A method for aerial firefighting in large and medium-sized cities

Abstract

This invention discloses an aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities, relating to the field of aerial firefighting technology. This method uses an aircraft with hovering and aerial drop capabilities as the transport vehicle for an aerial firefighting system, rather than as the direct firefighting equipment, replacing fire trucks as the main equipment for future urban firefighting. It features rapid deployment of the aerial firefighting system to the point of fire for precise suppression and powerful capabilities in dealing with fires in high-rise buildings, potentially extinguishing over 95% of ordinary urban fires in their initial stages, reducing the risk of small fires escalating into major disasters, minimizing loss of life and property, reducing the risk of injury to firefighters, and reducing secondary disasters during firefighting. It also includes several cost-reduction measures for aerial firefighting, making high-end aerial firefighting affordable for cities. This opens up a new application market for heavy-duty helicopters globally and is expected to make a substantial contribution to the development of the low-altitude economy; it is a revolutionary technology that overturns the traditional urban fire truck firefighting model, possessing significant social promotion value and industrial applicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of urban aerial firefighting technology, specifically to an aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities. Background Technology

[0002] With the acceleration of urbanization, the fire risks in urban high-rise buildings, densely populated residential areas, and industrial parks are becoming increasingly prominent, placing higher demands on the rapid response and efficient handling capabilities of urban fire departments. "Early detection and early suppression" is the ultimate goal of urban fire protection technology development, and the rapid deployment speed of fire-fighting equipment directly determines the efficiency and effectiveness of fire suppression, and is the fundamental factor affecting the achievement of "early detection and early suppression" of urban fires.

[0003] To date, both domestically and internationally, various types of fire trucks have been the dominant force in urban professional firefighting. However, fire trucks are easily affected by various ground traffic obstacles, resulting in poor rapid response and difficulty in effectively extinguishing fires early and when they are small. Furthermore, the firefighting mode of fire trucks, which involves spraying water from bottom to top, has low firefighting efficiency. Dealing with fires in high-rise buildings, especially super high-rise buildings, is particularly difficult, often leaving people helpless even when they can see the fire.

[0004] Tethered firefighting drones operate by hovering in the air and extinguishing fires from above, offering high firefighting efficiency and making them a valuable tool for combating fires in high-rise buildings in cities. However, current urban firefighting operations using tethered firefighting drones rely on fire trucks as transport vehicles and support platforms. This approach inherits the inherent shortcomings of the fire truck model, making rapid response difficult and hindering the ability to extinguish urban fires early and when they are small.

[0005] To achieve early and rapid suppression of urban fires, and considering that helicopters fly at speeds several times faster than fire trucks, some cities have considered using helicopters as urban firefighting equipment, and there are already practical cases of cities attempting to use helicopters in urban firefighting. However, the current use of helicopters in urban firefighting has many shortcomings, the main problems being: First, when firefighting helicopters are directly used for urban firefighting, their firefighting method is to use a water-carrying bucket to directly spray water onto the burning building. This firefighting method has several limitations. First, it is almost ineffective at extinguishing fires inside buildings, requiring the deployment of several tons of water per operation, resulting in high water consumption. Second, it is difficult to quickly replenish water using urban fire hydrants, necessitating flights to the outskirts of the city, which is time-consuming and hinders the organization of powerful and efficient firefighting operations targeting urban fires. Third, although firefighting helicopters have a much higher speed than fire trucks, air traffic control limits their deployment to the outskirts of the city, making it difficult to achieve early and small-scale fire suppression, and the cost is far higher than that of fire trucks. Fourth, air traffic control requires helicopters to undergo cumbersome administrative reporting and approval processes before entering the city for firefighting, further delaying their deployment. Fifth, the current helicopter operation preparation process is complex, with a long takeoff preparation period and redundant ground hovering checks, wasting valuable firefighting time. Therefore, it is difficult to truly shoulder the heavy responsibility of early and small-scale fire suppression in urban firefighting.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a firefighting system that is adaptable to complex urban firefighting scenarios, possesses superior urban firefighting efficiency, especially for high-rise buildings. This system should be able to rapidly deploy firefighting equipment to the scene in the initial stages of a fire, requiring only a very short deployment time, enabling extremely rapid deployment and supporting early and small-scale fire suppression in urban areas. Furthermore, the total cost of the entire firefighting process should be affordable and readily applicable, making it a sustainable urban firefighting standard suitable for widespread application in cities. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Purpose of the Invention: The purpose of this invention is to overcome the multiple unsolvable technical defects and shortcomings of current urban fire truck firefighting technologies. The invented professional urban firefighting equipment is an aerial-dropped firefighting combination. It features the shortest deployment time for the entire process of rapid transportation and deployment of urban firefighting equipment and firefighting operations. It possesses superior firefighting capabilities for high-rise buildings in cities, and the aerial-dropped firefighting combination achieves low-cost firefighting throughout the entire process, from departure to return. It enhances the rapid response and efficient firefighting capabilities of urban fire departments, as well as their social carrying capacity, enabling them to extinguish over 95% of ordinary urban fires early and in small-scale fires. This provides a revolutionary technical means and pathway for the advancement of urban firefighting technology.

[0008] Definition of terms: (1) Aerial firefighting combination: The aerial firefighting combination described in this invention specifically refers to the combination of a tethered firefighting drone and a mobile ground supply platform. The tethered firefighting drone performs precise firefighting operations in the air, and may also include the ability to break windows, detect indoor fires, provide warnings, communicate, send instructions, and collect and transmit firefighting-related information. The mobile ground supply platform provides the tethered firefighting drone with take-off and landing support, flight power supply, and fire extinguishing agent delivery, and may also include communication and instruction sending.

