Artillery Shell Fire-Retarding Material Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for combating forest fires, such as aircraft-delivered firebreaks, are inadequate as they require extensive time, large volumes of fire-retarding material, and are hindered by environmental conditions like night, wind, and smoke, leading to uncontrolled fire growth and increased land burnage.

Innovation Solution

An artillery shell system equipped with a fire-retarding material and a trigger mechanism, which can be fired from a gun to release the material directly onto or ahead of the fire, utilizing a timer, altimeter, accelerometer, or other sensors to ensure precise and efficient delivery, independent of weather or time of day.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If aircraft are used to deliver fire-retarding material, then the material can be delivered to the fire, but the delivery rate is too low and takes excessive time allowing the fire to spread

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery rate of fire-retarding materialVSAvoidtime required to establish firebreak

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical delivery system of aircraft (helicopters or airplanes) with a projectile-based delivery system. Artillery shells or rockets are fired to deliver fire-retarding material directly to the fire zone, achieving much higher delivery rates and reducing response time significantly compared to aircraft methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If aircraft deliver fire-retarding material, then the material reaches the fire, but environmental conditions like night, wind, and smoke reduce delivery accuracy and effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery accuracy of fire-retarding materialVSAvoidimpact of environmental conditions on delivery

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces aircraft-based delivery with projectile-based delivery (artillery shells or rockets). This substitution eliminates the vulnerability to environmental conditions that affects aircraft operation. The projectile system can deliver material accurately at night, in wind, rain, or smoke conditions where aircraft cannot operate effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary delivery mechanism (artillery shell or rocket) that acts as a mediator between the fire-retarding material and the fire zone. This intermediary system is not affected by environmental conditions like wind, smoke, or darkness, thereby ensuring reliable delivery under all conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If large volumes of fire-retarding material are delivered by aircraft, then the firebreak can be established, but the extensive time required allows the fire to grow and burn more land

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolume of fire-retarding material deliveredVSAvoidtime to deliver required material volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the slow aircraft delivery system with a high-rate projectile delivery system. Multiple artillery shells or rockets can be fired in rapid succession, delivering large volumes of fire-retarding material quickly to establish effective firebreaks before the fire can spread significantly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10955227B2Fire-retarding artillery shell

Publication Date: 2021.03.23 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

An artillery shell is fired out of a gun towards a fire. A trigger releases a fire-retarding material from the artillery shell to retard the fire.