Drone fire extinguishing apparatus

Abstract

The storage battery is charged during flight. The drone fire extinguishing apparatus 1 comprises a drone unit 11 that is capable of flight and includes a storage battery 11i, an upper tank 12 connected to the drone unit 11, a hydroelectric power generation unit 12d disposed inside the upper tank 12 and equipped with a water turbine 121d, and a hose connection pipe 15a for connecting a water flow hose 4 or a linking hose that supplies water to the upper tank 12. During flight, the water turbine 121d is rotated by the force of the water supplied from the hose connected to the hose connection pipe 15a, causing the hydroelectric power generation unit 12d to generate electricity, which is stored in the storage battery 11i.

Description

Drone fire extinguishing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone fire extinguishing device.

[0002] For example, a drone system that uses a drone to transport a liquid (e.g., water, fire extinguishing liquid) from a remote location to a demand location for the purpose of extinguishing a wildfire, etc. is known. For example, a transport pipe through which a liquid or gas flows, a pump device arranged at a remote location that supplies the liquid or gas to the transport pipe, a top drone that holds a nozzle connected to the tip of the transport pipe, a plurality of pump drones incorporating a pump arranged in the middle of the transport pipe to increase the pressure of the liquid or gas flowing through the transport pipe, a power supply device that supplies power to the top drone and the pump drones via a power cable, and the transport pipe is formed by connecting a plurality of conduits via the pumps of the pump drones. The pump drone includes a pump drone body and a connection mechanism that connects the pump to the pump drone body so as to be tiltable and / or rotatable. The connection mechanism includes a connection shaft fixed to the pump and a rotating member that supports the pump so as to be rotatable around the connection shaft. The rotating member is rotatably supported by the pump drone body. A drone system is known.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-131960, Patent No. 6987446

[0004] When power is supplied to the drone via a power cable, the cable becomes a weight. Also, the flight distance of the drone is restricted by the length of the cable. Further, a drone equipped with a storage battery may fall if it does not return when the remaining amount of the storage battery decreases. On one aspect, the present invention aims to charge the storage battery during flight.

[0005] To achieve the above object, a disclosed drone fire extinguishing device is provided. This drone fire extinguishing device has a drone unit capable of flight equipped with a storage battery, a water storage unit connected to the drone unit, a power generation unit arranged in the water storage unit and equipped with a waterwheel, and a connection unit that connects a hose for supplying a fire extinguishing liquid to the water storage unit. During flight, the waterwheel is rotated according to the momentum of the fire extinguishing liquid supplied from the hose connected to the connection unit to generate power in the power generation unit, and the generated power is stored in the storage battery.

[0006] In one embodiment, the battery can be charged during flight. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments as examples of the present invention.

[0007] This is a diagram illustrating the drone fire extinguishing system of the embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the structure of the drone fire extinguishing device 1. This is a diagram illustrating the water flow channel. This is a diagram illustrating the drone section of the embodiment. This is a plan view (schematic diagram) of the upper and lower parts of the water storage tank of the embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the lower part of the water storage tank of the embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the method of connecting the connecting hose and the hose connecting pipe.

[0008] The drone device of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] The positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges of each component shown in the following drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges disclosed in the drawings. Elements expressed in the singular form in the embodiments shall include plural forms unless otherwise clearly indicated in the text. <Embodiment> Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a drone fire extinguishing system of an embodiment. The drone fire extinguishing system 100 of the embodiment has a plurality of drone fire extinguishing devices 1, a pump truck 2 and a pump 3. The pump truck 2 and pump 3 pressurize water (fire extinguishing liquid) obtained from a water source (lake, river, water tank, etc.) and supply it to the drone fire extinguishing device 1 via a water flow hose 4.