[0009] (2) Flying delivery vehicle: refers to an aircraft with hovering function and capable of aerial slinging operations. Typical models include, but are not limited to, helicopters (such as AC313 helicopters) and tiltrotor aircraft. Its core function is to realize the aerial transport and slinging of the aerial slinging firefighting combination.

[0010] (3) Aviation basket: A special vehicle designed to be compatible with aircraft delivery vehicles for loading aerial fire extinguishing equipment. It facilitates the safe hoisting and deployment of aerial fire extinguishing equipment by hovering aircraft. It has sufficient structural strength, stability and safety, and can be quickly hoisted and unlocked.

[0011] (4) Maximum safe cruising altitude: The optimal cruising altitude that is suitable for the city's flight environment (such as avoiding high-rise buildings, route restrictions, etc.) and can meet the requirements of the flight delivery vehicle to reach the fire point in the shortest time is determined by the performance parameters of the flight delivery vehicle, the specific topography of the urban built-up area and the city's flight control requirements.

[0012] (5) Minimum hovering height: The safe hovering height that can complete the aerial fire-fighting combination landing in the shortest time and is compatible with the surrounding buildings and terrain of the landing point, taking into account both landing efficiency and collision avoidance and landing safety. It is usually 20-30m (the specific height can be adjusted according to the performance of the flight delivery vehicle and the site environment).

[0013] (6) Unit fire extinguishing unit: A unit fire extinguishing unit consists of two sets of aerial drop fire extinguishing combinations and two aerial drop vehicles. It is the basic organizational form of aerial fire extinguishing, or in other words, the minimum fire extinguishing force dispatched when a city needs to send out professional fire extinguishing forces to extinguish a fire.

[0014] (7) Individual fire extinguishing unit: a non-unit fire extinguishing unit consisting of a single aerial drop fire extinguishing assembly and a single flight delivery vehicle.

[0015] Technical solution: This invention supports the rapid deployment of urban firefighting operations and offers excellent firefighting economics, including the following steps: S0. Changes in the main urban firefighting equipment: In the future, tethered firefighting drones will replace various fire trucks as the absolute main firefighting equipment in urban areas. S1. Change of transport mode for tethered firefighting drones: Change the current fire truck transport mode for tethered firefighting drones to air transport delivery mode. S2. Change of tethered fire-fighting drone operation support platform: Change the current stationary tethered fire-fighting drone fire truck support platform mode to a mobile ground supply platform that can cooperate with the aerial fire-fighting maneuver of tethered fire-fighting drones to perform ground following maneuvers. S3. Combination of tethered firefighting drones and mobile ground supply platform: The mobile ground supply platform is equipped with an open take-off and landing platform for tethered firefighting drones. The tethered firefighting drones are deployed in an open loading mode on the take-off and landing platform of the mobile ground supply platform, forming an aerial firefighting combination. S4. Selection of aerial fire extinguishing combination transport and delivery vehicle: An aircraft with hovering capability and capable of aerial sling-drop operations is used as the aerial fire extinguishing combination transport and delivery vehicle, referred to as the aerial transport and delivery vehicle; the aerial fire extinguishing combination is loaded in an aviation basket that is compatible with the safe transport and sling-drop of the aforementioned aerial transport and delivery vehicle, and the aerial transport and delivery vehicle delivers the aerial fire extinguishing combination to the fire scene by sling-dropping the aviation basket; S5. Enable flight delivery vehicles to have autonomous take-off and landing capabilities in urban areas: Deploy and construct several air fire stations in urban areas where this invention is applied, with each air fire station equipped with facilities for autonomous take-off and landing of flight delivery vehicles to perform air firefighting missions; S6. Establish an air traffic control policy guarantee mechanism for the autonomous take-off and landing of air delivery vehicles for urban firefighting: relevant departments shall grant air delivery vehicles performing urban firefighting missions the right to take off, land, and fly freely; if there are necessary reporting and approval procedures related to air traffic control, change to reporting on behalf of others, or reporting after the fact, or exempt from reporting. S7. Rapid Takeoff Technical Support for Flight Delivery Vehicles: The air traffic control station is equipped with a ground support system that ensures the rapid takeoff of on-duty flight delivery vehicles within ≤60 seconds. S8. Takeoff preparation: Complete the pre-preparation of various firefighting operations and loading in the aircraft basket for the on-duty airdrop firefighting combination; and complete the relevant procedures for the on-duty flight delivery vehicle to meet the requirements of ≤60s standby and rapid takeoff. S9. Receiving and dispatching orders: Upon receiving an order, the aerial delivery vehicle carrying the aerial basket containing the aerial fire-fighting combination will immediately take off from the aerial fire station in the fire jurisdiction, without conducting ground hovering checks, and fly directly to the fire point in the fire jurisdiction to carry out the fire-fighting mission. S10. Takeoff and Climb: The flight delivery vehicle enters its own optimal climb angle and climbs at its own maximum safe climb speed the moment it leaves the ground, directly reaching the maximum safe cruising altitude that is suitable for the city's flight environment and can meet the requirements of the flight delivery vehicle to reach the fire point in the shortest time. S11, Level Cruise: After the flight delivery vehicle reaches the maximum safe cruise altitude, it enters level flight and flies to the vicinity of the fire point in the jurisdiction along the shortest flight path at its own maximum permissible safe cruise speed. S12. Glide and Hovering: At a pre-set or pilot-selected glide point near the fire point in the jurisdiction, the flight delivery vehicle descends from the cruising altitude to the minimum safe hovering altitude that allows for the shortest possible aerial delivery and fire extinguishing combination to be completed in the shortest time, and hovers stably. S13. Hovering and Lifting: At the minimum permissible safe hovering altitude, the flight delivery vehicle safely lowers the aerial basket loaded with the aerial fire extinguishing assembly to the ground at its maximum permissible safe descent speed, achieving the shortest possible lifting time. S14. Economic return mode of air-dropped delivery vehicle and air-dropped firefighting combination: After the air-dropped delivery vehicle completes the safe hoisting and deployment of the air-dropped firefighting combination, it carries the unloaded air basket and flies directly back to the jurisdictional air-dropped fire station along the shortest route; after the air-dropped firefighting combination completes the firefighting mission, it is transported back to the stationed air-dropped fire station by ground transportation vehicles. S15. Social sustainability of ground support systems: In addition to meeting the performance requirements of reliable ≤60s standby rapid takeoff of on-duty flight delivery vehicles, ground support systems also have the attribute of low cost and universal accessibility in terms of purchase, operation and maintenance costs.

