Aerial fire suppression system

Abstract

A fire suppression apparatus for fighting fires from a vehicle configured for flight is disclosed, comprising a foam and water held in separate containers aboard the vehicle that when mixed forms a fire retardant, a pump driven by an electric motor to pressurize the fire retardant, the pump including an air induction valve where air is drawn into a suction end of the pump and pressurized together with the fire retardant, and an aimable boom connected to the pump by a conduit, the boom including a nozzle on a distal end of the boom from which the pressurized fire retardant and air is dispensed toward a target.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for fighting fires from an aerial vehicle, comprising:
 providing a fire suppression apparatus comprising
 a water tank for housing water and a foam tank for housing a foam concentrate, wherein the water tank is configured to attach to the aerial vehicle and wherein the water tank is configured to receive the foam concentrate from the foam tank, 
 a water/foam pump configured to be supported by the aerial vehicle, the water/foam pump including an impeller driven by an electric motor, the water/foam pump including an air induction valve comprising a variable air inlet, wherein the air induction valve is disposed at and connected to a suction end of the water/foam pump, and 
   dispensing the foam concentrate from the foam tank and into the water tank to mix with the water in the water tank and to form a batch of a liquid water/foam solution in the water tank;   drawing, by the water/foam pump, the liquid water/foam solution from the water tank and air through the variable air inlet into the suction end of the water/foam pump pressurize the air and the liquid water/foam solution for discharge toward a target.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including arranging the foam tank inside the water tank wherein the foam tank is defined by a bladder for housing the foam concentrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , including replenishing the foam tank with foam concentrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , including replenishing the water tank with water. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , including connecting a retractable pump system to the water tank to replenish the water tank with water, the retractable pump system including a collapsible hose connected on a first end to a reversible, motorized reel for deploying and retrieving the hose, and a submersible water pump positioned on a second end of the hose for pumping water from a water source to the water tank. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , including dispensing the pressurized air and liquid water/foam solution from an aimable boom toward the target. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 6 , including configuring a foam concentrate-to-water ratio of the liquid water/foam solution dispensed from the aimable boom to be the same foam concentrate-to-water ratio of the liquid water/foam solution leaving the water tank. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , including aiming the boom within a range from horizontally to approximately 40 degrees downwardly from horizontal. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , including extending the boom at least one meter beyond an outer tip of a rotor of the aerial vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , including supporting the boom by the water tank opposite the water/foam pump and the electric motor to counterbalance the water/foam pump and the electric motor with the boom. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , including pumping the foam concentrate from the foam tank to the water tank by a foam pump. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , including supporting the water/foam pump on a flat upper surface of a base, and cantileverly mounting the base to the water tank via a pair of brackets. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , including providing a surface defining a plurality of recesses for reducing weight of the at least one of the brackets. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , including rotating the water/foam pump at a rated speed of approximately 9400 rotations per minute and expelling the pressurized air and liquid water/foam solution at approximately 150 gpm. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , including configuring the water/foam pump as a centrifugal pump with an axial inlet and a radial outflow impeller. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the air reaching the water/foam pump via the air induction valve does not pass through an air compressor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , including receiving unpressurized atmospheric air by the variable opening of the air induction valve. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , including configuring each of the foam tank and the water tank have an interior volume for holding fluid and configuring the interior volume of the foam tank to be five to ten percent of the interior volume of the water tank. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , including positioning an anti-cavitation device mounted inside the water tank at a lowest point of the water tank. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , including providing one or more electronic controllers configured to control operation of the electric motor and the air induction valve.