Inflatable Water-Scooping Probe for High-Speed, Low-Drag Collection
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water collecting devices for fixed-wing aircraft are inadequate for high-speed operations, as they are either too heavy, cumbersome, or prone to damage, and they often require the aircraft to contact the water surface, leading to contamination and aerodynamic inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable water scooping probe with an aquadynamic scooping head and a stabilizing drag-inducing cone, which uses a super-cavitation effect to reduce friction and drag, allowing the probe to operate efficiently at high speeds without requiring the aircraft to contact the water surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If telescoping metal tubes are used for water collection, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases and the device becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible hoses with reinforced walls instead of rigid telescoping metal tubes. These flexible hoses can collapse under their own weight when not in use, significantly reducing weight and storage space requirements, while still providing sufficient structural strength during water scooping operations at high speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamically deployable flexible hoses that can extend and retract as needed. The hoses are designed to be lightweight and collapsible, allowing them to be stored in a compact state within the aircraft and deployed only when water collection is required, optimizing both weight and structural integrity
2Weight of moving object
If flexible hoses are used for water collection, then weight is reduced, but the hoses bounce on the water surface at high speed
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible hoses are constructed with reinforced walls that provide structural rigidity when water is scooped, preventing excessive bouncing and maintaining operational reliability at high speeds while keeping the hose lightweight and flexible for storage
Solution Approach 2:
The hose design allows parameters such as wall thickness, material composition, and cross-sectional shape to change dynamically - thin and flexible during storage, but rigid and stable during water collection operations, resolving the contradiction between weight and reliability
3Productivity
If the aircraft contacts the water surface for water collection, then water scooping capability is improved, but contamination and damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The water scooping function is extracted from the aircraft fuselage and transferred to a separate, dedicated probe system. This allows the probe to contact water while the main aircraft body remains contaminated-free, eliminating the need for washing between different water bodies and reducing damage risk to the aircraft structure
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible hose acts as an intermediary between the aircraft's water tank and the water surface. It allows water to be transferred without requiring direct contact between the aircraft fuselage and water, thus preventing contamination and damage while maintaining water scooping capability
4Ease of operation
If pontoons or boat design are added to the aircraft, then water contact capability is improved, but aerodynamic drag and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The water contact capability is extracted from the aircraft's primary structure (fuselage and pontoons) and assigned to a separate, lightweight probe system. This eliminates the need for heavy pontoons or boat-like modifications, maintaining aerodynamic efficiency while enabling water scooping operations
Solution Approach 2:
The probe uses flexible hoses instead of rigid pontoons or boat structures, achieving water contact capability with minimal aerodynamic drag and weight penalty, as the flexible hoses can be kept compact during flight and only deployed when needed
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enables efficient water collection at high speeds, reducing the risk of damage to the aircraft and minimizing drag both in flight and during water scooping, while avoiding contamination issues and the need for specialized aircraft designs.
Implementation Method 1
The scooping head is designed to be aquadynamic and includes a front opening to collect water, an internal canal connecting to the elastomeric conduit, a pointed nose, and at least one cavitation generator. These features are configured to induce a super-cavitation effect, reducing friction when the scooping head is submerged and moving in water.
Data Source
AI summary
An expandable probe for filling a water tank in an aircraft from a body of water includes an inflatable hose having a proximal end fixed with a housing in the aircraft, a distal end fixed with a scooping head, an elastomeric internal conduit, and an inflatable bladder substantially surrounding the conduit. The conduit has a proximal end in communication with the water tank of the aircraft and a distal end fixed with a water scoop of the scooping head. An air supply is adapted to inflate and extend the inflatable hose to an extended configuration extending outside an open rear end of the housing below the lower side of the aircraft. Lowering the aircraft allows the scooping head to contact the body of water such that water enters the scoop and travels up the conduit to the water tank.