[0016] Furthermore, the maximum permissible safe cruising speed of the flight delivery vehicle is not less than 250 km / h.

[0017] Furthermore, the tethered firefighting drone take-off and landing platform of the servo-assisted ground supply platform is equipped with a controllable locking buckle, which is used to automatically lock and unlock the firefighting drone on the take-off and landing platform for release.

[0018] Furthermore, after the aerial basket is dropped and touches the ground, the tethered ground supply platform immediately drives out of the aerial basket. The tethered fire-fighting drone takes off under control or automatically according to a preset procedure before / during / after the tethered ground supply platform leaves the aerial basket, carrying a fire-fighting propellant conveyor belt, power supply cable, or possibly communication optical / cable, and flies directly to the fire point.

[0019] Furthermore, at the moment when the flight delivery vehicle begins its descent during the hovering and dropping phase, or during the descent, the tethered firefighting drone is controlled or automatically takes off according to a preset procedure, carrying a fire extinguishing agent conveyor belt, power cable, or possibly communication optical / electrical cables, and flies directly to the fire point.

[0020] Furthermore, the flight delivery vehicle is equipped with a space for firefighters to be housed, which is used to transport firefighters to the fire site simultaneously.

[0021] Furthermore, the firefighters include pilots of the mobile ground supply platform, pilots of tethered firefighting drones, and full-time firefighters. The pilots and pilots can be full-time firefighters who also serve as pilots. The firefighters descend from the flying delivery vehicle to the ground by rappelling to support and cooperate with the mobile ground supply platform operations.

[0022] Furthermore, the control mode of the flight delivery vehicle / follow-up ground supply platform can be manned / unmanned / AI intelligent control mode, or a switchable mode of the three.

[0023] Furthermore, during the horizontal flight phase, the flight delivery vehicle lowers the aerial basket loaded with the aerial fire-fighting assembly to a suitable height by simultaneously launching it in flight.

[0024] Furthermore, for ordinary urban fires, the minimum firefighting force dispatched by the local aerial fire station for the first wave of firefighting operations is one firefighting unit. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1: In this example, the flight delivery vehicle is an AC313 helicopter, a heavy-duty helicopter with hovering and sling-drop capabilities. The maximum safe cruising speed is not less than 250 km / h, the optimal climb angle is 10°, the maximum safe climb speed is not less than 120 km / h, the optimal glide angle is 8°, and the maximum safe glide speed is not less than 120 km / h. The maximum safe cruising altitude is set at 300 m (to accommodate urban high-rise building height restrictions); the minimum hovering altitude is 25 m; the pre-takeoff preparation time is controlled to be ≤60 s; and the descent speed is 1.0 m / s.

[0027] The fire station's fire-fighting jurisdiction radius is 12km. The total time from when the aerial delivery vehicle receives the order and flies to the fire point at the edge of the fire station's jurisdiction (the furthest distance) to start water extinguishing is about 5 minutes and 14 seconds. The specific implementation steps are as follows: S0. The main firefighting equipment for the city is tethered firefighting drones. S1. The tethered firefighting drone delivery mode adopts air transport delivery. S2. Use the mobile ground supply platform as the operation support platform for tethered firefighting drones; S3. A tethered firefighting drone and a mobile ground supply platform constitute an aerial firefighting combination: The tethered firefighting drone is deployed in an open loading mode on an open take-off and landing platform of the mobile ground supply platform. The take-off and landing platform is equipped with locking latches, which allow the tethered firefighting drone to be locked and unlocked for launch. The latches have manual / automatic operation modes, ensuring a secure connection between the tethered firefighting drone and the take-off and landing platform of the mobile ground supply platform, ensuring safe transportation and convenient and quick launch.

[0028] The reason why tethered firefighting drones are deployed in an open, non-enclosed manner on the take-off and landing platform of the mobile ground supply platform is to facilitate the drones' non-redundant operation and enable them to take off from the platform and reach the fire in the shortest possible time. The aerial-dropped firefighting assembly is loaded in an aviation basket and secured by a position locking device inside the basket to ensure safe air transport. The aerial-dropped firefighting assembly is then delivered to the fire scene by a flight delivery vehicle using a sling-mounted transport method. S4. Selection of Airborne Firefighting Combination Transport Vehicle: An aircraft with hovering capability and capable of aerial sling-drop operations is selected. The carrier for loading the airborne firefighting combination is an aviation basket adapted to the hovering and safe sling-drop of the aircraft. The airborne firefighting combination is loaded in the aviation basket, forming an airborne transport vehicle. The airborne transport vehicle transports the airborne firefighting combination by sling-load and drops it to the fire scene. This can effectively solve the problem of airborne firefighting combination deployment in densely built-up urban areas where fires occur and there is a lack of suitable landing sites for airborne transport vehicles. Moreover, compared to airborne transport vehicles deploying the airborne firefighting combination to the fire scene by landing, the time is shorter. Therefore, the ability to hover and perform aerial sling-drop operations is a key and necessary performance characteristic of the airborne transport vehicle.

