Fire-activated pressurized canned water device for forest fire suppression

Abstract

A pressurized, air-droppable water canister system is disclosed for rapid forest fire suppression. The canister is designed to automatically release its water payload upon fire exposure or falling impact. It comprises a metallic container sealed with a pressure-loaded lid, secured by a heat- sensitive rope and a one-way tightening mechanism. Upon fire exposure, the rope burns and releases the lid, allowing the spring or compressed air to open the can and discharge the water. Each can include a metallic parachute that aids in aerial stability and accurate water dispersal. The design enables reuse, stackability, and cost-efficient mass deployment from standard cargo aircraft or drones without requiring specialized firefighting aircraft. This invention ensures fast and effective water delivery with minimal evaporation loss and enhanced terrain adaptability. It addresses limitations in current aerial firefighting methods by improving delivery precision, reducing equipment costs, and increasing operational safety in high-risk or remote fire zones.

Description

[0001] Title:

[0002] Fire-Activated Pressurized Canned Water Device for Forest Fire Suppression

[0003] Technical Field:

[0004] The present invention relates to forest fire suppression technology, particularly to air-droppable water containers that automatically activate upon hitting tree branches or flame exposure to deliver targeted water release for extinguishing fires. This device improves firefighting in remote or high- risk areas with enhanced reusability and deployment speed.

[0005] Background Art:

[0006] Conventional aerial firefighting techniques commonly involve helicopters or airplanes that dump large volumes of water or fire retardant from above the fire zone. However, such approaches often suffer from significant inefficiencies, including:

[0007] Poor accuracy in targeting the fire source, especially in windy or mountainous conditions. High evaporation losses occur before the falling water reaches the fire. High operational costs and time-consuming turnaround for aircraft to water refill.

[0008] Several prior art patents attempt to address aerial firefighting delivery, such as:

[0009] Application KR19748949 suggests a canon that shoots fire extinguishing material into the fire zone. It uses pressurized air to shoot a projectile device into fire. It is obvious, this canon should be carried by land and it cannot shoot too far into the forest. Also size of the projectile is fixed according to the cannon bore and the weight; therefore amount of fire retardant in each shot is limited. Also, the canisters that will be blasted in the fire are not reusable.

[0010] Invention with publication number CN336085932, they propose a forest fire extinguishing bomb which is released from a UAV or chopper and designed to explode over the fire crown and deliver and distribute fire extinguishing material over the fire crown. It should be noted that the explosive mechanism is not safe for handling and stacking.

[0011] Patent KR211166285 involves a canister-type device for delivering fire extinguishing materials. The author suggests connecting several canisters to be loaded into an aircraft that sprays over fire zone from the sky. The benefit is that a normal cargo plane can be turned into a firefighting aircraft. But like other conventional methods, drift and droplet size are the issues.

[0012] In patent application CN249765050, the use of an exploding water bag is proposed. This bag is filled with water and pressurized air and will drop over fire, it will explode, hitting the ground or using a delay fuse to explode before hitting the ground.

[0013] Similar to the previous patent, the inventor in patent AU323241882 suggests drones that are carried by a parent cargo plane, will drop water bags. US7089862B1, this patent discloses a lightweight, explosive-based fire extinguisher, a rigid foam or frangible sphere containing dry or wet chemical agents and a low-yield detonator. Upon activation via fuse, it bursts, dispersing the extinguishing agent as a 360° aerosol. This innovation requires a detonator, fuse, and refill mechanisms, which lead to higher manufacturing and maintenance efforts.

[0014] However, none of these inventions provides a reusable, modular system capable of mass deployment and functioning based on both impact and fire exposure.

[0015] Summary of Invention:

[0016] Technical Problem:

[0017] Forest fires are more common due to climate change, causing hotter, drier conditions and longer fire seasons, amplified by human ignitions. This leads to devastating environmental damage: massive carbon emissions worsen global warming, vital habitats are destroyed, and air and water quality plummet. Biodiversity is lost, and soil erosion increases, creating long-term ecological and societal impacts. Most countries use aerial firefighting to reach the fire. Aerial forest firefighting using conventional methods has some problems, like:

[0018] Poor accuracy in targeting the fire source, especially in windy or mountainous conditions, since large fires and hot waves of air cause severe winds, especially in the heart of the fire. This causes the drift of water droplets or any other fire retardant. Also, high evaporation of falling water will reduce the effectiveness, so most of the water never reaches the actual fire.

[0019] On the other hand, flying low over a fire crown in terrain in such hot, windy and smoky conditions is not possible and very dangerous for airplanes, so they may miss the target.

[0020] Lack of water resources near fire, which usually occurs in dry seasons, will affect fire suppression. Another important issue is that special firefighting aircraft that carries bulk water is not obtained by many countries or they do not have enough of them.