[0010] The drone fire extinguishing device 1 is capable of flying through the air and can discharge water stored within itself at the fire extinguishing destination. Furthermore, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 can connect its connecting hose 10 to another drone fire extinguishing device 1 and supply water to that other drone fire extinguishing device 1 through this connecting hose 10. The drone fire extinguishing device 1 can be in the following four states: (Standby state)

[0011] The standby state is when no fire has occurred and the drone is waiting within the drone base 5. In Figure 1, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 in the standby state is shown as drone fire extinguishing device 1a. (Water discharge state) The water discharge state is when water is being discharged from above the source of the fire. In Figure 1, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 in the water discharge state is shown as drone fire extinguishing device 1b. (Connected state)

[0012] The connected state is a configuration that can be adopted, for example, when the distance to the fire source is too great for the drone fire extinguishing device 1b to reach its destination using the length of the water flow hose 4. In this connected state, the connecting hose 10 is used to supply water to the drone fire extinguishing device 1b in order to position the drone fire extinguishing device 1b above the fire source, and the intermediate coupling device only functions to supply water. In Figure 1, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 in the connected state is shown as drone fire extinguishing device 1c. (Connected water discharge state)

[0013] The linked water discharge state combines two states: the water discharge state and the linked state. In the linked water discharge state, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 supplies water to other drone fire extinguishing devices 1 using its own connecting hose 10, while simultaneously discharging water itself from above the source of the fire. In Figure 1, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 in the linked water discharge state is shown as drone fire extinguishing device 1d. In the following explanation, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 closer to the water pressurizing side, such as the pump truck 2 or pump 3, is referred to as the base end, and the drone fire extinguishing device 1 closer to the source of the fire is referred to as the tip end. In Figure 1, the drone fire extinguishing device 1b in the water discharge state is the tip end when viewed from the linked water discharge device 1c. Also, the drone fire extinguishing device 1c in the linked state is the base end when viewed from the linked water discharge device 1d.

[0014] In vast fire areas such as mountainous forests and woodlands, drone-type firefighting systems that pump up water, store it, and then return to retrieve more water may not have sufficient water storage capacity. To achieve the same functionality as a fire truck, a massive number of these drone-type firefighting systems would be required.

[0015] Furthermore, attempting to fly a drone-type firefighting device for extended periods requires a larger battery capacity, which in turn increases the overall weight of the device, thus limiting the flight time and distance of the drone. The charging time also increases. While some drones use gasoline engines for power generation, flying a drone equipped with a gasoline tank over a forest fire site poses a risk of ignition due to high heat or sparks, making it undesirable.

[0016] The drone fire extinguishing device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a hydroelectric power generator and a storage battery. When firefighters first manually connect the water hose 4 extended from the pump truck 2 or pressurized pump 3 to the drone fire extinguishing device 1 and supply water, the water pressure from the flowing water activates the hydroelectric power generator inside the drone fire extinguishing device 1, continuously charging the storage battery. As long as the water flow rate and flowing time are secured, the storage battery can continuously store enough power to fly the drone fire extinguishing device 1. In addition, by continuously supplying water from the pump truck 2 or pressurized pump 3 to the drone fire extinguishing device 1 via the water hose 4, the water flow for fire extinguishing discharged from the drone fire extinguishing device 1 is never interrupted, so the flight time and distance can be extended until the entire fire source is completely extinguished. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the drone fire extinguishing device 1. The drone fire extinguishing device 1 has a flyable drone section 11, an upper part 12 of the water storage tank, and a lower part 13 of the water storage tank. The upper part 12 of the water storage tank is fixed to a rotating cylindrical water flow channel 14. The lower part 13 of the water storage tank is fixed to a fixed cylindrical water channel 15. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the water channel.

[0017] The lower part of the rotating cylindrical water channel 14 and the upper part of the fixed cylindrical water channel 15 are joined in a non-contact manner by a freewheel-type upper and lower splitting device 16. This structure prevents water from leaking from the joint. This structure allows the lower part 13 of the water tank to remain stationary even when the upper part 12 of the water tank is rotating.

[0018] The freewheel-type upper and lower splitting device 16 is freewheel (free in clockwise direction in this embodiment) relative to the fixed cylindrical water channel 15, and therefore rotates clockwise without resistance.

[0019] A hose connection pipe 15a is connected to the fixed cylindrical water channel 15. A water flow hose 4 or a connecting hose 10 provided by another drone fire extinguishing device 1 can be connected to this hose connection pipe 15a.