[0029] S5. Enable autonomous take-off and landing of aerial delivery vehicles within the city: Scientifically and appropriately construct a number of aerial fire stations within the city, each equipped with autonomous take-off and landing facilities for aerial firefighting vehicles to perform aerial firefighting missions. This allows the aerial firefighting combination to respond promptly to sudden urban fires and land freely; this is a necessary condition for the invention to achieve the shortest possible deployment for urban firefighting. In specific implementation, based on the principle of ensuring seamless fire protection coverage of the urban built-up area while minimizing the impact of aerial transport vehicle noise on the central urban area, the facilities supporting autonomous take-off and landing of aerial transport vehicles will be deployed at aerial fire stations within the city. This allows aerial transport vehicles responsible for transporting and delivering professional firefighting equipment to reach as close as possible to any potential fire front within the jurisdiction, creating conditions for the shortest possible deployment of professional urban firefighting equipment. S6. Establish an air traffic control policy guarantee mechanism for the autonomous take-off and landing of airborne delivery vehicles for urban firefighting: relevant departments shall grant airborne delivery vehicles performing urban firefighting flight missions special flight rights without reporting or exemption from reporting and approval; if there are certain essential reporting and approval procedures for air traffic control, the urban fire department or certain departments of the urban government shall perform the reporting obligations on their behalf; this is another necessary condition for the present invention to achieve the shortest possible deployment of urban firefighting.

[0030] S7. Rapid takeoff support for flight delivery vehicles: A ground support system for rapid takeoff of on-duty flight delivery vehicles with a time limit of ≤60s is deployed at the air traffic control station. Only on-duty flight delivery vehicles need to connect to the rapid takeoff ground support system to support them in obtaining the ≤60s rapid takeoff capability. S8. Takeoff Preparation: The aerial delivery firefighting combination is loaded into the aerial basket, and the aerial basket is pre-attached to the flight delivery vehicle. The flight delivery vehicle on duty is set to 24-hour ready-to-takeoff status and completes pre-inspection of the fuselage, delivery system and related equipment, and pre-power-on. After receiving the alarm order, the flight delivery vehicle completes all necessary pre-takeoff procedures (including but not limited to releasing the brakes, rotor stabilization, navigation and positioning, communication confirmation, etc.) within ≤60 seconds, and has the capability and conditions to take off immediately from the local aerial fire station in the fire-fighting jurisdiction and fly to the fire point in the fire-fighting jurisdiction to carry out firefighting missions. S9. Receiving an order and dispatching: The flight delivery vehicle completes all necessary pre-takeoff procedures in ≤60s, takes off directly from the local aviation fire station in the fire-fighting jurisdiction, compresses or cancels all unnecessary takeoff inspection procedures, does not conduct ground hovering inspections, and flies to the fire point in the fire-fighting jurisdiction to carry out fire-fighting tasks. S10. Takeoff and Climb: After takeoff, the airdrop vehicle immediately enters its optimal climb angle (determined by the aerodynamic characteristics and dynamic performance of the airdrop vehicle, typically 8°–12°) upon liftoff, and climbs at its maximum safe climb speed (determined by the dynamic limits and structural strength of the airdrop vehicle, typically 100–120 km / h). During the climb, the airdrop vehicle maintains a stable attitude without unnecessary adjustments; it reaches the maximum safe cruising altitude (typically 300–400 m, determined and adjusted based on the actual height of tall buildings in the city and their distribution within the city) suitable for the city's flight environment, allowing it to reach the fire point in the shortest possible time. In this embodiment, the vertical climb angle is set at 12°; the climb height at 300 m; and the climb speed at 120 km / h. Based on this, the climb time is calculated to be 9.2 seconds. S11. Horizontal Cruise: After reaching the maximum safe cruise altitude, the flight delivery vehicle immediately transitions to level flight. In this embodiment, the maximum permissible safe cruise speed for the flight delivery vehicle is set to no less than 250 km / h. The shortest flight path (total horizontal distance) from the fire station in the jurisdiction to the fire point in the fire area is set to 12 km. Actual horizontal cruise distance = total distance minus (horizontal climb + horizontal descent) distance. Based on this, the horizontal cruise time is calculated to be 171.32 s.

[0031] S12. Glide and Hovering: At a pre-set glide point near the fire location within the jurisdiction (precisely located by the airborne navigation system, or provided by the fire command system, or selected on-site by the pilot of the airdrop vehicle), the airdrop vehicle uses its own optimal glide angle (determined by the aerodynamic characteristics and safety requirements of the airdrop vehicle, typically 6°–8°) and maximum safe glide speed (determined by the rotor aerodynamics and structural load limits of the airdrop vehicle, typically 100–120 km / h). In this embodiment, the glide angle is set to 8°; the vertical glide distance is set to 280 m; and the cruise speed is set to 120 km / h. After reaching the hovering altitude, the vehicle hovers stably without any redundant operations such as go-around or adjustments. Based on this, the glide time is calculated to be 8.48 s.

