Systems and methods for aerial dispersion of materials

• US 7,753,314 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nolan, Brooks R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWIATEK, ROBERT P
• Application Number:
  US11/973,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20080035648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 244/136, 244/137.1, 244/137.3, 244/129.2, 239/171
• US Class Current: 244/136
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0242 by spraying extinguishants from the aircraft spraying from aircraft in general B64D1/16
• 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: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Aerial dispersion systems that may be employed to allow rapid and temporary conversion of aircraft for aerial dispersion purposes, such as aerial fire-fighting. The aerial dispersion systems may be implemented using modular components that may be configured for compatibility with conventional cargo loading and unloading systems of modern aircraft, including side-loading cargo systems of wide body passenger and cargo aircraft having high lift capacities. The aerial dispersion systems may be rapidly installed in a large fleet of high capacity aircraft in response to a wildfire or other rapidly-developing emergency such as an oil spill, chemical or biological contamination incident, building or refinery fire, etc. After use, the aircraft of the fleet may be rapidly de-modified and returned to original condition. The aerial dispersion systems may be operated with a fleet of aircraft in a coordinated manner, for example, as part of an aerial firefighting formation having multiple aircraft sharing information and/or common control.

Claims

1. A method of temporarily converting at least one fixed wing wide body host aircraft for aerial dispersion purposes comprising:

providing a fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

operating said fixed wing wide body host aircraft in conventional passenger or conventional cargo configuration for commercial passenger or commercial cargo use;

then converting said fixed wing wide body host aircraft for aerial dispersion operations by providing and installing one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks within said fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

then aerially dispersing one or more materials from said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks installed within said fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

then returning said fixed wing wide body host aircraft to said conventional passenger or conventional cargo configuration by removing said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks from said fixed wing wide body host aircraft; and

then operating said fixed wing wide body host aircraft for commercial passenger or commercial cargo use.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises:

operating said fixed wing wide body host aircraft in conventional passenger configuration for commercial passenger use prior to said step of converting said fixed wing wide body host aircraft for aerial dispersion operations;

returning said fixed wing wide body host aircraft to said conventional passenger configuration after said step of aerially dispersing one or more materials; and

then operating said fixed wing wide body host aircraft for commercial passenger use.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said fixed wing wide body host aircraft has a gross carrying capacity of greater than or equal to about 100,000 pounds.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said fixed wing wide body host aircraft comprises a wide body passenger plane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks comprise a material containment subsystem;

wherein said dispersal regulator comprises a material dispersal subsystem; and

wherein said method further comprises providing and coupling a control subsystem to said material containment subsystem and said material dispersal subsystem.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said method further comprises providing and coupling a navigation subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a sensor subsystem to said control subsystem;

and coupling said control subsystem, said navigation subsystem and said communications subsystem to one or more host aircraft systems.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises aerially dispersing said one or more materials from said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks installed within said fixed wing wide body host aircraft to suppress a fire after converting said fixed wing wide body host aircraft for aerial dispersion operations and prior to returning said fixed wing wide body host aircraft to said conventional passenger or conventional cargo configuration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises:

providing two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

operating said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft in conventional passenger or conventional cargo configuration for commercial passenger or commercial cargo use;

then converting said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft to a fleet of two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft configured for aerial dispersion operations by providing and installing one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks within each of said two or more said fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

then aerially dispersing one or more materials from said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks installed within each of said fleet of two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

then returning said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft to said conventional passenger or conventional cargo configuration by removing said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks from each of said fixed wing wide body host aircraft; and

then operating said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft for commercial passenger or commercial cargo use.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said method comprises aerially dispersing said one or more materials from said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks installed within each of said fleet of two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft to suppress a fire prior to removing said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks from within each of said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises:

providing two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

operating said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft in conventional passenger configuration for commercial passenger use;

then converting said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft to a fleet of two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft configured for aerial dispersion operations by providing and installing one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks within each of said two or more said fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

then aerially dispersing one or more materials from said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks installed within each of said fleet of two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft;

then returning said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft to said conventional passenger configuration by removing said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks from each of said fixed wing wide body host aircraft; and

then operating said two or more fixed wing wide body host aircraft for commercial passenger use.