[0020] A water flow branching section 15b is provided in the fixed cylindrical water channel 15. Water flowing into the fixed cylindrical water channel 15 from the hose connection pipe 15a is branched by the water flow branching section 15b and guided to the upper part 12 and lower part 13 of the water storage tank. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the drone section of the embodiment. The drone section 11 consists of a rotor blade 11a and a fixed section 11b connected by a drone fixing shaft 11c. The rotor blade 11a generates buoyancy. The fixed section 11b is provided with a drone control unit 11d and a communication module 11e.

[0021] The drone control unit 11d is equipped with a Raspberry Pi 5. The entire drone fire extinguishing system 1 is controlled by this drone control unit 11d. For example, the drone control unit 11d controls the flight of the drone fire extinguishing system 1. It is also possible to send instructions to each part according to the AI ​​automatic flight program to make the drone fire extinguishing system 1 fly autonomously.

[0022] The communication module 11e is connected to the network 50. The drone control unit 11d can send and receive data with a management terminal device (not shown) via the communication module 11e at predetermined timings. Depending on the operator's operation of the management terminal device, the drone fire extinguishing system 1 can send various information acquired by the drone fire extinguishing system 1 to the management terminal device, or the management terminal device can send instructions to various parts of the drone fire extinguishing system 1. The communication method is not particularly limited, but examples include communication via Wi-Fi or communication via satellite internet service. The timing of the communication is also not particularly limited. It may be real-time communication or communication at predetermined timings. Various accessories are connected to the drone control unit 11d via the interface 107.

[0023] Accessories include, for example, a GPS module (Global Positioning System) 11f, a wind direction and speed sensor 11g, and an ambient temperature sensor 11h. The GPS module 11f may be a serial connection type or a USB connection type. The drone control unit 11d continuously acquires position information using the GPS module 11f during flight. The wind direction and speed sensor 11g acquires wind direction and wind speed. The ambient temperature sensor 11h acquires the temperature near the sensor.

[0024] Because the GPS module 11f can accurately pinpoint the coordinates of the fire site, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 can be positioned above the source of the fire in a short time using the automatic flight program of the drone control unit 11d. The drone fire extinguishing device 1 is also equipped with a battery 11i that supplies power to the flight and various control units. Returning to Figure 2, the upper part of the water tank 12 has an upper water tank body 12a, a hose storage section 12b, a pressurized solenoid valve 12c, and a hydroelectric power generation section 12d. In this embodiment, the upper water tank body 12a is a hollow housing. Figure 5 is a plan view (schematic diagram) of the upper and lower parts of the water tank in this embodiment.

[0025] The upper water storage tank body 12a has an upper panel 121a. Along the circumference of this upper panel 121a, a water jet hole 122a is provided on the drone section 11 side, from which water can be ejected from inside the upper water storage tank body 12a. The upper water storage tank body 12a is rotatably mounted relative to the lower water storage tank 13. The upper water storage tank body 12a can store incoming water.

[0026] The aforementioned connecting hose 10 is stored in the hose storage section 12b. Specifically, the upper water tank body 12a functions as the hose reel body, and the connecting hose 10 is wound around the upper water tank body 12a. Figure 5 shows the end of the outer flange and the inner winding section of the hose storage section 12b. The connecting hose 10 is not shown in the illustration. Let's return to Figure 2 for further explanation.

[0027] The pressurized solenoid valve 12c is connected to the end of the connecting hose 10. The pressurized solenoid valve 12c detects the water pressure inside the upper water storage tank body 12a. The pressurized solenoid valve 12c also pressurizes the water stored in the upper water storage tank body 12a and causes it to flow into the connecting hose 10 in accordance with the instructions of the drone control unit 11d.

[0028] The hydroelectric power generation unit 12d has a water turbine 121d and a generator (not shown) connected to the water turbine 121d. When water branched off by the water flow branching unit 15b strikes the water turbine 121d, the water turbine 121d rotates, causing the generator to rotate. This generates electricity. The generated electricity is stored in the storage battery 11i.