[0032] S13. Hovering and Deployment: At the minimum hovering altitude, the flight delivery vehicle, at its maximum permissible safe descent speed (typically 0.8–1.0 m / s – at a hovering altitude of 20 m, at a maximum safe descent speed of 1.0 m / s), safely lowers the aerial basket carrying the aerial firefighting assembly to the ground, achieving deployment in the shortest possible time. After the aerial basket touches the ground, the quick-release latch automatically unlocks, simultaneously activating the power supply to the tethered firefighting drone, ensuring the drone can take off from ground contact. The shortest time to reach the fire point is achieved. In this embodiment, the vertical landing distance of the flight delivery vehicle from the hovering point is taken as 20m, and the descent speed is taken as 1.0m / s. After the flight basket touches the ground, it is automatically unlocked by the quick-release lock, and the power supply of the tethered fire-fighting drone is started simultaneously. It is ensured that the time from the equipment touching the ground to the take-off and flight to the fire point to start spraying water for fire extinguishing is set to 25s. Based on this, it is calculated that the time from the flight basket touching the ground and hovering to the tethered fire-fighting drone taking off and flying to the fire point to start spraying water for fire extinguishing is 45s.

[0033] The total time from the time the flying delivery vehicle receives the alarm order to the time the tethered fire-fighting drone touches the ground, takes off, flies to the fire point, and begins spraying water to extinguish the fire is 9.2 + 171.32 + 7.48 + 45 = 236 seconds = 3.93 minutes.

[0034] This indicates that as long as the time from the discovery of a fire, the alarm, and the issuance of the dispatch order does not exceed 2 minutes, the present invention can meet the tactical time requirements of "extinguishing the fire early and extinguishing the small fires".

[0035] S14. Economic Return of Flight Delivery Vehicles and Aerial Firefighting Combinations: After the flight delivery vehicle safely lands the aerial firefighting combination, it immediately takes off with the unloaded empty aerial basket and returns to the station in an economical flight mode, such as: following the shortest path; flying back to the station at an economical speed to prepare for subsequent emergency missions; after the aerial firefighting combination completes its firefighting mission, it chooses a non-air transport method to return to the station: the mobile ground supply platform, tethered firefighting drones, and firefighters are transported back to the station by ground transport vehicles through dispatch, service purchase, or leasing. Maintenance and resupply are carried out for future use. Alternatively, the mobile ground supply platform may be loaded with tethered firefighting drones, and firefighters may drive themselves back to the local fire station.

[0036] S15. Social Affordability of Ground Support Systems: Ground support systems, besides ensuring reliable ≤60s readiness and rapid takeoff of on-duty transport vehicles, are crucial for early and effective fire suppression in urban areas. Because they require 24-hour standby, excessively high purchase and operating costs would make them unsustainable for society, rendering aerial firefighting technology impractical. Therefore, to promote the widespread application of aerial firefighting technology, the purchase cost, especially the operation and maintenance cost, of ground support systems must be reduced to a level that is socially affordable. The solution is to select and deploy ground support systems based on low operating and maintenance costs, characterized by "low-cost preheating + low-pressure long-term standby + pre-installation and pre-attachment + minimal personnel," ensuring the social affordability of ground support systems—that is, low-cost and universally accessible deployment and operation.

[0037] The AC313 described in this embodiment is equipped with a space for firefighters, allowing for 3-6 firefighters to be accommodated. Firefighters rappel down from the suspended AC313 to the ground, achieving simultaneous and rapid deployment of firefighting equipment and firefighters, thus improving the efficiency of coordinated fire response.

[0038] The mobile ground supply platform provides operational support for firefighters, such as: controlling tethered firefighting drones to fly to the fire site and performing various firefighting operations such as: breaking windows, spraying fire extinguishing agents, reconnaissance of the fire, and transmitting fire information; piloting the mobile ground supply platform to coordinate with the tethered firefighting drones for aerial firefighting operations; connecting the mobile ground supply platform to fire hydrants near the burning building to replenish water or prepare for water replenishment; and conducting door-to-door inspections or rescues after or nearing the completion of firefighting.

[0039] It should be noted that the parameters in this invention (such as climb angle, speed, altitude, time, etc.) are typical values ​​and can be adjusted according to the performance of different flight delivery vehicles, urban flight environment, fire point distance, and other actual conditions, all of which are within the protection scope of this invention.

[0040] Example 2: In this example, the airborne delivery vehicle is a tiltrotor aircraft, with a maximum permissible safe cruising speed of 250-270 km / h, an optimal climb angle of 12-15°, a maximum safe climb speed of 130-150 km / h, an optimal glide angle of 8-15°, and a maximum safe glide speed of 130-150 km / h. The airborne firefighting combination is a combination of a tethered firefighting UAV and a mobile ground supply platform; the maximum safe cruising altitude is 360-400 m; and the minimum hovering altitude is (15-...). The flight distance is 60m; the pre-flight preparation time is controlled within 50s; the maximum descent speed is 1.5m / s; and it carries 3 firefighters (1 full-time firefighter and 1 pilot of the mobile ground supply platform who also serves as the pilot of the tethered firefighting drone). The process of transporting and deploying the flight delivery vehicle from receiving the alarm order to flying to the edge of the fire station's jurisdiction (the furthest distance) to start water spraying for firefighting is similar to that in Example 1. The entire process from receiving the alarm order to the tethered firefighting drone touching the ground and taking off to fly to the fire point to start spraying water for firefighting does not exceed 4 minutes.

[0041] Example 1: "Aerial Start-up" Time-Saving Mode for Tethered Firefighting Drones to Fired Buildings: In this embodiment, the aerial firefighting combination is started in "aerial start-up." This means that the servo-driven ground supply platform automatically supplies power to the tethered firefighting drone when the flight delivery vehicle enters the hovering and dropping phase. At the moment / during the lifting of the aerial basket, the tethered firefighting drone, carrying the fire extinguishing agent conveyor belt, power cable, and possibly also a communication cable, takes off directly from the take-off and landing platform of the servo-driven ground supply platform within the aerial basket, according to a preset automatic control mode, and flies to the fire point. This minimizes the time required for the tethered firefighting drone to begin firefighting operations after arriving at the fire scene, ensuring reliable early and small-scale fire suppression.

