Vehicle for aerial delivery of fire retardant

• US 7,975,774 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lonestar Inventions LP
• Original Assignee: Lonestar Inventions LP
• Inventors: Akcasu, Osman Ersed
• Primary Examiner(s): Boeckmann; Jason J
• Assistant Examiner(s): REIS, RYAN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US12/210,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20100065288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 169/28, 169/29, 169/30, 169/34, 169/35, 169/36, 169/51, 169/52, 169/53, 169/56, 169/60, 169/61, 169/62, 169/66, 169/67, 169/68, 169/70, 169/71, 169/72, 169/75, 169/84, 169/46, 244/3.1, 244/3.11, 244/3.15, 244/3.16, 244/3.18, 244/3.19, 244/3.2
• US Class Current: 169/46
• 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: A62C 99/009 Methods or equipment not provided for in groups A62C99/0009 - A62C99/0081
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/30 Command link guidance systems homing F41G7/2206
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/346 using global navigation satellite systems, e.g. GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/36 using inertial references
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/36 for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/50 by dispersion
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 15/105 Air torpedoes, e.g. projectiles with or without propulsion, provided with supporting air foil surfaces

Abstract

A guided fire-retardant-containing bomb comprises a container with retractable wings, tail and elevators having the form factor of a conventional release vehicle, where the control surfaces are coupled via a controller to a GPS with inertial guidance control and an ability to receive external instructions, and a charge core to disintegrate and disperse the fire retardant or water.

Claims

1. A guided fire-retardant-containing delivery vehicle for release from an aircraft comprising:

a container having a shape approximating a conventional air-released vehicle;

retractable wings, tail and elevators pivotally attached to said container and having movable control surfaces;

said retractable wings have a chord length less than the chord length of said container, said wings when fully deployed being substantially normal to said container,

wherein said retractable wings are pivotably attached to said container at a point behind the center of mass of a filled container in order to simplify requirements of said control system;

each said retractable wing comprising;

an airfoil having a trailing edge, a leading edge, a top surface and a bottom surface, said trailing edge being substantially parallel to said leading edge, said top surface defined by a convex profile between said leading edge and said trailing edge, said bottom surface having a profile between said leading edge and said trailing edge with first section and a second section such that said airfoil promotes a soft stall characteristic of said vehicle in order to maximize gliding flight maneuverability in a turbulent atmosphere;

a core charge for disintegrating said vehicle; and

a control system, said control system including an internal servo controller, a GPS unit, an inertial navigation unit, and a point-to-multipoint-capable two-way communication unit,

wherein the communication unit is configured to receive external instructions and wherein the internal servo controller is coupled to the movable control surfaces, to the GPS unit and to the inertial guidance unit, said internal servo controller being operative to process said external instructions, input from said GPS unit, and input from said internal guidance unit to provide operational commands to said control surfaces in order to guide said delivery vehicle according to a predetermined trajectory to a target, and to detonate the charge core at a predetermined height to disintegrate and disperse the fire retardant; and

wherein said container comprises a nose section, a midsection and a tail section, said container when loaded having a density in said tail section that is one-seventh of density in said mid-section and one-tenth of density in said nose section.

2. The delivery vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said airfoil approximates a type FX 61-184 wing.

3. The delivery vehicle according to claim 2 wherein said retractable wings are pivotably attached to said container at a point behind the center of mass of a filled container in order to simplify requirements of said control system.

4. A guided fire-retardant-containing delivery vehicle for release from an aircraft comprising:

a container having a shape approximating a conventional air-released vehicle;

retractable wings, tail and elevators pivotally attached to said container and having movable control surfaces;

a core charge for disintegrating said vehicle; and

a control system, said control system including an internal servo controller, a GPS unit, an inertial navigation unit, and a point-to-multipoint-capable two-way communication unit,

wherein the communication unit is configured to receive external instructions and wherein the internal servo controller is coupled to the movable control surfaces, to the GPS unit and to the inertial guidance unit, said internal servo controller being operative to process said external instructions, input from said GPS unit, and input from said internal guidance unit to provide operational commands to said control surfaces in order to guide said delivery vehicle according to a predetermined trajectory to a target, and to detonate the charge core at a predetermined height to disintegrate and disperse the fire retardant;

wherein said container comprises a nose section, a midsection and a tail section, said container when loaded having a density in said tail section that is one-seventh of density in said mid-section and one-tenth of density in said nose section.

5. A method for controlling an aerial delivery vehicle to a target comprising:

providing a container for holding a dispersible fire retardant in a sham approximating a conventional air-released vehicle, said container having no propulsion unit;

providing movable control surfaces comprising elevator and tail control surfaces and wing surfaces having sufficient pitch, yaw and roll controllability to provide maneuverability at gliding speeds in a turbulent atmosphere of a fire;

providing a control system for the vehicle, said control system including an internal servo controller, a GPS unit, an inertial navigation unit, and a point-to-multipoint-capable two-way communication unit, said internal servo controller being coupled to the movable control surfaces, to the GPS unit and to the inertial guidance unit,

receiving external instructions via the communication unit to define a trajectory from a current position to the target at a drop zone;

processing said external instructions with said internal servo controller with input from said GPS unit and input from said internal navigation unit to provide operational commands to said control surfaces in order to guide said delivery vehicle according to the trajectory to the target, and to detonate a charge core at a predetermined altitude to disintegrate the vehicle and disperse the fire retardant;

releasing the vehicle from a drop aircraft with retractable tail control surfaces deployed with 0 degrees angle with respect to fuselage axes;

causing the vehicle to nose dive for a distance;

thereafter deploying the retractable wings with control surfaces;

setting the control surfaces to pre-release-determined values as have been calculated for the trajectory;

issuing repeatedly from the GPS unit to the internal servo controller coordinate, velocity and heading information;

collecting at the internal servo controller from the inertial navigation unit three axis gyro data for the pitch, yaw and roll angles along with air speed and all control surface angle data at a higher rate than the GPS coordinate data is issued to maintain wing attack angle at a selected value in the turbulent atmosphere;

calculating at the internal servo control system in substantial real time for each said GPS unit issuing an updated trajectory from a current coordinate to the target as between negative and positive stall angles of the wing and elevator control surfaces;

generating at the servo control system from said calculating a plurality of simulations;

selecting at the servo control system from the simulations a best wing attack angle to minimize stall risk while maintaining the updated trajectory by linear interpolation between two simulation trajectories giving closest impact coordinates to the target;

maintaining wing attack angle until a next correction point by continuously controlling the elevator control surface angle; and

upon sensing arrival at altitude and position over the target, deploying fire retardant by triggering the small charge to disintegrates the vehicle containing the fire retardant.