Flow regulating device and control system

Abstract

The invention relates to a flow regulating device and a control system, the flow regulating device is arranged on a fire extinguishing agent box and comprises an actuator, one end of the actuator is fixed, and the other end of the actuator stretches out and draws back according to an instruction from the control system; the actuator is arranged at one end of the fire extinguishing agent box, the rotating shaft is arranged in a mode of penetrating through a side plate of the fire extinguishing agent box, one end of the rocker arm is connected with the other end of the actuator, and the other end of the rocker arm is connected with the rotating shaft; and the flow adjusting plate is fixed to the rotating shaft, the rocker arm drives the rotating shaft and the flow adjusting plate to rotate through the telescopic action of the actuator, and the flow of the fire extinguishing agent is changed by adjusting the rotating angle of the flow adjusting plate. According to an instruction from a control system, automatic control over the throwing flow of the fire extinguishing agent can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flow regulating device and a control system, and particularly to a flow regulating device and a control system that can regulate the discharge flow of a fire extinguishing agent. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, forest fires have occurred frequently. It is difficult to approach the fire site, and relying solely on ground fire-fighting forces to extinguish the fire takes a long time and is very likely to cause casualties. Using aerial aircraft to extinguish fires is the most flexible, rapid, and effective means of fighting forest fires.

[0003] When a fire-fighting aircraft extinguishes a fire, in order to ensure the fire extinguishing effect, after the fire extinguishing agent is discharged to the ground, it must form a certain thickness to extinguish the fire source. Different fire site vegetation types and fire intensities require different fire extinguishing agent coverage thicknesses. If the fire extinguishing agent coverage thickness is too low, the fire source cannot be extinguished. If the fire extinguishing agent coverage thickness is too high, the coverage range of the fire extinguishing agent will decrease, and the maximum fire extinguishing efficiency cannot be achieved.

[0004] At present, there are mainly two ways for the fire-fighting aircraft discharge system: gravity type (Patent Document 1) and pressurized type (Patent Document 2). In the pressurized system, by pressurizing the fire extinguishing agent storage tank, the fire extinguishing agent is ejected under pressure, and the flow rate can be conveniently controlled by the pressure. The structure of the gravity type fire-fighting aircraft is relatively simple, the cost is low, and the fire extinguishing agent flows out of the hatch by gravity.

[0005] At present, most gravity type fire-fighting aircraft adopt a constant flow control hatch, and the flow rate cannot be adjusted. Moreover, since the fire extinguishing agent coverage thickness is also affected by flight speed, altitude, wind speed, and wind direction, it is very difficult to control the fire extinguishing agent coverage thickness on the ground.

[0006] Therefore, for the gravity type fire-fighting aircraft, a structure and a control system that can regulate the discharge flow rate are needed to maximize the fire extinguishing efficiency on the premise of ensuring the fire extinguishing effect.

[0007] Prior Art Documents

[0008] Patent Documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: CN115531785A

[0010] Patent Document 2: CN115554631A Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present invention is made to solve the above technical problems, and its purpose is to provide a flow regulating device and a control system that can achieve automatic control of the discharge flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention relates to a flow rate regulating device installed in a fire extinguishing agent tank, including: an actuator, one end of the actuator is fixed, and the other end performs telescopic movement according to an instruction from a control system; a rotating shaft arranged in a way that penetrates through the side plate of the fire extinguishing agent tank, a rocker arm, one end of the rocker arm is connected to the other end of the actuator, and the other end of the rocker arm is connected to the rotating shaft; a flow rate regulating plate fixed to the rotating shaft, through the telescopic movement of the actuator, the rocker arm drives the rotating shaft and the flow rate regulating plate to rotate, and by adjusting the rotation angle of the flow rate regulating plate, the flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent is changed.

[0013] According to the flow rate regulating device with this structure, the actuator can perform telescopic movement according to an instruction from the control system, and the rocker arm drives the rotating shaft and the flow rate regulating plate to rotate. By adjusting the rotation angle of the flow rate regulating plate, the flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent can be changed, thereby realizing the automatic control of the discharge flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0014] Preferably, it further includes a mounting part fixed to the bottom plate of the aircraft cabin, and one end of the actuator is connected to the mounting part through a pivot.

[0015] According to this structure, the convenience and stability of the installation of the actuator can be realized.