11. A method of temporarily converting two or more fixed wing host aircraft for aerial dispersion purposes, comprising:

providing two or more fixed wing host aircraft;

providing and loading one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks into each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft;

providing a control subsystem for each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft, each of said control subsystems being configured to control at least one of material dispersement or flight characteristics of one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft;

controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet using control signals communicated from at least one of a common ground source or a common airborne source to said control subsystem to provide common control to direct a flight path of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft, or to control release of one or more materials from each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to aerially disperse said one or more materials from said fleet of two or more fixed wing host aircraft in a coordinated manner, or a combination thereof; and

then removing said one or more modular aerial dispersant holding tanks from each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet using control signals communicated from at least one of said common ground source or said common airborne source to said control subsystem to control release of one or more materials from each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to aerially disperse said one or more materials from said fleet of two or more fixed wing host aircraft in a coordinated manner.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet using control signals communicated from at least one of said common ground source or said common airborne source to said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to provide common control to direct a flight path of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft by using said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to control aircraft flight characteristics of each of said respective two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said control subsystems of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft comprises one or more processors;

and wherein said method further comprises using said one or more processors of said control subsystem of each respective one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to direct said flight path of said respective one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft in a completely automated manner based on said control signals communicated from at least one of said common ground source or said common airborne source.

15. The method of claim 14, said method further comprising:

operating said two or more fixed wing host aircraft in a formation with a first one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft being a lead aircraft of said formation; and

controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet using control signals communicated from a control subsystem of said lead aircraft of said formation to a control subsystem of a second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to direct a flight path of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft by using said control subsystem of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to control aircraft flight characteristics of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

16. The method of claim 15, said method further comprising:

providing one or more sensor devices for at least one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft;

providing sensor information from said one or more sensor devices to said control subsystem of said lead aircraft of said formation, said sensor information characterizing a material dispersant target or conditions related to said material dispersant target; and

controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet based at least partially on said sensor information provided from said one Or more sensor devices using control signals communicated from said control subsystem of said lead aircraft of said formation to said control subsystem of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to direct said flight path of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft by using said control subsystem of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to control aircraft flight characteristics of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising using said one or more sensor devices to identify a fire hot-spot;

and providing said identified fire hot spot as sensor information to said control subsystem of said lead aircraft of said formation to direct said flight path of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each said control subsystem comprises one or more processors;

and wherein said method further comprises using said one or more processors of said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft for said control of said aircraft flight characteristics of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

19. The method of claim 15, said method further comprising:

providing a navigation subsystem for at least one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft, said navigation subsystem being configured to provide meteorological information at altitude for said at least one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft;

using said navigation subsystem to calculate at least one of material drop point or flight plan or a combination thereof based on said meteorological information;

providing at least one of said material drop point or said flight plan or said combination thereof to said control subsystem of said lead aircraft of said formation; and

controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet based at least partially on said material drop point or said flight plan or said combination thereof using control signals communicated from said control subsystem of said lead aircraft of said formation to said control subsystem of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to direct said flight path of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft by using said control subsystem of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to control aircraft flight characteristics of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each said navigation subsystem and each said control subsystem comprises one or more processors;

and wherein said method further comprises using said one or more processors of said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft for said control of said aircraft flight characteristics of said second one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet using control signals communicated from a common airborne source to said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft'"'"' to provide common control to direct a flight path of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft by using said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to control aircraft flight characteristics of each of said respective two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said control subsystems of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft comprises one or more processors;

and wherein said method further comprises using said one or more processors of said control subsystem of each respective one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to direct said flight path of said respective one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft in a completely automated manner based on said control signals communicated from said common airborne source.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft as a fleet using control signals communicated from a common ground source to said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to provide common control to direct a flight path of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft by using said control subsystem of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to control aircraft flight characteristics of each of said respective two or more fixed wing host aircraft.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said control subsystems of each of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft comprises one or more processors;

and wherein said method further comprises using said one or more processors of said control subsystem of each respective one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft to direct said flight path of said respective one of said two or more fixed wing host aircraft in a completely automated manner based on said control signals communicated from said common ground source.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said common ground source comprises ground personnel.