[0029] The lower part of the water storage tank 13 is an example of a water discharge section. This lower part of the water storage tank 13 includes an outer water storage tank 13a, an inner water storage tank 13b, a downward heat source sensing sensor 13c, a side heat source sensing sensor 13d, a surveillance camera 13e, and a water discharge volume adjustment section 13f.

[0030] The outer reservoir tank 13a and the inner reservoir tank 13b are each equipped with multiple discharge holes. The lower part of the reservoir tank 13 has a two-tank structure that rotates to align the positions of the discharge holes in the outer reservoir tank 13a and the inner reservoir tank 13b and discharge water.

[0031] The downward heat source sensor 13c is located at the bottom of the outer water storage tank 13b. The downward heat source sensor 13c detects a heat source (fire source). A heat-resistant and waterproof guard 131c is attached to the downward heat source sensor 13c.

[0032] The lateral heat source sensor 13d is located on the side of the outer water storage tank 13a. The lateral heat source sensor 13d detects heat sources (fire sources). A heat-resistant and waterproof guard 131d is attached to the lateral heat source sensor 13d. The surveillance camera 13e takes images of the area around the drone fire extinguishing device 1. The water discharge volume adjustment unit 13f adjusts the amount of water discharged from the lower part 13 of the water storage tank. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the lower part of the water storage tank in this embodiment.

[0033] If the inner diameter of the outer reservoir tank 13a is R1 and the inner diameter of the inner reservoir tank 13b is R2, then R1 - R2 > 0 can be expressed. In other words, the outer reservoir tank 13a is formed to be slightly larger than the inner reservoir tank 13b, and the inner reservoir tank 13b is housed inside the outer reservoir tank 13a.

[0034] The rotation angle of the inner reservoir 13b can be expressed as (360 / n / 2) ≥ rotation angle ≥ 0. In other words, the inner reservoir 13b rotates and reverses within the range that satisfies the above equation. Here, n is the number of rows of discharge holes provided in the outer reservoir 13a and the inner reservoir 13b. In Figure 6, the rows are shown by dotted lines. The number of rows of discharge holes provided in the outer reservoir 13a and the inner reservoir 13b, as well as the position and spacing of the discharge holes in each row, are the same for both the outer reservoir 13a and the inner reservoir 13b.

[0035] In Figure 6, the upper right shows the lower part 13 of the water storage tank when the rotation angle is (360 / n / 2). At this time, the discharge holes in both tanks are blocked from each other, resulting in a water-stopping state. In Figure 6, the lower right shows the lower part 13 of the water storage tank when the rotation angle is 0. At this time, the positions of the discharge holes in both layers are perfectly aligned, resulting in the maximum amount of water discharged. The water discharge volume adjustment unit 13f can adjust the amount of water discharged by adjusting this rotation angle. The main part of the control mechanism that controls the amount of water discharged is formed by the outer water storage tank 13a, the inner water storage tank 13b, and the water discharge volume adjustment unit 13f. Next, an example of the operation of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 of the embodiment will be described. (Operation Example 1)

[0036] Operation Example 1 is an example of extinguishing a fire using one drone fire extinguishing device 1. The following steps are provided for the sake of explanation. The operations and sequence are just examples, and some operations may be omitted or other operations may be added.

[0037] [Step S1] With the ends of the water flow hoses 4 extending from the pump truck 2 and the pressure pump 3 connected to the ends of the hose connection pipe 15a, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 is started flying toward the source of the fire. At the start of flight, the water discharge holes in both tanks of the lower part of the water storage tank 13 are blocked from each other and the water is stopped.

[0038] [Step S2] Water is supplied from the pump truck 2 or the pressure pump 3 during flight. The water flowing in from the hose connection pipe 15a is branched at the water flow branching section 15b to the upper part 12 of the water storage tank and the lower part 13 of the water storage tank.

[0039] [Step S3] The force of the water flowing into the upper reservoir body 12a causes the water turbine 121d to rotate, and the hydroelectric power generation unit 12d generates electricity. The generated electricity is charged into the storage battery 11i, and this amount of electricity keeps the drone fire extinguishing device 1 flying and other electrical equipment running.