[0016] In addition, the rotating shaft is arranged at a position close to the upstream opening of the fire extinguishing agent tank.

[0017] By arranging the rotating shaft at a position close to the upstream opening of the fire extinguishing agent tank, the rotation of the flow rate regulating plate can be facilitated.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a control system, including: a flow rate regulating device; and a dispensing server that calculates the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent based on information related to the aircraft and the environment obtained from an avionics network and the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent obtained from a display terminal, and sends a control signal to the flow rate regulating device according to the calculated dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent, and changes the rotation angle of the flow rate regulating plate through the actuator.

[0019] According to the control system with this structure, the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent can be calculated based on information related to the aircraft and the environment during dispensing and the required coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent, and the rotation angle of the flow rate regulating plate can be automatically changed according to the calculated dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0020] Preferably, the information related to the aircraft and the environment includes at least one of the flight speed of the aircraft, the flight altitude, the wind speed, and the wind direction.

[0021] According to this structure, it is possible to automatically adjust the discharge flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent considering the flight speed, altitude, wind speed, wind direction, etc., so as to achieve the desired fire extinguishing effect. In addition, the pilot does not have to strictly control the flight speed for the sake of the fire extinguishing effect, which can better ensure flight safety. By adjusting the flow rate through the flow rate adjustment plate, the flight speed can have a larger range.

[0022] In addition, the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent is determined based on at least one of the vegetation type, the size of the fire, and the type of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0023] In this way, it is possible to handle more complex fire extinguishing tasks, meet diverse fire extinguishing requirements, and achieve better fire extinguishing effects.

[0024] Preferably, the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent is manually input via the display terminal.

[0025] According to this structure, the pilot can manually input the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent according to the specific fire extinguishing task.

[0026] In addition, the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent is determined based on the size of the fire retardant belt.

[0027] Since the capacity of the fire extinguishing agent is fixed, the size of the fire retardant belt will directly affect the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent. Therefore, it is possible to determine the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent according to the desired size of the fire retardant belt, and better achieve the fire retardant belt target set in the early stage.

[0028] Preferably, the discharge flow rate FR1 of the fire extinguishing agent is set as FR1 = FR0 + C1 + C2 + C3, where FR0 is the initial flow rate gear, C1 is the correction coefficient of the flight speed to the flow rate, C2 is the correction coefficient of the flight altitude to the flow rate, C3 is the correction coefficient of the wind speed and wind direction to the flow rate, the initial flow rate gear is determined according to the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent, C1 = f1(V - V0), V is the aircraft speed, V0 is the predetermined speed, C2 = f2(h - h0), h is the aircraft altitude, h0 is the predetermined altitude, C3 = f3(WS * cos(WD - FD)), WS is the wind speed, WD is the wind direction, and FD is the course.

[0029] According to the control system of this structure, it is possible to comprehensively consider various factors that may affect the discharge flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent and accurately calculate the discharge flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0030] In addition, when the calculated discharge flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent exceeds the adjustment range of the flow rate adjustment plate, a notification is made in the display terminal.

[0031] In this way, if it exceeds the adjustment range of the flow rate adjustment plate, a notification can be made in the display terminal, such as displaying or giving a warning, which is convenient for the pilot to take corresponding measures. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the structure of the dispensing mechanism equipped with the flow rate regulating device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing the state 1 of the flow rate regulating device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 It is a perspective view showing the state 2 of the flow rate regulating device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 It is a side perspective view showing the structure of the dispensing mechanism equipped with the flow rate regulating device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the operating length of the actuator and the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0037] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the length of the flow rate regulating plate and the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the control system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] (Reference Signs)

[0040] 10 Fire extinguishing agent tank

[0041] 11 Upstream opening

[0042] 12 Downstream opening

[0043] 13 First shutter

[0044] 14 Second shutter

[0045] 15 Front side plate

[0046] 16 Rear side plate

[0047] 17 Left side plate

[0048] 18 Right side plate

[0049] 19 Reinforcing rib

[0050] 30 Flow rate regulating device

[0051] 31 Mounting portion

[0052] 32 Actuator

[0053] 33 Rocker arm

[0054] 37 Flow rate regulating plate Detailed Description of the Invention

[0055] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components, and redundant descriptions may be omitted. In addition, in the drawings, for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the content of the present invention, the dimensions and shapes may be partially exaggerated. Furthermore, in the following specific description, directional terms such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "longitudinal", "transverse", etc. are used for illustrative purposes rather than restrictive ones.