[0042] Example 2: Special air traffic control arrangements for urban firefighting flights by airlift vehicles: All airlift vehicles performing urban firefighting missions are carrying out orders from higher authorities, with clearly defined tasks, times, routes, origins and destinations, and pilot identities. Multiple technical means, such as BeiDou navigation satellites, local auxiliary flight monitoring, and organizational management methods, such as militarized management, are utilized to implement real-time, comprehensive safety monitoring of airlift vehicles performing urban firefighting missions. Based on this, special flight permits are granted to airlift vehicles performing urban firefighting missions. This approach ensures that airlift vehicles can be deployed to the scene of urban fires with zero delays, while also meeting the safety requirements for low-altitude flights in urban areas.

[0043] Example 3: During the horizontal flight phase of the airborne delivery vehicle, a simultaneous flight and lowering mode is employed: In the horizontal flight phase, a short distance before the fire point, the airborne delivery vehicle lowers the aerial basket carrying the aerial fire-fighting assembly to a suitable height using a simultaneous flight and lowering method. This not only meets safe flight requirements but also allows for further reduction of the aerial basket lowering time, thus maximizing the fire-fighting operation time for tethered fire-fighting drones.

[0044] Example 4: Control mode of flying delivery vehicle / flying ground supply platform: The control mode of tethered fire extinguishing drone / flying delivery vehicle / flying ground supply platform can be set to manned control / unmanned control / AI intelligent control mode, or a switchable mode of the three.

[0045] Example 5: Economical and Rapid Takeoff Support for Flight Delivery Vehicles: The airborne fire station serves as the flight delivery vehicle on duty. The configured support system ensures that the flight delivery vehicle, under full load, can achieve rapid takeoff within 60 seconds with the ground support system. This system features 24-hour non-full-power power supply and low-voltage standby for avionics, flight control, and delivery systems; low-current standby for key modules; instant power-on self-test upon alarm response; power interface + simple monitoring; one-button power-on; one-button pre-pressure supply; one-button status confirmation; automatic alarm for abnormalities; and "low-cost ground preheating + low-voltage long-term standby" through fixed / mobile electric heating + low-calorific-value air circulation preheating, ensuring the flight delivery vehicle's rapid takeoff capability within 60 seconds. With its low energy consumption, minimal manpower, long-term standby time, and rapid start-up characteristics, this invention's aviation fire-fighting delivery system possesses the characteristics of a "universally beneficial standard configuration" that is suitable for long-term urban deployment, financially sustainable, and socially affordable, offering excellent economic benefits.

[0046] Example 6: Tethered firefighting drones equipped with fire extinguishing modes: In addition to their built-in water spray fire extinguishing mode, tethered firefighting drones may also have a fire extinguishing bomb fire extinguishing mode. The fire extinguishing bombs can be drop-type, launch-type, or a combination of drop-type and launch-type, or a simple fire extinguishing bomb mode. The appropriate mode can be selected based on the specific fire situation. Tethered firefighting drones can also be optionally equipped with window-breaking devices, lighting, video recording, indoor fire detection, ground remote control, AI self-control, and audible or visual warning devices, etc.

[0047] Example 7: Fire extinguishing system configured on the mobile ground supply platform: The fire extinguishing propellant supply system of the tethered fire extinguishing drone configured on the mobile ground supply platform can be set up as a CAFS fire extinguishing system specifically for dealing with ordinary fires / a fire extinguishing system with special fire extinguishing propellant for dealing with special fires, such as a dedicated fire extinguishing system for dealing with electrical fires and oil and gas fires.

[0048] The fire extinguishing system configured with different extinguishing media on the dynamic ground supply platform has the structural and functional conditions to be quickly replaced with other fire extinguishing systems.

[0049] Example 8, Economic Firefighting Mode: This mode involves sending a flight delivery vehicle carrying an empty aerial basket back to the local aerial fire station after delivering professional firefighting equipment. It also involves transporting the completed aerial firefighting team, including firefighters, back to the local aerial fire station using ground transportation. Alternatively, it can include a mobile ground supply platform carrying tethered firefighting drones and firefighters driving themselves back to the local fire station. This reduces the cost of urban aerial firefighting through multiple methods. Alternatively, a mobile ground supply platform can carry tethered firefighting drones and firefighters driving themselves back to the local aerial fire station. This mode utilizes a cost-effective ground support system to ensure rapid takeoff of the flight delivery vehicle, reducing operating costs; it focuses on early detection and suppression of small fires to avoid large-scale damage; it minimizes firefighting costs with the shortest possible firefighting time; and it reduces usage costs with economical return trips, making high-end aerial firefighting a standard capability that cities can afford, widely implement, and sustainably utilize.

[0050] Example 9, Unit Firefighting Unit: Because cities using aerial firefighting technology have withdrawn various fire trucks from the city, the only way to extinguish fires of all sizes in the city is through urban aerial firefighting. This means that aerial firefighting technology must be capable of handling all types of fires in the city.

[0051] Based on the "early detection and early suppression" advantages of aerial firefighting technology, fires are extinguished in their initial stages. This results in shorter extinguishing times and lower consumption of extinguishing agents, making it unsuitable for high-volume firefighting equipment. Furthermore, considering that over 95% of urban fires are classified as ordinary fires, the firefighting capacity of tethered firefighting drones is designed to be small, meaning a lower output of extinguishing agents per unit time. In other words, it is necessary for the output of a single tethered firefighting drone per unit time to be significantly less than that of a fire truck. This also means that the core key to the success of aerial firefighting in extinguishing urban fires lies in its "early detection and early suppression" technological advantage.