[0040] [Step S4] Meanwhile, the water that flows into the lower part of the water tank 13 falls to the bottom of the inner water tank 13b and fills the inner water tank 13b. As the water level rises and the inner water tank 13b is filled with water, it fills the upper water tank body 12a upwards, causing the water pressure near the top of the upper water tank body 12a to rise rapidly, and water is forcefully ejected from the fountain holes 122a to form a fountain. The fountain hits the various equipment and rotor blades 11a installed on the fixed part 11b, cooling the swirling, scorching air rising from the fire scene and preventing the equipment and rotor blades 11a from being damaged by heat. Also, once the water has spread throughout the upper water tank body 12a, the pressurizing solenoid valve 12c detects the water pressure when the tank is full.

[0041] [Step S5] The drone control unit 11d can identify the source of the fire using the downward heat source sensing sensor 13c, the side heat source sensing sensor 13d, and the surveillance camera 13e. Upon arriving above the source of the fire, the drone control unit 11d operates the water discharge volume adjustment unit 13f to set the rotation angle to 0. This causes the positions of the water discharge holes on both layers to perfectly coincide, resulting in the discharge of the maximum amount of water. The water stored in the inner layer water tank 13b pours down from the water discharge holes towards the source of the fire like rain, extinguishing it.

[0042] [Step S6] When the drone control unit 11d confirms the extinguishment of the fire source by the downward heat source detection sensor 13c, the side heat source detection sensor 13d, and the monitoring camera 13e, it sends the completion of extinguishment to the management terminal device via the communication module 11e. After receiving the completion of extinguishment, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 returns to the drone base 5 in a state where the supply of water from the pump truck 2 and the pressure pump 3 stops, and the upper storage tank 12 and the lower storage tank 13 become empty and lighter. (Operation Example 2) Operation Example 2 is an example of extinguishing a fire using a plurality of drone fire extinguishing devices 1.

[0043] [Step S11] When extinguishing a fire using a plurality of drone fire extinguishing devices 1, connect the tip of the flowing water hose 4 extending from the pump truck 2 or the pressure pump 3 to the end of the hose connection pipe 15a of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the base end side. Then, connect the connecting hose 10 of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the base end side to the end of the hose connection pipe 15a of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the tip end side and start flying. At the start of flight, the connecting hose 10 may remain stored in the hose storage section 12b or may be pulled out from the hose storage section 12b. Hereinafter, the basic operation is the same as that in Operation Example 1.

[0044] Flight starts with the connecting hose 10 stored in the hose storage section 12b, and when the drone fire extinguishing devices 1 are later separated from each other, the connecting hose 10 of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the base end side is pulled by the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the tip end side. At this time, the upper storage tank main body 12a, the hose storage section 12b, and the rotary cylindrical water flow path 14 of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the base end side are integrated, and the freewheel type upper and lower split device 16 built in the rotary cylindrical water flow path 14 is a freewheel (clockwise for explanation) with respect to the fixed cylindrical water flow path 15. Therefore, the upper storage tank main body 12a rotates clockwise without resistance, and the connecting hose 10 is paid out and extends forward and forward.

[0045] When the pressure electromagnetic valve 12c of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the base end side detects the water pressure in the upper water storage tank main body 12a and detects that the upper water storage tank main body 12a is full of water, the pressure electromagnetic valve 12c pressurizes the water stored in the upper water storage tank main body 12a according to the instruction of the drone control unit 11d and allows it to flow into the connecting hose 10. The water that has passed through the connecting hose 10 flows into the fixed cylindrical water channel 15 from the hose connection pipe 15a of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 on the tip end side.

[0046] When a plurality of drone fire extinguishing devices 1 are connected, which state of each drone fire extinguishing device 1, namely the water discharge state, the connection state, or the connection and water discharge state, results in the best arrangement is related to the position of the fire source. Therefore, the automatic flight program of the drone control unit 11d calculates and determines this. The fire extinguishing system using the drone fire extinguishing device 1 for dealing with large-scale forest fires can reduce the direct fire extinguishing activities of firefighters, thereby increasing the safety of human lives. Of course, it can also be used for large-scale residential fires and fires in large factories.