[0056] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a delivery mechanism equipped with a flow rate regulating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing State 1 of the flow rate regulating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing State 2 of the flow rate regulating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] As Figure 1 , Figure 4 shown, the flow rate regulating device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly includes a mounting portion 31, an actuator 32, a rocker arm 33, and a flow rate regulating plate 37. The mounting portion 31 is fixed to the bottom plate of the aircraft cabin. One end of the actuator 32 is connected to the mounting portion 31 through a pivot 36, and the other end is connected to one end of the rocker arm 33 through a hinge 35. One end of the rocker arm 33 is connected to the actuator 32 through a hinge 35, and the other end is connected to a rotating shaft 34.

[0058] The fire extinguishing agent tank 10 is a part of the tank for storing the fire extinguishing agent that is close to the bottom plate of the aircraft cabin. In this specification, for the purpose of facilitating the illustration, the illustration of other parts of the tank for storing the fire extinguishing agent is omitted, and only a part of the fire extinguishing agent tank 10 is shown. As an example, the fire extinguishing agent tank 10 is formed in a substantially square tube shape with openings at both the upper and lower ends, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the shape of the fire extinguishing agent tank 10 can be formed into any shape as long as it facilitates the storage and delivery of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0059] The fire extinguishing agent tank 10 includes: an upstream opening 11, a downstream opening 12, a first shutter 13, a second shutter 14, a front side plate 15, a rear side plate 16, a left side plate 17, and a right side plate 18. In addition, in order to enhance the strength of the fire extinguishing agent tank 10, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 19 may be provided on at least one of the front side plate 15, the rear side plate 16, the left side plate 17, and the right side plate 18. The first shutter 13 and the second shutter 14 are provided at the downstream opening 12, and the downstream opening 12 is opened or closed by the opening and closing of the first shutter 13 and the second shutter 14. The fire extinguishing agent flows in from the upstream opening 11 and is delivered from the downstream opening 12 through the opening of the first shutter 13 and the second shutter 14, which serve as shutters.

[0060] As Figure 3As shown, the rotating shaft 34 is arranged to penetrate through the left side plate 17 and the right side plate 18 of the fire extinguishing agent tank 10. As an example, the rotating shaft 34 penetrates through the left side plate 17 and the right side plate 18 of the fire extinguishing agent tank 10 in a rotatable manner through a bearing (not shown) at a position close to the upstream opening 11 and close to either the front side plate 15 or the rear side plate 16.

[0061] The shape of the flow rate regulating plate 37 corresponds to the shape of the upstream opening 11 and is formed as a substantially rectangular plate shape as an example. The flow rate regulating plate 37 is fixed to the rotating shaft 34 and can rotate with the rotation of the rotating shaft 34. When it is necessary to adjust the flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the actuator 32 drives the rotating shaft 34 and the flow rate regulating plate 37 to rotate through the rocker arm 33, and by adjusting the rotation angle of the flow rate regulating plate 37, the flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent discharged through the downstream opening 12 can be changed.

[0062] Next, with reference to Figure 5 the relationship between the operating length L1 of the actuator 32 and the discharge flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent will be described.

[0063] In Figure 5 , OB represents the rocker arm 33, and AB represents the actuator 32. Let the length of the rocker arm 33 be L2, the operating length of the actuator 32 be L1, and the angle between the rocker arm 33 and the horizontal plane be θ. Therefore, the coordinates of point B are (L2 * cosθ, L2 * sinθ).

[0064] Point A is the pivot 36, and its coordinates related to the mechanical layout are (X, Y), which are fixed related to the mechanical layout. The relationship between the operating length L1 and θ is as follows:

[0065]

[0066] In Figure 6 , when the angle between the rocker arm 33 and the horizontal plane is θ, the angle between the flow rate regulating plate 37 and the horizontal plane is also θ. Let the width of the upstream opening 11 of the fire extinguishing agent tank 10 be L3, and the length of the flow rate regulating plate 37 be L4, where L4 < L3. The remaining width of the upstream opening 11 not blocked by the flow rate regulating plate 37 is L5, then L5 = L3 - L4 * cosθ.

