GR20170100399A - Forest fire-extinguishing system with use of fire-proof big-sized blanket - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated forest fire-extinguishing mechanism composed of a wide-range fireproof blanket, a mechanism assisting the deployment and folding of the blanket, and a mechanism meant for the transport of the blanket to the fire place and its collection after use, for future utilisation.

Description

Title FOREST FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM USING LARGE FIRE DECK

Technical field The present invention relates to a complete forest fire extinguishing system based on a large fire blanket. It includes the fire extinguishing system itself as well as the method of its use on the forest fire.

Level Apart from the traditional fire extinguishing methods by ground or aerial means of throwing water or other fire extinguishing liquid, I am not aware of the existence of another, more direct and more effective method. In this sense, the invention does not come to cover the disadvantages of some existing technique but to add a completely new way of meeting a need.

Advantages The present invention is aimed at immediate and effective extinguishing of forest fires, addressing the core of the difficulty of extinguishing such fires. Forest fires often occur in inaccessible areas where it is difficult for ground firefighting equipment to reach. Also, their handling is particularly negatively affected by strong winds. The invention aims to be a much more effective fire extinguishing method:

1. Allowing the fire to be dealt with even when it has occurred in inaccessible forest areas

2. Depriving the forest fire of the oxygen it needs to continue burning.

3. Eliminating the risk of expansion due to strong winds 4. Allowing very fast deployment of the mechanism for quick suppression and the possibility of its easy reuse

5. Allowing the use also as a means of limiting the fire, since it can be used in places where the fire has not yet reached.

The features of the invention are defined in the claims.

Disclosure The system consists of three main components:

1. The fireproof surface (blanket).

2. The mechanism for opening, using and closing the fire blanket.

3. The mechanism for transporting and placing the fire fighting apparatus at the scene of the forest fire as well as the subsequent collection of the apparatus for reuse.

Fireproof surface (blanket)

According to data available online, a typical forest fire reaches temperatures of 800°C - 900°C. Large-scale fire blankets are available in mass industrial production, which can withstand temperatures up to 1250°C intermittent fire contact or 982°C continuous fire contact. An example of such an industrial product is the Insulflex company's Silicaflex™ Blanket. This product, which is used in this text only as an example to prove the "viability" of the invention, is available in strips of 1.525m wide * 45m long (Fig. 1). This gives us a total area of each lane of 68.63m<2>.

Each strip has a weight of 1.220kg/m<2>. So, the total weight of the strip reaches 83.72kg<*>.

We calculate a "stitching" of 30 such strips in a parallel arrangement, aiming to produce a square surface of 2,058.75m<2> with a length of 45m, a width of 45.75m and a total weight of 2,511.68kg (Fig. 2). It is worth mentioning at this point that, according to data from the internet, an average forest fire covers 195km<2>. This means that only 90 such blankets would be needed to cover the entire area of the fire. And since we are talking about a method that aims to dramatically improve the method of extinguishing forest fires, the very use of this method would result in a drastic reduction in the average area of a forest fire, greatly reducing the required number of such blankets.

(*) It is also noted that the company states that it can manufacture this product in various dimensions, to order.

Mechanism for opening, using and closing the fire blanket

The mechanism is based on the operating principle of the umbrella. It is a mechanism that has two positions, open and closed. In the closed position it is like a large closed umbrella, a large cylinder, where the fabric of the "umbrella" is the fire blanket (Fig. 3). This allows for easy storage and transport of the fire blanket. In the open position it is like a large upside down table with one leg.

The mechanism consists of a fixed, rigid shaft which forms the main body of the umbrella (Fig. 6) as well as four or more "ribs", on which the blanket is sewn (Fig.

7). The mechanism also has a central ring which can move along the main axis (Fig. 8). The ring is connected to the "nerves". As the ring moves towards one end of the shaft, the 'umbrella' opens (or closes accordingly).

At the two ends of the central shaft there are sockets where the cables for transporting and placing the mechanism at the point of the fire are adjusted (Fig.9).

Mechanism for transporting, placing and collecting the mechanism

Each cylindrical fire "umbrella" is intended to be positioned at a point from which it will be able to be attached to a helicopter and transported to the fire, for example to a military airfield. One such helicopter is the Chinook CH-47A which has a length of 30m and a maximum load capacity of 4,500kg (Fig. 4). This means that both in terms of dimensions and weight, the closed cylindrical umbrella will be able to be transported to the fire with ease. Being closed, the umbrella will not cause a problem with the helicopter's flightability.

Arriving at the point of the fire, the helicopter will hover steadily over the desired intervention point. Using a motor and corresponding pulleys, the upper end of the umbrella will be lowered to approach the fire (Fig. 5). The ends of the umbrella will then be released and, with a controlled descent, the ring will move along the shaft, pressing on the "nerves" that hold the fire blanket. The result will be to spread the surface of the fire blanket over the desired point of action (Fig.

10).

The helicopter will lower by resting the blanket over the surgical site and release the blanket. This will have the effect of eliminating the problem of fire spreading due to high winds as well as depriving the fire of oxygen. In order to make the mechanism more effective, it is planned to drop water or fire-fighting liquid on the blanket, from a fire-fighting helicopter, in order to speed up the fire-fighting process and also to reduce the possibility of damage to the blanket (Fig. 11). It should be noted that there will also be a joint on the axis (Fig. 12) to make it possible to place the blanket on sloping ground. Depending on the length of each wire rope, different angles of inclination of the surface of the blanket will be achieved, so that it can be placed smoothly on sloping ground.

After the fire is over and successfully extinguished, the same mechanism will be used in reverse to collect the umbrella, "close" it and transport it to its storage point. The helicopter will hover over the central axis of the umbrella and, using a combination of mechanical and magnetic methods, hook the transfer cable onto the axis. The cylinder will be pulled by the motor and move to the top of the shaft. The effect will be to close the umbrella so that it can be carried by the helicopter with ease.

Claims (1)

Main claim 1. Complete forest fire extinguishing apparatus using a large-scale fire blanket consisting of the blanket itself (Fig. 2), the opening and closing mechanism of the blanket (Figs. 6,7,8,9,10,11,12) , the method of transporting the blanket to the site of the forest fire, the method of collecting the blanket after successful firefighting (Fig. 3,4,5), with the aim of future reuse of the blanket. Dependent 2. A fire blanket made in such a size that it can be used to extinguish forest fires Dependent 3. A mechanism for opening and closing the blanket, which claim is based on the logic of the umbrella and is dispatched by a motor, cables, the support shaft, the rings that allow the umbrella to open and close and the hinge that allows the blanket to be used at an angle. Dependent 4. Method of dependence of the mechanism on a helicopter and transport of the claim to the scene of the fire Dependent 5. Method of enhancing the effectiveness of the method but also claiming the strength of the blanket by throwing water or other fire-fighting liquid Dependent 6. Method of collecting the blanket after its use on the fire claim. Dependent 7. Method of using the blanket, not only as a means of extinguishing fire but also as a means of creating a temporary fire zone with the aim of not spreading the forest fire.