Consolidated aerial high capacity foam firefighting system
AssigneeWestern States Fire, Inc.
InventorLarry Sukay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aerial firefighting system has a foam production unit attached to an aircraft. The foam production unit has a single unit variable block high expansion foam generator; a light weight bladder tank system for collection and storage of water; a light weight bladder tank system for storage of a foaming agent; a telemetry unit for adjusting air flow, foam agent proportioning, and water pressure; and tubing for foam stream straightening. The foam production unit also has a fan capable of delivering at least 75,000 cubic feet per minute of air. The incorporation of a high-CFM fan increases foam production capability more than tenfold over existing aerial firefighting systems. The volume of firefighting foam produced is in excess of 50,000 cubic feet of foam per minute.
Claims20
An aerial firefighting system, comprising:
- a foam production unit;
- a stream straightener;
- and
- an aircraft,
- wherein the foam production unit is attached to the aircraft, and
- wherein the stream straightener extends from the foam production unit and is configured to deliver foam from the foam production unit to a fire.
A foam production unit, comprising:
- a water tank;
- a foam tank;
- a foam proportioning system;
- a fan;
- an air straightener;
- a manifold having a plurality of nozzles;
- and
- a tubing portion,
- wherein the foam proportioning system is configured to mix water from the water tank into foam concentrate from the foam tank and send the mixed water and foam concentrate through the nozzles of the manifold, causing the mixed water and foam concentrate to expand into foam by laminar air flow from the air straightener, and
- wherein the foam production unit is configured for attachment to an aircraft.
An aerial firefighting system comprising:
- a helicopter;
- a foam production unit attached to the helicopter and comprising:
- a water tank;
- a foam tank;
- a foam proportioning system;
- a fan configured to deliver at least seventy-five thousand cubic feet per minute of air;
- an air straightener;
- and
- a manifold having a plurality of nozzles, and
- a tubing portion attached to the foam production unit and comprising nylon tubing and a weighted ring at a bottom of the nylon tubing,
- wherein the foam proportioning system is configured to mix water from the water tank into foam concentrate from the foam tank and send the mixed water and foam concentrate through the nozzles of the manifold, causing the mixed water and foam concentrate to expand into foam by laminar air flow from the air straightener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.