the life and health of firefighters on the ground and pilots of firefighting aircraft and helicopters in the air.

The advantages of the proposed invention. For the first time, the possibility of multiple spraying and extinguishing a plurality of local forest fires or sequential extinguishing of fires or multiple, combined, square-nested in area impact on a complex center or extensive forest fire is provided for the first time. Another important advantage lies in the flexibly adjustable, combined extinguishing by successive, at predetermined intervals, accurate spraying from various "containers" of a number of fire extinguishing compositions: powders, water with a foaming agent and environmentally friendly natural materials: loose - sand, sandy loam, loose soil; viscous, sticky - mud, gel, sorbents, thickened water; liquid - water, water "dirty" with impurities.

Equipping spray containers with natural materials at the landing site for the first time ensures autonomous, uninterrupted extinguishing, regardless of the supply or available reserves of fire extinguishing agents.

Fast, effective fire extinguishing and protection is provided in the absence of people in hazardous areas for a complex of damaging factors, and hard-to-reach areas in remoteness from bases and terrain.

Claims (6)

1. A method of extinguishing fires by flocks of unmanned aerial vehicles that create squalls, whirlwinds and tornadoes, which consists in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles carrying a supply of fire extinguishing agents and means of spraying them, characterized in that a salvo discharge is carried out one container from each unmanned aerial vehicle of a helicopter type from a group of vehicles flying on a course of approach to one target, while spraying from dropped containers is initiated at a given height simultaneously or sequentially according to a given pattern, depending on the area and configuration of the target, with mini-intervals of up to 0.5 seconds, between containers in one dropped group; wherein each container carries out finely dispersed directional spraying of the fire extinguishing agent using directed blast waves with a shock front; at the same time, the flock on the course of approaching one target consists of groups of 2 to 10 devices, and the group has a shape in which the distance between adjacent containers in the group ensures the interaction of squall fronts created by directed spray from a group of dropped containers; each container contains a spray charge initiator with a microchip that slows down the transmission of the initiating electrical signal to the spray charge fuse, the deceleration time is set by the computer according to a single scheme for a group of simultaneously dropped containers, immediately before each container is dropped - depending on the speed, flight altitude of the group of vehicles, temperature and humidity layer of the atmosphere in which the group flies, wind speed and direction; the scheme for initiating a group of simultaneously dropped containers ensures the interaction of squalls and the merging of their fronts into a continuous single front, which, in turn, provides continuous extinguishing. 2. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the fine directional spray of the fire extinguishing agent is cone-shaped, hemispherical or disc-shaped. 3. The method according to any paragraphs. 1, 2, characterized in that the fire extinguishing agent is water, solution, gel, powder or dust. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the shape of the group is a square, circle, ring, oval or line. 5. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that fire extinguishing air attacks are carried out in parallel, sequentially or in combination with groups of vehicles from one or more height levels to a given area with single or multiple fires - grassroots, riding or transitional, while the group flies over the burning area, carrying out a series of volley discharges at intervals providing a continuous zone of extinguishing; and the control of the flock of vehicles and the groups that make up the flock is carried out by the ground control point of the flock with an aviation observer; all known, experimentally determined options for triggering various numbers of containers with their different orientations and distances relative to each other, which determine the degree of interaction of the fronts, the squalls they create when spraying from different heights, are incorporated in the control center computer; the computer also determines the size and profile of the burning area, the direction and strength of the wind, the direction and speed of the spread of the fire based on the readings of the system of sensors, thermal imagers, satellite data; then, based on the totality of these data, the number and number of groups of devices are determined, the extinguishing tactics are determined by the choice of the direction of approach to the source of fire and the order of entry of groups of flocks of devices or the number of groups of simultaneous entry into the burning area from different angles of the fire extinguishing attack, and the observer device also gives the command to start extinguishing ground robots with spraying multi-barrel modules of fire extinguishing agents and natural materials - soil, sand, dust, dirt, as well as fire troopers with sprayers. 6. The method according to p. 5, characterized in that the aviation observer is made in the form of a drone with a system of sensors, thermal imagers, video cameras.

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