[0047] Furthermore, in the connected state, if the lower part 13 of the water storage tank of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 is placed on the outermost branches of the unburned trees and hovered, the consumption of the storage battery 11d can be suppressed. Similarly, if the connecting hose 10 is also hung on the branches of the unburned trees, the weight of the connecting hose 10 applied to the drone fire extinguishing devices 1 on the tip end side and the base end side can be lightened, and if the connecting hose 10 is kept nearly horizontal, the flow of the running water will be smooth.

[0048] The method of using the branches of unburned trees is to detect the branches of unburned trees by the lower heat source sensing sensor 13c, the side heat source sensing sensor 13d, and the monitoring camera 13e, detect the position of the detected tree branches by the GPS module 11f, and move the connecting hose 10 to the detected position by the AI automatic flight program of the drone control unit 11d. During flight, it is also possible to connect the connecting hose 10 to other drone fire extinguishing devices 1 or disconnect the connected connecting hose 10. For example, consider the case where the fire extinguishing activity is completed and the connecting hose 10 is wound around and recovered from the drone fire extinguishing device 1 in the connected state.

[0049] When the freewheel is locked, the hose storage section 12b allows the upper water tank body 12a of the drone fire extinguishing device 1 to rotate counterclockwise together with the drone section 11, thereby winding the connecting hose 10 into the hose storage section 12b and storing it. At the same time, the drone fire extinguishing device 1 at the tip also approaches while flying. Next, the attachment and detachment of the connecting hose and hose connecting pipe will be explained. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the method of connecting the connecting hose and hose connecting pipe.

[0050] The tip of the connecting hose 10 is provided with a connecting projection 10a. The base end of the hose connecting pipe 15a is provided with a connecting recess 151a. The connecting projection 10a can be inserted into the connecting recess 151a and connected and disconnected by a twisting motion. The connecting projection 10a has a connecting guide rod 10a1 and a fall prevention ball 10a2.

[0051] As shown in the enlarged view, the connecting guide rod 10a1 is inserted through the connecting guide opening 151a2 of the L-shaped connecting guide 151a1 provided in the connecting recess 151a. After moving straight for a distance a, it rotates 90 degrees to the right, twisting by a distance b before stopping. At this time, the relationship c > d holds true for lengths c and d, so the degree of contact between the connecting protrusion 10a and the connecting recess 151a increases, and the anti-detachment ball 10a2 further stabilizes the contact. The connecting guide rod 10a1 is also provided on the opposite side at 180 degrees, but the method of connection is the same.

[0052] To further disconnect the connection, the reverse operation is performed. When the connecting hose 10 is fully retracted, the connecting recess 151a connected to the connecting projection 10a of the connecting hose 10 can be disconnected by the twisting motion of the connected drone fire extinguishing device 1.

[0053] Since all of the drone's aerial movements are controlled by a programmed drone control unit 11d, surveillance camera 13e, downward heat sensing sensor 13c, and side heat source sensing sensor 13d, no human intervention is required to connect the drone fire extinguishing devices 1, freeing firefighters from dangerous work at the fire scene.

[0054] Although Figure 7 illustrates the method of connecting the connecting hose 10 and the hose connecting pipe 15a, the method of connecting the water flow hose 4 and the hose connecting pipe 15a is the same.

[0055] As described above, according to the embodiment of the drone firefighting system 100, the drone firefighting device 1 includes a drone unit 11 equipped with a storage battery 11i, a water tank upper part 12 connected to the drone unit 11, a hydroelectric power generation unit 12d disposed inside the water tank upper part 12 and equipped with a water turbine 121d, and a hose connecting pipe 15a connected to a water flow hose 4 or connecting hose 10 that supplies water to the water tank upper part 12. During flight, the water turbine 121d is rotated according to the force of the water supplied from the hose connected to the hose connecting pipe 15a to generate electricity in the hydroelectric power generation unit 12d, and the generated electricity is stored in the storage battery 11i. Therefore, since the storage battery can be charged during flight, long-duration flight and firefighting activities become possible.