[0067] Eliminating θ from the above two formulas, the relationship between the operating length L1 of the actuator 32 and the remaining width L5 is as follows:

[0068]

[0069] Next, the calculation method for the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent will be described.

[0070] When the fire extinguishing agent is water, the corresponding covering thickness according to different vegetation types when the fire is of medium intensity is shown in Table 1. The classification of the fire and the fire extinguishing agent is shown in Table 2.

[0071] In addition, if the fire extinguishing agent used is a chemical fire extinguishing agent, the covering thickness is reduced by one level; if the fire is small, it is reduced by one level; if the fire is relatively large, it is increased by one level.

[0072] Table 1 Covering thickness corresponding to vegetation types

[0073]

[0074] Table 2 Classification of fire and fire extinguishing agent

[0075]

[0076] The calculation method of the delivery flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent is as follows:

[0077] 1) According to the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent corresponding to the vegetation type, in an ideal environment (the aircraft flies at a predetermined height and speed and there is no wind), determine the initial flow rate gear FR0.

[0078] 2) Determine the correction coefficient C1 of the flight speed on the flow rate: C1 = f1(V - V0). When the aircraft speed V exceeds the predetermined speed V0, the flow rate increases; when the flight speed V is lower than the predetermined speed V0, the flow rate decreases.

[0079] 3) Determine the correction coefficient C2 of the flight height on the flow rate: C2 = f2(h - h0). When the aircraft height h exceeds the predetermined height h0, the flow rate increases; when the flight speed h is lower than the predetermined height h0, the flow rate decreases.

[0080] 4) Determine the correction coefficient C3 of the wind speed and wind direction on the flow rate. The wind force can be decomposed into a component force along the aircraft heading and a component force perpendicular to the aircraft heading. Among them, the force mainly affecting the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent is the force along the aircraft heading. C3 = f3(WS * cos(WD - FD)), where WS is the wind speed, WD is the wind direction, and FD is the heading. If the component force of the wind in the heading direction is the same as the heading, the flow rate increases; if the component force of the wind in the heading direction is opposite to the heading, the flow rate decreases.

[0081] The final delivery flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent: FR1 = FR0 + C1 + C2 + C3.

[0082] In order to achieve the automatic control of the delivery flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent, the present invention also provides a control system. The control system includes a display terminal, a delivery server, a flow rate regulating device, and an aircraft avionics network. The control system according to the present invention performs the following actions.

[0083] A) Generate the information on the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent

[0084] As described above, the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent is related to the vegetation type, the size of the fire, and the type of the fire extinguishing agent. The pilot can set the relevant content on the display terminal. In addition, Tables 1 and 2 above can be pre-stored in the computer, and the computer automatically generates the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0085] Since the capacity of the fire extinguishing agent is fixed, the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent will directly affect the size of the fire retardant belt. Therefore, the size of the fire retardant belt can be automatically generated according to the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent. In addition, the pilot can also manually adjust the size of the fire retardant belt according to the specific fire extinguishing task. In this way, the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent will also change automatically with the adjustment of the size of the fire retardant belt.

[0086] B) The dispensing server obtains information related to the aircraft and the wind through the avionics network, and then calculates the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent according to the covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0087] The covering thickness of the fire extinguishing agent dispensed on the ground will be affected by the flight speed of the aircraft, the flight altitude, the wind speed and the wind direction. The dispensing server obtains the flight speed, flight altitude, aircraft heading of the aircraft and the wind speed and wind direction from the avionics network, obtains the covering thickness information of the fire extinguishing agent from the display terminal, and then calculates the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent according to this information. The dispensing server sends a control signal to the flow rate regulating device according to the calculated dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent, and changes the angle of the flow rate regulating plate 37 through the actuator 32. In addition, if it exceeds the adjustment range of the flow rate regulating plate 37, it can be notified on the display terminal, such as by display or warning.

[0088] According to the control system of this structure, automatic control of the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent can be realized. In addition, the pilot does not need to strictly control the flight speed for the fire extinguishing effect, which can better ensure flight safety. By adjusting the flow rate through the flow rate regulating plate, the flight speed can have a larger range. Moreover, through flow rate adjustment, different fire extinguishing task requirements (such as key extinguishing, setting a long and narrow fire retardant belt, etc.) can be met, more complex fire extinguishing tasks can be handled, diverse fire extinguishing needs can be satisfied, and better fire extinguishing effects can be achieved.

