High-Efficiency Method Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Firefighting

• US 20200130831A1
• Filed: 10/24/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valentin Luca
• Original Assignee: Valentin Luca
• Inventors: Luca, Valentin
• Granted Patent: US 11,560,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0228 with delivery of fire extinguishing material by air or aircraft fire-fighting aircraft B64D1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/025 Fire extinguishing bombs; Projectiles and launchers therefor launching apparatus for projectiles, missiles or torpedoes in general F41F1/00, F41F3/00, F41F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/12 for retraction against or within fuselage or nacelle
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/34 collapsing or retracting against or within other surfaces or other members
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/16 Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting jettisoning fuel B64D37/26
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/50 Foldable or collapsible UAVs with frangible components B64U20/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/47 for fire fighting
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/69 the UAVs provided with means for airdropping goods, e.g. deploying a parachute during descent
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/40 Empennages, e.g. V-tails foldable or collapsible UAVs B64U20/50
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/20 for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles

Abstract

A method of fire-fighting is provided based on unmanned aerial vehicles “UAV(s)” launched from transporter aircrafts to deliver water or fire-retardants or any other fire-fighting materials to a location selected by the fire-fighting personnel. A capability of putting-off high intensity forest fires is provided that stems from the precision and the quantity of material that can be delivered per unit surface per unit time. After releasing the fire-fighting material(s), the UAV reaches a safe altitude from which it flies on autopilot to intercept and then proceed on a pre-programmed route to land per pre-programmed instructions on an airfield from which fire-fighting transporter(s) operate, allowing a high efficiency along the line, from loading the transporter airplanes to maximizing the quantity of material that reach the target, to minimizing the remote-pilot time and up to the recovery system that minimizes the recovery cost and it maximizes UAVs'"'"' utilization by a quick turnaround.

Claims

1. A method for delivering materials to a selected location comprising:

a. providing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes a navigation system, an autopilot system, and a propulsion system,

b. providing a container for transporting materials to be released at or in the proximity to the selected location,

c. positioning the UAV in a transporter aircraft, detachably secured with respect to a cargo system of the transport aircraft,

d. transporting the UAV in the transporter aircraft to a position in proximity to the selected location,

e. assigning a remote pilot for the UAV, said assigned remote pilot interacting with one or more consoles located on the transporter aircraft or in a remote location;

f. prior to ejection of the UAV from the transporter aircraft, uploading route and landing instructions for at least one predetermined airfield to the navigation system of the UAV,

g. prior to ejection of the UAV from the transporter aircraft, uploading the selected airfield from among the at least one predetermined airfield to the navigation system of the UAV, updating the cruising altitude and specifying the time of landing that provides a safety separation relative to other UAVs previously ejected over an operation theatre that includes the selected location insofar as the other UAVS have been directed to the same selected airfield,

h. ejecting the UAV from the transporter aircraft at a position above or in proximity to the selected location in response to a command from the remote pilot,

i. directing the UAV towards the selected location,

j. triggering release of the materials from the UAV,

k. engaging the UAV into a climb maneuver and switching on autopilot system,

l. upon reaching the uploaded cruise altitude, guiding the UAV to intersect with the pre-programmed route towards the selected airfield and taking said intersected route, flying and landing on the selected airfield based on the navigation system connected to the autopilot provided on the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of UAVs and wherein the plurality of UAVs are positioned in one or a plurality of transport aircrafts for transport to one or more positions above or in proximity to the operation theatre.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the materials are selected from the group consisting of fire extinguishing material, fire retardant material and a combination thereof, and wherein the operation theatre includes a geographic location where at least one structure or vegetation is ablaze.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the materials are selected from the group consisting of one or more military-use materials, and wherein the operation theatre is a military operations theatre.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV comprises at least one foldable structure selected from the group consisting of one or more foldable wings, one or more foldable stabilizing structures and controls surfaces, a foldable fuselage and any combination thereof, and wherein the UAV is positioned within the transporter aircraft with the at least one foldable structure in a folded position.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one foldable structure of the UAV is unfolded prior to ejection.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one foldable structure of the UAV is unfolded after ejection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the materials are loaded into the container of the UVA before positioning the UAV in the transporter aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the materials are loaded into the container of the UVA after positioning the UVA in the transporter aircraft.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the materials are stored in a container located outside of the fuselage of the UVA, in a flexible container made of impervious materials, attached to the fuselage of the UVA by a cable or rope.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the materials are delivered by triggering the opening of one or more liquid-tight seams provided on said flexible container, by remotely triggering a seam releasing mechanism.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a pulley that supports the load of the cable or rope carrying the flexible container is longitudinally moved by a mechanism provided on the UAV, to a position as required for a stable flight ranging from horizontal to steep dive.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the length of said cable or rope is extended or retracted by different values, with different speeds and accelerations by means, involving pulley(s) and a winch provided on the UAV, said extension or retraction to adjust to flight conditions, to reduce the G-loads on the UAV and/or to lower the flexible container such that the material is delivered at a lower height over selected location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV'"'"'s position altitude and attitude information supplied by the Global Navigation Satellite System and by the attitude indicator to the UAV'"'"'s navigation system and autopilot are checked/corrected by information supplied by a phased array radar provided on the UAV, said radar checking relevant points detected against same points on the 3D map uploaded into UAV'"'"'s navigation system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV'"'"'s position altitude and attitude information supplied by the Global Navigation Satellite System and by the attitude indicator to the UAV'"'"'s navigation system and autopilot are checked/corrected by information supplied by an inertial navigation system, “

INS”

provided on the UAV.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein release of the materials is triggered by a target or ground proximity system provided on the UAV.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein release of the materials is triggered by a recovery trajectory calculation routine provided on the UAV'"'"'s navigation system.