[0052] However, sudden, large fires are inevitable in cities, and the conditions for "early detection and early suppression" do not apply to these types of fires. For cities that have already implemented aerial firefighting technology, this means that sudden, large fires can only be handled by urban aerial firefighting alone. In such cases, multiple urban aerial firefighting aircraft / sweeps are needed to concentrate their efforts for a chance of successful extinguishing. Therefore, individual aerial firefighting stations need to be equipped with sufficient firefighting equipment to deal with sudden, large fires, and may also require coordinated support from neighboring aerial firefighting stations.

[0053] Furthermore, due to various reasons, ordinary fires may escalate into large-scale fires. In such cases, if the aerial fire station only dispatches a single aerial drop firefighting unit, it is easy to become ineffective in extinguishing the fire, delaying firefighting efforts and contributing to the outbreak of a large-scale fire. Therefore, for ordinary urban fires, the minimum aerial firefighting force dispatched by the local aerial fire station should not be a single aerial drop firefighting unit.

[0054] Therefore, firefighting forces dispatched to perform the same ordinary urban firefighting mission should be designed as a single firefighting unit. This involves incorporating the concept of a lead and wingman into the design of the unit, where two tethered firefighting drones are deployed for a specific firefighting mission. One drone serves as the lead aircraft, or main firefighting aircraft, while the other acts as a support aircraft. At the start of firefighting operations, the lead aircraft initiates the firefighting efforts, while the wingman hovers nearby to observe. If the fire becomes too large and the lead aircraft struggles to extinguish it, the wingman immediately intervenes, creating a two-aircraft collaborative firefighting scenario to ensure the fire is extinguished early and small. If the fire becomes too large or is not an ordinary fire, and the two aircraft are unable to extinguish it effectively, the command center is immediately notified to dispatch additional firefighting units from the local or adjacent aerial firefighting stations.

[0055] Therefore, a single firefighting unit comprises two aerial delivery firefighting systems and two aerial delivery vehicles, forming the basic organizational model for aerial firefighting. This represents the safest and most effective minimum deployment force when a city experiences a fire requiring the deployment of professional firefighting personnel from aerial firefighting stations.

[0056] The number of fire extinguishing units deployed at aerial fire stations is determined by the importance of the fire service in the area where the station is located: A typical aerial fire station has 3-5 units to meet the needs of routine fire suppression; a higher configuration has 6-7 units; and particularly important fire service areas (such as core business districts and large transportation hubs) may have nearly 10 units or more. This ensures comprehensive and seamless coverage and a zero-blind-spot response for urban fire protection. However, aerial fire stations must have at least one and no more than three standby fire extinguishing units to ensure comprehensive and seamless coverage and a zero-blind-spot response for fire protection in urban built-up areas.

[0057] When a fire occurs in a city and the fire command department is certain that there is no major risk of spread, but it is still necessary for the aerial fire station to dispatch professional firefighting forces to extinguish the fire; for cities with low fire accident rates or low fire importance, the on-duty firefighting forces configured at the aerial fire station may be set up as individual firefighting units consisting of a single set of aerial drop firefighting combination and a single flight delivery vehicle.

[0058] Beneficial effects This invention possesses unimpeded ground transportation and rapid deployment capabilities for professional urban firefighting equipment. Applying this invention, after receiving an alarm, the firefighter can reach the furthest fire point within the fire service area within a maximum of 6 minutes to carry out firefighting missions. It can achieve "early detection and early suppression" of over 95% of ordinary urban fires and handle over 98% of high-rise building fires in cities. It significantly reduces the risk of firefighter injuries and mitigates secondary disasters during firefighting. A small number of urban aerial fire stations can achieve seamless firefighting coverage in urban built-up areas, greatly enhancing urban fire safety. It establishes a convenient take-off and landing management mechanism for heavy-duty helicopters transported for aerial firefighting within urban fire service areas, creating conditions for aerial firefighting to be deployed in cities and become a mainstay of urban firefighting. It has invented multiple ways to reduce the high operating costs of aerial firefighting, making high-end aerial firefighting affordable for cities. It opens up a new application market for heavy-duty helicopters globally and is expected to make a substantial contribution to the development of the low-altitude economy. It has outstanding social promotion value and industrial applicability. It completely subverts the urban fire truck firefighting mode, representing a revolutionary technology in the firefighting field, a valuable invention that benefits the country and its people, and has broad and far-reaching significance.