[0056] In recent years, forest fires have been occurring frequently around the world. When a forest fire breaks out, if the initial site is not extinguished quickly, sparks will be carried by the wind and spread to other parts of the forest. In recent years, more than 8 million hectares of forest have been burned annually worldwide, and the burned area has nearly doubled compared to 20 years ago. Global warming is said to be the cause of the increase in forest fires, but if that is the case, it will be difficult to reduce the burned area in the near future.

[0057] There is no effective way to prevent forest fires, so, although it is an outdated method, when a forest fire occurs, the only option is to get as many fire engines and firefighters as possible to the fire site and spray large amounts of water. In addition, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are used to repeatedly spray large amounts of water from above the forest fire site, but considering the possibility of collisions when many aircraft are flying, it is not possible to easily increase the number of aircraft. There are three main difficulties in fighting forest fires, for example: (Difficulty 1) Firstly, if the fire sites are scattered, the risk to the lives of firefighters increases. (Difficulty 2) Secondly, it is difficult to ensure a stable and sufficient supply of water for firefighting, making it impossible to spray water continuously for a long period of time at the source of the fire.

[0058] (Disadvantage 3) The third disadvantage is that, due to disadvantages 1 and 2, if embers spread from a fire being extinguished, it becomes impossible to quickly extinguish the new source of the fire. In any fire, once it starts, it is truly a race against time to see how quickly firefighting efforts can be carried out.

[0059] The drone fire extinguishing system 1 of this embodiment can solve the three problems mentioned above simultaneously by utilizing a drone. Although there are already several fire extinguishing systems that utilize drones, the drone fire extinguishing system 1 is functionally superior to the others in the following respects.

[0060] The drone fire extinguishing system 1 can operate in three states while the drone is in flight: water discharge mode, connected mode, and connected water discharge mode. In water discharge mode, it can continuously discharge water from above the source of the fire, and in connected mode, it can be used solely for water flow as an intermediate connector to extend the fire extinguishing hose.

[0061] In real-world forest and mountain fires, the sources of fire are scattered, making it difficult to achieve effective results with conventional water-spraying methods that involve lining up drones in a straight line. However, by using the drone fire extinguishing system 1 as a linking device, the drone fire extinguishing systems 1 in water-spraying and linked water-spraying states can be arranged in a zigzag pattern above multiple fire sites, making it possible to respond to widespread and numerous fires. The optimal placement of the drone fire extinguishing systems 1 at the fire site, as well as the best combinations of water-spraying, linked, and linked water-spraying states, can all be completely automated by the GPS module 11f and drone control unit 11d built into the drone fire extinguishing system 1. This eliminates the need for firefighters to approach scattered fire sources, thus ensuring the safety of human lives.

[0062] To operate a drone, electricity must be supplied either by extending power lines from a distant power source or by using a battery. If power lines are used, they must be integrated into the fire hose, either inside or outside, but in either case, the weight of the fire hose increases, reducing operational efficiency. Also, in the event of an unexpected power outage at a fire scene, the power supply to the drone will be cut off, and the drone may fall to the ground. On the other hand, to ensure long-duration flight using only the drone's built-in battery, a high-power battery is required, which increases the weight, thus requiring the drone itself to be larger and more expensive. Even with a high-power battery, there is a limit to flight time, and when the power runs low, the drone must return to a charging station, interrupting firefighting operations. The only way to avoid this is to increase the number of drones, but this will significantly increase costs. In contrast, the drone firefighting device 1 has a hydroelectric power generation unit 12d, and the water flowing from the water hose 4 and connecting hose 10 is used for firefighting, and at the same time, it also generates the hydraulic power to rotate the water turbine 121d of the hydroelectric power generation unit 12d. Since the battery 11e is continuously charged with the electricity generated by the hydroelectric power generation unit 12d, there is no limit to the flight time of the drone firefighting device 1 as long as the water turbine 121d is rotating. This also means that there is no limit to the time for which water is discharged for firefighting.