[0021] Solution to Problem:

[0022] To address stated problem, we propose special canned water that will be air-dropped over the fire. This can will open upon exposure to fire or extreme heat, or upon hitting the branches. The lid of the can is spring-loaded and is fastened and tightened by a thin plastic rope. A one-way rope tightening mechanism will pull and stretch the rope. The rope is passed between several hooks on the lid and body. The hooks are placed up and down manner, as the rope is tightened, the can lid is forced down toward the can body and seals the can. A silicon sealant gasket (O-ring) is also fitted to the can lid for a more effective seal. The cans may also be equipped with a metallic perforated parachute. This parachute will slow down the falling speed of cans and also the parachute may get stuck in trees and empty the load over the branches and trunk of the tree. All metallic parts are made from durable and reusable materials. The cans are recoverable and reusable; most units can be collected after deployment and refilled. Cans are stackable in airports and ready for deployment, allowing rapid distribution by air in emergencies. Advantageous Effects of Invention:

[0023] The key advantage of the current invention is that actual water is delivered to the fire. These cans are shaped with a parachute to ensure optimal descent speed, improved drop accuracy, and enhance targeting with minimum water loss. Using a very simple, cheap yet effective sealing method that snaps open upon reaching fire or hitting ground or being obstructed by the forest canopy. It doesn’t need any electronics, explosives, or complex triggers. Cost-effective since the cans are collectable and reusable, therefore reducing logistics costs. Fast deployment from key storage locations. No need for special firefighting aircraft, it can be deployed from normal cargo planes and helicopters, and many UAVs. It is scalable for mass production and storage for fast emergency response. Since it delivers actual water rather than mist, it can be very useful on mountain slopes because water can flow along the terrain and further help enhance fire suppression on slopes. In summary, the proposed invention significantly outperforms existing solutions in terms of reusability, deployment flexibility, terrain adaptability, and cost-effectiveness.

[0024] Brief Description of Drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 : exploded view of canned fire extinguishing device

[0026] Figure 2: parachute assembly

[0027] Figure 3: a: Parachute assembly closed (top).b: Parachute assembly opened (bottom).

[0028] Figure 4: Rope tightening mechanism.

[0029] Figure 5: Rope snaps and water splashing on fire

[0030] Description of Embodiments:

[0031] To implement the above goal, a special caned water is invented which according figure (1) comprises: a can body (3); a can lid (6); a can bottom (2); several hooks on the lid and can body (8); a rope tightening mechanism (9); a reinforcing band (4); a sealing gasket (8); a spring (5); parachute assembly (1) and a hanging hook (10). The system will shape up as follows: the can body (3) is made of thin, durable, lightweight metal and is corrugated to improve resistance to impacts. A reinforcing band (4) is fitted to the upper part of the can body, near the lid (6), around which multiple hooks are mounted (8). A rope tightening mechanism (9) is also fitted to the reinforcing band. Also, the hinge for the can lid is attached to this band.

[0032] Inside the can, a compression spring (5) is fitted at the bottom of the can (2) so it will push open the lid when the tightening rope is snapped. Instead of a compression spring, one can use pressurized air, so when the tightening rope is snapped, all the water splashes out at once. The parachute assembly in figure (2) comprises: a central supporting plate at top (101); several perforated curved blades (103); a regulating peripheral ring (104); and a related hinge (105). Each blade is connected to the central supporting plate via its hinge. Curved blades are slotted (102) and the regulating ring passes through them. There is a hole in the middle of the central supporting plate that can hook (106) pass through that. The blades are perforated so the weight is reduced and a suitable equilibrium between air flow and resistance is created. When the can is hanging, the parachute itself falls due to its weight. All the curved blades are closed and the regulating ring is in the lowest position. When the can is released from aircraft, the wind force raises the parachute and its blades. The regulating ring slides to the uppermost location of the slots and prevents the blades from opening more than a predetermined amount.

[0033] The system works as follows:

[0034] Step 1 : Filling and stacking cans (figure 1): water with or without fire retardant is filled in the can, then the lid (6) is forced against the spring (5) to close. The thin tightening rope is passed through the hooks on the lid and the can body (7) and is fastened to the rope tightening (9). By using a small wrench, one can tighten and seal the can. The ready cans will be stored in special pallets in a hanging position using the hook attached to the bottom of the can (10) and will be ready to ship or stack in airports or fire stations. According to usage, the reducing speed parachute (1) may be mounted on the bottom can.