Claims

1. An aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S0. Changes in the main urban firefighting equipment: In the future, tethered firefighting drones will replace various fire trucks as the absolute main firefighting equipment in urban areas. S1. Change of transport mode for tethered firefighting drones: Change the current fire truck transport mode for tethered firefighting drones to air transport delivery mode. S2. Change of tethered fire-fighting drone operation support platform: Change the current stationary tethered fire-fighting drone fire truck support platform mode to a mobile ground supply platform that can cooperate with the aerial fire-fighting maneuver of tethered fire-fighting drones to perform ground following maneuvers. S3. Combination of tethered firefighting drones and mobile ground supply platform: The mobile ground supply platform is equipped with an exposed tethered firefighting drone take-off and landing platform. The tethered firefighting drones are deployed in an open loading mode on the take-off and landing platform of the mobile ground supply platform, forming an aerial firefighting combination. S4. Selection of aerial fire extinguishing combination transport and delivery vehicle: An aircraft with hovering capability and capable of aerial sling-drop operations is used as the aerial fire extinguishing combination transport and delivery vehicle, referred to as the aerial transport and delivery vehicle; the aerial fire extinguishing combination is loaded in an aviation basket that is compatible with the safe transport and sling-drop of the aforementioned aerial transport and delivery vehicle, and the aerial transport and delivery vehicle delivers the aerial fire extinguishing combination to the fire scene by sling-dropping the aviation basket; S5. Enable flight delivery vehicles to take off and land autonomously in urban areas: Deploy and construct several aerial fire stations in urban areas where aerial firefighting methods are applied, with each aerial fire station equipped with facilities for the autonomous take-off and landing of flight delivery vehicles to perform aerial firefighting missions. S6. Establish an air traffic control policy guarantee mechanism for the autonomous take-off and landing of air delivery vehicles for urban firefighting: relevant departments shall grant air delivery vehicles performing urban firefighting missions the right to take off, land, and fly freely; if there are necessary reporting and approval procedures related to air traffic control, change to reporting on behalf of others, or reporting after the fact, or exempt from reporting. S7. Rapid Takeoff Technical Support for Flight Delivery Vehicles: The air traffic control station is equipped with a ground support system that ensures the rapid takeoff of on-duty flight delivery vehicles within ≤60 seconds. S8. Takeoff preparation: Complete the pre-preparation of various firefighting operations and loading in the aircraft basket for the on-duty airdrop firefighting combination; and complete the relevant procedures for the on-duty flight delivery vehicle to meet the requirements of ≤60s standby and rapid takeoff. S9. Receiving and dispatching orders: After receiving an order, the aerial delivery vehicle carrying the aerial basket containing the aerial fire-fighting combination will immediately take off from the aerial fire station in the fire jurisdiction, compressing or eliminating all unnecessary take-off inspection procedures, and fly directly to the fire point in the fire jurisdiction to carry out the fire-fighting mission. S10. Takeoff and Climb: The flight delivery vehicle enters its own optimal climb angle and climbs at its own maximum safe climb speed the moment it leaves the ground, directly reaching the maximum safe cruising altitude that is suitable for the city's flight environment and can meet the requirements of the flight delivery vehicle to reach the fire point in the shortest time. S11, Level Cruise: After the flight delivery vehicle reaches the maximum safe cruise altitude, it enters level flight and flies to the vicinity of the fire point in the jurisdiction along the shortest flight path at its own maximum permissible safe cruise speed. S12. Glide and Hovering: At a pre-set or pilot-selected glide point near the fire point in the jurisdiction, the flight delivery vehicle descends from the cruising altitude to the minimum safe hovering altitude that allows for the shortest possible aerial delivery and fire extinguishing combination to be completed in the shortest time, and hovers stably. S13. Hovering and Lifting: At the minimum permissible safe hovering altitude, the flight delivery vehicle safely lowers the aerial basket loaded with the aerial fire extinguishing assembly to the ground at its maximum permissible safe descent speed, achieving the shortest possible lifting time. S14. Economic return mode of air-dropped delivery vehicle and air-dropped firefighting combination: After the air-dropped delivery vehicle completes the safe hoisting and deployment of the air-dropped firefighting combination, it carries the unloaded air basket and flies directly back to the jurisdictional air-dropped fire station along the shortest route; after the air-dropped firefighting combination completes the firefighting mission, it is transported back to the stationed air-dropped fire station by ground transportation vehicles. S15. Social sustainability of ground support systems: In addition to meeting the performance requirements of reliable ≤60s standby rapid takeoff of on-duty flight delivery vehicles, ground support systems also have the attribute of low cost and universal accessibility in terms of purchase, operation and maintenance costs.

2. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum permissible safe cruising speed of the flight delivery vehicle shall not be less than 250 km / h.

3. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tethered firefighting drone take-off and landing platform of the servo-guided ground supply platform is equipped with a controllable locking buckle, which is used to automatically lock and unlock the firefighting drone on the take-off and landing platform for release.

4. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the aerial basket is dropped and touches the ground, the tethered ground supply platform immediately drives out of the aerial basket. The tethered fire-fighting drone takes off under control or automatically according to a preset procedure before / during / after the tethered ground supply platform leaves the aerial basket, carrying the fire-fighting medium conveyor belt, power supply cable, and may also include communication optical / cable, and flies directly to the fire point.

5. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the descent or landing of the flight delivery vehicle into the hovering and dropping phase, the tethered firefighting drone is controlled or automatically takes off according to a preset procedure, carrying a fire extinguishing agent conveyor belt, power cable, or communication optical / electrical cable, and flies directly to the fire point.

6. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flight delivery vehicle is equipped with a space for firefighters to be housed, which is used to transport firefighters to the fire site simultaneously.

7. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claims 1 and 6, characterized in that, The firefighters include pilots of the mobile ground supply platform, pilots of tethered firefighting drones, and full-time firefighters. The pilots and pilots may be full-time firefighters who also serve as pilots. The firefighters descend from the flying delivery vehicle to the ground by rope to support and cooperate with the mobile ground supply platform operations.

8. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control mode of the flight delivery vehicle / follow-up ground supply platform can be manned / unmanned / AI intelligent control mode, or a switchable mode of the three.

9. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the horizontal flight phase, the flight delivery vehicle lowers the aerial basket loaded with the aerial fire-fighting assembly to a suitable height using a method of simultaneous flight and lowering.

10. The aerial firefighting method for large and medium-sized cities according to claim 1, characterized in that, For ordinary urban fires, the minimum firefighting force dispatched by the local aerial fire station for the first wave of firefighting missions is one firefighting unit.