[0089] In addition, since the dispensing flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent is automatically adjusted according to the information related to the aircraft and the wind during dispensing, such as flight speed, altitude, wind speed and wind direction, the fire retardant belt target set in the early stage can be better achieved. In addition, it can intuitively guide the pilot to reasonably set the dispensing thickness of the fire extinguishing agent.

[0090] The embodiments and their variations of the present invention have been described above. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and structures. The present disclosure also includes various variations and modifications within the equivalent scope. In addition, various combinations and manners, and further combinations and manners including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element thereof also fall within the scope and the scope of the idea of the present disclosure.

[0091] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the rotating shaft 34 passes through the left side plate 17 and the right side plate 18 of the fire extinguishing agent tank 10 in a rotatable manner through bearings at a position close to the upstream opening 11 and close to either the front side plate 15 or the rear side plate 16, and one end of the flow rate adjusting plate 37 is fixed to the rotating shaft 34. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the rotating shaft may also be configured to pass through a position substantially in the center of the left side plate and the right side plate, and the middle portion of the flow rate adjusting plate is fixed to the rotating shaft, and the flow rate adjusting plate can be rotated in two directions by the rotation of the rotating shaft.

[0092] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the first shutter 13 and the second shutter 14 are provided as shutters. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, only one shutter may be provided, and the shutter is provided so as to close the downstream opening.

[0093] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the mounting portion 31 may be omitted, and the actuator 32 may be directly fixed to any position in the aircraft cabin as long as the flow rate adjusting plate 37 can be rotated by the rocker arm 33.

Claims

1. A flow regulating device (30), the flow regulating device being installed on a fire extinguishing agent tank (10), comprising: An actuator (32), one end of which is fixed and the other end of which performs telescopic movement according to a command from a control system; a rotating shaft (34), the rotating shaft being arranged in a manner of penetrating a side plate of the fire extinguishing agent tank, A rocker arm (33), one end of which is connected to the other end of the actuator, and the other end of which is connected to the rotating shaft (34); a flow regulating plate (37), the flow regulating plate being fixed to the rotating shaft, Through the telescopic action of the actuator, the rocker arm drives the rotating shaft and the flow regulating plate to rotate, and the flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent is changed by adjusting the rotation angle of the flow regulating plate.

2. The flow regulating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a mounting portion (31), which is fixed to the bottom plate of the aircraft cabin. One end of the actuator is connected to the mounting portion via a pivot (36).

3. The flow regulating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The rotating shaft is arranged at a position close to an upstream opening (11) of the fire extinguishing agent tank (10).

4. A control system comprising: The flow regulating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; as well as A delivery server, wherein the delivery server calculates the delivery flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent based on the information related to the aircraft and the environment obtained from the avionics network and the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent obtained from the display terminal, and sends a control signal to the flow regulating device according to the calculated delivery flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent, so as to change the rotation angle of the flow regulating plate through the actuator.

5. The control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The information related to the aircraft and the environment includes at least one of the flight speed and flight altitude of the aircraft and the wind speed and wind direction.

6. The control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent is determined based on at least one of the vegetation type, the size of the fire, and the type of the fire extinguishing agent.

7. The control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent is manually input via the display terminal.

8. The control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: Determine the fire extinguishing agent coverage thickness based on the fire retardant tape size.

9. The control system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The release flow rate FR1 of the fire extinguishing agent is set to FR1=FR0+C1+C2+C3, wherein FR0 is the initial flow rate gear, C1 is the correction coefficient of the flight speed to the flow rate, C2 is the correction coefficient of the flight altitude to the flow rate, and C3 is the correction coefficient of the wind speed and wind direction to the flow rate. Determine the initial flow rate according to the coverage thickness of the fire extinguishing agent. C1=f1(V-V0), V is the aircraft speed, V0 is the predetermined speed, C2=f2(h-h0), h is the aircraft height, h is the predetermined height, C3=f3(WS*cos(WD-FD)), WS is wind speed, WD is wind direction, and FD is heading.

10. The control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the calculated release flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent exceeds the adjustment range of the flow regulating plate, a notification is made in the display terminal.

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