초록 ▼

A tank on a firefighting aircraft initially is loaded with water. A polymer gel emulsion vessel is provided but gel emulsion is not activated and mixed with water in the tank until such polymer gel preparation is initiated by an operator. When initiated, a pump pulls water from the tank and returns

A tank on a firefighting aircraft initially is loaded with water. A polymer gel emulsion vessel is provided but gel emulsion is not activated and mixed with water in the tank until such polymer gel preparation is initiated by an operator. When initiated, a pump pulls water from the tank and returns water back to the tank with a dose of gel emulsion supplied therein. Double elbows and/or the pump impeller fully activates the polymer gel. The activated polymer gel is mixed within the tank by one of a variety of systems including sparging with air, routing of return water from the pump through nozzles and providing a baffle for generating circulatory mixing flow within the tank, or utilizing a mixer element which moves dynamically within the tank. Hydrodynamic forces associated with the aircraft passing over a body of water can power dosing of the water with polymer gel emulsion.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for preparation of waterborne polymer gel onboard an aircraft, comprising in combination: a water tank having an intake for loading of water into said tank, said tank located upon an aircraft;a polymer gel emulsion vessel having a feed line extending therefrom; a water pump having a suct

1. A system for preparation of waterborne polymer gel onboard an aircraft, comprising in combination: a water tank having an intake for loading of water into said tank, said tank located upon an aircraft;a polymer gel emulsion vessel having a feed line extending therefrom; a water pump having a suction port coupled to said tank to draw water from said tank into said pump, and an output within said tank delivering water back into said tank;said polymer gel emulsion feed line routed into a water pathway between said suction port and said output for delivery of polymer gel emulsion into said water pathway and into said tank; andwherein said output into said tank includes a manifold in the form of an axle with arms extending radially from said axle manifold and with a plurality of nozzles extending from said arms, and with paddles extending substantially perpendicular from said arms, said axle manifold adapted to rotate at least partially by force of water exiting said nozzles of said arm, causing said paddles to be driven through water within said tank for mixing of polymer gel and water together within said tank. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said feed line is routed into said water pathway upstream of said pump, said pump including a rotating impeller with blades thereon, said blades of said rotating impeller imparting sufficient shear on the polymer gel emulsion and water entering said pump to activate the polymer gel emulsion and water therein. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein said feed line is routed into said water pathway downstream of said pump, said water pathway including a double elbow along said water pathway downstream of said feed line and between said pump and said manifold, said double elbow sufficiently abrupt and with sufficient flow rate therethrough to cause polymer gel emulsion to be sheared sufficient to activate the polymer gel emulsion and water therein. 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said output into said tank includes a manifold, said manifold within said tank including outlets therefrom oriented at least partially upward, said outlet sufficiently small to impart velocity to the polymer gel as it exits said manifold, and a baffle located above said manifold, said baffle configured to deflect water striking the baffle from moving at least partially vertically to moving more laterally after impacting said baffle than before impacting said baffle. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein a dosing subsystem is interposed along said polymer gel emulsion feed line for controlling delivery of a dose of polymer gel emulsion of pre-selected quantity into water within the tank, the dosing subsystem including a housing with a movable driver therein and with a water inlet into said housing and a polymer gel emulsion inlet into said housing, said driver movable between a first polymer gel emulsion storing position and a second polymer gel emulsion expelling position, with said driver biased toward said polymer gel emulsion storing position, and said water side of said housing coupled to a source of high velocity water moving relative to the aircraft as the aircraft skims over a surface of a body of water. 6. The system of claim 5 wherein said dosing subsystem includes a pressurized dose reservoir in fluid communication with said polymer gel emulsion side of said housing, and with a selectively openable valve on an output of said dosing subsystem. 