[0063] Although the drone fire extinguishing system of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. Furthermore, any other configuration or process may be added to the present invention. The above merely illustrates the principle of the present invention. Moreover, numerous modifications and changes are possible for those skilled in the art, and the present invention is not limited to the exact configuration and application examples shown and described above, and all corresponding modifications and equivalents are considered to be within the scope of the present invention by the appended claims and equivalents.

[0064] The above processing functions can be implemented by a computer. In this case, a program describing the processing content of the functions of the drone control unit 11d is provided. By executing this program on a computer, the above processing functions are implemented on the computer. The program describing the processing content can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, and semiconductor memory. Examples of magnetic storage devices include hard disk drives, flexible disks (FDs), and magnetic tapes. Examples of optical discs include DVDs, DVD-RAMs, and CD-ROMs / RWs. Examples of magneto-optical recording media include MOs (Magneto-Optical disks).

[0065] When distributing a program, portable recording media such as DVDs and CD-ROMs containing the program are sold. Alternatively, the program can be stored in the storage device of a server computer and transferred from the server computer to other computers via a network.

[0066] A computer executing a program stores programs, for example, those recorded on a portable storage medium or transferred from a server computer, in its own memory. The computer then reads the program from its memory and executes the processing according to the program. Alternatively, the computer can directly read the program from the portable storage medium and execute the processing according to that program. Furthermore, the computer can sequentially execute the processing according to the programs received from a server computer connected via a network, each time a program is transferred.

[0067] Furthermore, at least some of the above processing functions can be implemented using electronic circuits such as DSPs (Digital Signal Processors), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), and PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices).

[0068] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Drone fire extinguishing device 10 Connecting hose 10a Connecting protrusion 10a1 Connecting guide rod 11 Drone unit 11a Rotor wing 11b Fixing unit 11c Drone fixing shaft 11d Drone control unit 11e Communication module 11f GPS module 11g Wind direction and wind speed sensor 11h Ambient temperature sensor 11i Storage battery 12 Upper part of water tank 12a Upper water tank body 121a Upper panel 121b Spray nozzle 12b Hose storage unit 12c Pressurized solenoid valve 12d Hydroelectric power generation unit 121d Water turbine 13 Lower part of water tank 13a Outer layer water tank 13b Inner layer water tank 13c Downward heat source detection sensor 13d Side heat source detection sensor 13e Surveillance camera 13f 14. Water discharge volume adjustment unit 15. Rotating cylindrical water channel 15. Fixed cylindrical water channel 15a. Hose connection pipe 151a. Connection recess 15b. Water flow branching unit 16. Freewheel type upper and lower splitting device 2. Pump truck 3. Pressure pump 4. Water flow hose 5. Drone base 100. Drone firefighting system

Claims

1. A drone fire extinguishing device comprising: a drone unit equipped with a battery and capable of flight; a water storage unit connected to the drone unit; a power generation unit disposed within the water storage unit and equipped with a water turbine; and a connection unit to which a hose for supplying fire extinguishing liquid to the water storage unit is connected, wherein during flight the water turbine is rotated in accordance with the force of the fire extinguishing liquid supplied from the hose connected to the connection unit to generate electricity, and the generated electricity is stored in the battery.

2. The drone fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, further comprising a water discharge unit which includes a housing connected to the water storage unit and having a plurality of holes for discharging the fire extinguishing liquid, and a control mechanism for controlling the amount of fire extinguishing liquid to be discharged.

3. The drone fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting hose that takes in fire extinguishing liquid stored in the water reservoir from one end and has the other end connected to the connection part of another drone fire extinguishing device, so that the taken-in fire extinguishing liquid is drained into the water reservoir of the other drone fire extinguishing device.

4. The drone fire extinguishing device according to claim 3, wherein the connecting hose is wound around the water reservoir and the connecting hose is extended or retracted as the water reservoir rotates.

5. The drone fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, wherein, in a plan view, the drone is positioned within the water reservoir, and the surface of the water reservoir on the drone side is provided with a spray hole from which fire extinguishing liquid can be ejected from within the water reservoir.