[0035] The reducing speed parachute is made of several blades that are attached to the bottom of the can via a small hollow shaft (10). This shaft forms a hook at the other end. By this hook, each can is hung and stoked upside down. In stacking mode, parachute blades are hung vertically so reducing stacking space in an airplane or warehouse. It will open automatically upon release from the aircraft and function as a speed-reducing parachute. To control the movement of the parachute, a slot is made in its blade. A ring is passed through this slot, so when the ring is in the lowest position, the parachute is closed. When the blades are exposed to falling wind, the ring prevents the blades from opening beyond a pre-determined location, which is governed by the length of the slot.

[0036] Step 2: on a fire outbreak, the pallets will be loaded onto the cargo plane or chopper. Over fire epicenter or front, cans will be dropped one by one or in groups. As the cans are falling, the parachute (1) opens and slows the cans’ falling speed. As the can reaches the fire or hits the ground, the rope will bum and snap, so the lid will push open by spring (5) or by the weight of water or pressurized air. The can will fall upside down or on its side. That is because of the use of a parachute at the top of the can and the weight of the reinforcing band (4) on side of the can. So in any situation, reaching fire or hitting the branches, the water will be emptied.

[0037] Step 3: recollecting the cans: after the fire has subsided, the crew can collect the cans for the next use. The cans may be damaged in the falling phase, but they can be fixed easily or can be used as a spare part for others. Theoretically, only the tightening thin rope and sealing gasket should be replaced.

[0038] According to location, aircraft capabilities and type of fire, cans with different capacities may be used.

[0039] Detailed description of figure (4): details of the sealing mechanism are shown in figure (4). At the center of system is the rope tightening assembly (9) which comprise a one way rotating cylinder the thin rope (11) passes through several can body' s hook (401) and lid' s hook(7) in up and down configuration then passes through a hole in said rotating cylinder the rope tightening assembly. As that cylinder rotates, it winds the rope around its body and tightens the rope. The figure (4) also shows the lid hinge (402), reinforcing band (4), the corrugated part of the can body (3), and the can lid (6).

Claims

Claims:

1. A reusable, fire-activated, pressurized canned water device for aerial forest fire suppression, comprising:A can body configured to contain water or a fire retardant; a can lid hingedly connected to the can body;A sealing gasket positioned between the lid and can body;A spring or pressurized air disposed within the can body to exert an opening force on the lid;A plurality of hooks disposed alternately on the lid and the can body;A heat-sensitive rope routed through said hooks in an up-and-down sequence and secured by a one-way rope tightening mechanism to compress the sealing gasket and maintain the lid in a closed configuration against the spring or pressurized air;A parachute assembly attached to the can body via a hollow shaft; andA hanging hook formed by the hollow shaft for stacking and storage; wherein exposure to flame or high temperature melts or weakens the rope, or physical impact ruptures the rope, thereby releasing the lid and allowing the spring or pressurized air to open the lid and discharge the contents.

2. An aerial-deployable container for fire suppression, comprising a lid-sealing system configured to activate upon either:(a) burning, melting, or thermal degradation of a heat-sensitive rope caused by exposure to flame or elevated temperature, or(b) mechanical rupture of the rope caused by impact with branches, trees, or the ground; wherein said activation releases a lid secured against an internal opening force to discharge a stored volume of water or fire retardant.

3. A metallic folding parachute for aerial-deployable fire suppression devices, comprising:A central supporting plate having a central aperture for a hollow shaft connection to the device;A plurality of perforated curved blades hinged to the central supporting plate; andA regulating ring sliding within slots formed in the blades, wherein the blades fold vertically for compact stacking when the regulating ring is in a first position, and deploy to a predetermined angle upon aerial descent when the regulating ring moves to a second position under airflow, thereby controlling descent velocity.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the can body is corrugated to withstand vertical impact forces during aerial drop.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral reinforcing band attached near an upper portion of the can body, the reinforcing band serving as a mounting base for the hooks, lid hinge, and the rope tightening mechanism.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the can body, lid, parachute assembly, and reinforcing band are constructed from lightweight, durable metallic materials enabling recovery and reuse, with only the heat-sensitive rope and sealing gasket requiring replacement after each use.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the parachute assembly is configured to entangle with tree branches upon descent to discharge water directly over vegetation canopy.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the metallic parachute blades are shaped to provide aerodynamic stability in crosswinds.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the sealing gasket is an elastomeric O-ring positioned within a groove in the lid.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the one-way rope tightening mechanism comprises a ratcheting drum or cam-based tensioner that maintains rope tension after assembly.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said devices are mounted on a palletized frame for mass aerial deployment from a cargo aircraft, helicopter, or unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the can is filled with water, water-retardant mixture, or foam solution.13-The device of claim 1, wherein the container is modular and manufactured in various sizes and water capacities depending on operational requirements.

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