7. A system for preparation of waterborne polymer gel onboard an aircraft, comprising in combination: a water tank having an intake for loading of water into said tank, said tank located upon an aircraft;a polymer gel emulsion vessel having a feed line extending therefrom;a water pump having a suction port coupled to said tank to draw water from said tank into said pump, and an output within said tank delivering water back into said tank;said polymer gel emulsion feed line routed into a water pathway between said suction port and said output for delivery of polymer gel emulsion into said water pathway and into said tank;wherein a dosing subsystem is interposed along said polymer gel emulsion feed line for controlling delivery of a dose of polymer gel emulsion of pre-selected quantity into water within the tank, the dosing subsystem including a housing with a movable driver therein and with a water inlet into said housing and a polymer gel emulsion inlet into said housing, said driver movable between a first polymer gel emulsion storing position and a second polymer gel emulsion expelling position, with said driver biased toward said polymer gel emulsion storing position, and said water side of said housing coupled to a source of high velocity water moving relative to the aircraft as the aircraft skims over a surface of a body of water; andwherein said dosing subsystem includes an air reservoir and a fluid reservoir defined by said housing, with said fluid reservoir including a fluid piston therein defined by said driver and with a water side and a polymer gel emulsion side, and with said air reservoir having a water side and an air compartment on opposite sides of said air piston, both said air reservoir and said fluid reservoir in fluid communication with a pressure feed of high velocity water moving relative to the aircraft, and with said polymer gel emulsion side of said fluid reservoir interposed between said polymer gel emulsion vessel and said feed line and at least one valve on a supply of said dosing subsystem for controlling said dosing subsystem. 8. The system of claim 1 wherein a motor is coupled to said axle manifold to deliver power to said axle manifold causing said axle manifold to rotate along with said plurality of arms and said plurality of paddles. 9. A method for preparation of waterborne polymer gel, the method including the steps of: placing a water tank within an aircraft with an intake leading into the tank; positioning a polymer gel emulsion vessel with a feed line extending therefrom;pumping water from a suction port extending into the tank along a water pathway through a pump and to an output within the tank, to recirculate water out of the tank and back into the tank;dosing the water pathway with polymer gel emulsion from the feed line, the polymer gel emulsion routed into the water pathway between the suction port and the output;activating the pump to draw polymer gel into the water tank and also cause the polymer gel emulsion to be activated and mixed with water within the tank; andconfiguring output as an axle manifold within the tank with a plurality of arms radiating from the axle manifold and with nozzles extending out of the arms, and with the axle manifold adapted to rotate relative to the tank, and with a plurality of paddles extending substantially perpendicular from the arms, with the axle manifold, arms and paddles caused to rotate within the tank due to forces applied by water discharged from the nozzles. 10. The method of claim 9 wherein polymer gel emulsion is dosed into the water pathway by hydrodynamic forces associated with high velocity water passing by the aircraft. 11. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said paddles extends between two of said arms which extend from said axle at locations axially spaced from each other. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein said arms from which at least one of said paddles extends are substantially parallel to each other. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein said at least one paddle extends substantially perpendicularly between two of said arms and substantially parallel with said axle. 14. The system of claim 13 wherein said at least one paddle has at least one standoff at an interface between said at least one paddle and one of said arms from which said at least one paddle extends, said standoff locating a portion of said paddle adjacent to said standoff further from said arm adjacent to said standoff, than a spacing between a second one of said arms from which said paddle extends and portions of said at least one paddle adjacent to said second one of said arms. 15. The method of claim 9 wherein at least one of the paddles extends between two of the arms which extend from the axle at locations axially spaced from each other. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the arms from which at least one of the paddles extends are substantially parallel to each other. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one paddle extends substantially perpendicularly between two of the arms and substantially parallel with the axle. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one paddle has at least one standoff at an interface between the at least one paddle and one of the arms from which the at least one paddle extends, the standoff locating a portion of the paddle adjacent to the standoff further from the arm adjacent to the standoff, than a spacing between a second one of the arms from which the paddle extends and portions of the at least one paddle adjacent to the second one of the arms.