26. A method of temporarily converting at least one fixed wing host aircraft for aerial dispersion purposes comprising:

providing a fixed wing host aircraft;

providing and loading one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks into said fixed wing host aircraft;

controlling aerial dispersion operations of said fixed wing host aircraft using control signals communicated from at least one of a ground source or another airborne source to direct a flight path of said fixed wing host aircraft, or to control release of one or more materials from said fixed wing host aircraft to aerially disperse said one or more materials from said fixed wing host aircraft, or a combination thereof; and

then removing said one or more modular aerial dispersant holding tanks from said fixed wing host aircraft.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft using control signals communicated from at least one of said ground source or said another airborne source to control release of one or more materials from said at least one fixed wing host aircraft to aerially disperse said one or more materials from said at least one fixed wing host aircraft.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft using control signals communicated from at least one of said ground source or said another airborne source to direct a flight path of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft by controlling aircraft flight characteristics of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft using control signals communicated from said ground source to direct a flight path of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft by controlling aircraft flight characteristics of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein said method comprises controlling aerial dispersion operations of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft using control signals communicated from said at least one another airborne source to direct a flight path of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft by controlling aircraft flight characteristics of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft.

31. The method of claim 30, said method further comprising:

providing one or more sensor devices for said at least one another airborne source;

providing sensor information from said one or more sensor devices, said sensor information characterizing a material dispersant target or conditions related to said material dispersant target; and

controlling aerial dispersion operations of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft based at least partially on said sensor information provided from said one or more sensor devices using control signals communicated from said at least one another airborne source to direct a flight path of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft by controlling aircraft flight characteristics of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising using said one or more sensor devices to identify a fire hot-spot;

and providing said identified fire hot spot as sensor information to direct said flight path of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft.

33. The method of claim 30, said method further comprising:

providing a navigation subsystem for said at least one another airborne source, said navigation subsystem being configured to provide meteorological information at altitude for said at least one another airborne source;

using said navigation subsystem to calculate at least one of material drop point or flight plan or a combination thereof based on said meteorological information;

controlling aerial dispersion operations of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft based at least partially on said material drop point or said flight plan or said combination thereof using control signals communicated from said at least one another airborne source to direct a flight path of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft by controlling aircraft flight characteristics of said at least one fixed wing host aircraft.

34. A method of temporarily converting at least one fixed wing host aircraft for aerial dispersion of material, comprising:

providing a fixed wing host aircraft having at least one of a side cargo opening and a baggage or cargo hold, a passenger door opening and a passenger compartment, or a combination thereof;

providing at least one aerial dispersant holding tank;

then disposing said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank within said at least one fixed wing host aircraft by at least one of loading said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank through said side cargo opening of said fixed wing host aircraft into said baggage or cargo hold of said fixed wing host aircraft, loading said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank through said passenger door opening of said fixed wing host aircraft into said passenger compartment of said fixed wing host aircraft, or a combination thereof;

then aerially dispersing one or more materials from said one or more aerial dispersant holding tanks installed within said fixed wing host aircraft; and

then removing said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank from said at least one fixed wing host aircraft by at least one of unloading said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank through said side cargo opening of said fixed wing host aircraft from said baggage or cargo hold of said fixed wing host aircraft, unloading said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank through said passenger door opening of said fixed wing host aircraft from said passenger compartment of said fixed wing host aircraft, or a combination thereof.

35. An aircraft-based material dispersion system, comprising:

a fixed wing host aircraft having at least one of a side cargo opening and a baggage or cargo hold, a passenger door opening and a passenger compartment, or a combination thereof;

at least one aerial dispersant holding tank disposed within said fixed wing host aircraft; and

an airborne dispersal device disposed on said host aircraft and coupled to said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank, the airborne dispersal device being coupled for aerially dispersing one or more materials from said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank in normal use;

wherein said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank is removably disposed within said baggage or cargo hold of said fixed wing host aircraft and is configured to be compatible with a side-loading aircraft cargo system of said fixed wing host aircraft for installation and removal from said baggage or cargo hold through said side cargo opening of said fixed wing host aircraft, or wherein said at least one aerial dispersant holding tank is removably disposed within said passenger compartment of said fixed wing host aircraft and is configured for installation and removal from said passenger compartment of said fixed wing host aircraft through said passenger door opening of said fixed wing host aircraft.