초록 ▼

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

A tank on a firefighting aircraft initially is loaded with water. A polymer gel emulsion vessel is provided on the aircraft, but is not activated and mixed with tank water until such polymer gel preparation is initiated by an operator. When initiated, a pump pulls water from the tank and doses it with gel emulsion. 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 mixing paddles or sparging with gas. In one embodiment, a hollow tower of telescoping form has a float to keep an upper end near a surface in the tank and a sparging gas entry is a controlled distance below the surface, such that gas of limited pressure, such as from a ram air inlet can sparge and mix the water and activated polymer gel emulsion effectively.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A firefighting aircraft, comprising in combination: an aircraft;a water and activated polymer gel emulsion vessel carried by said aircraft;said vessel including a mixer to keep the water and activated polymer gel emulsion mixed;said vessel having a discharge for application of the water and activ

1. A firefighting aircraft, comprising in combination: an aircraft;a water and activated polymer gel emulsion vessel carried by said aircraft;said vessel including a mixer to keep the water and activated polymer gel emulsion mixed;said vessel having a discharge for application of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion from the vessel into a firefighting area over which said aircraft is flying;wherein said mixer includes a gas entry into a portion of said vessel below a surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion for sparging of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion with gas;wherein said gas entry is located adjacent to a top of a hollow vertically extending tower within said vessel;wherein said hollow tower includes at least two parts including a fixed lower part and a movable upper part, said movable upper part moving relative to said fixed lower part in a vertical direction, said movable upper part including a float thereon which keeps said movable upper part of said tower adjacent to said surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion within said vessel; andwherein a deflector is located adjacent to a top of said movable upper part of said hollow tower, said deflector routing water and activated polymer gel emulsion from extending vertically up through said hollow tower to extending substantially horizontally adjacent to said surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion. 2. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said gas entry is downstream of a pressurized air outlet of an air compressor. 3. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said gas entry delivers pressurized air from an air ram receiving high velocity air from outside of said aircraft and routing said high velocity air into said vessel beneath said surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion. 4. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said hollow tower is adjacent to a wall of said vessel, said hollow tower including a fixed housing defining said fixed lower part of said hollow tower and a floating housing defining said movable upper part of said tower, said fixed lower housing fixed to said vessel with an open floor allowing the water and activated polymer gel emulsion to enter into said fixed lower housing, said floating housing including a lower rim which is located below an upper rim of said fixed lower housing, said floating housing slidably coupled to said fixed lower housing in a manner allowing said floating housing to move vertically in a telescoping fashion relative to said fixed lower housing, said gas entry into said vessel located within said floating housing via a flexible gas line. 5. A firefighting aircraft, comprising in combination: an aircraft;a water and activated polymer gel emulsion vessel carried by said aircraft;said vessel including a mixer to keep the water and activated polymer gel emulsion mixed;said vessel having a discharge for application of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion from the vessel into a firefighting area over which said aircraft is flying;wherein said mixer includes a gas entry into a portion of said vessel below a surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion for sparging of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion with gas;wherein said gas entry is located adjacent to a top of a hollow vertically extending tower within said vessel;wherein said hollow tower includes at least two parts including a fixed lower part and a movable upper part, said movable upper part moving relative to said fixed lower part in a vertical direction, said movable upper part including a float thereon which keeps said movable upper part of said tower adjacent to said surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion within said vessel; andwherein said hollow tower extends vertically and spaced from walls of said vessel, said hollow tower including a fixed column defining said fixed lower part of said hollow tower and a floating column defining said movable upper part of said hollow tower, said fixed column having an open floor on a lower portion thereof through which the water and activated polymer gel emulsion can enter said fixed column and extend upwardly through said fixed column, said fixed column including an upper rim on a portion thereof opposite said floor of said fixed column, said floating column including a lower rim located below said upper rim of said fixed column, said floating column having said gas entry located therein with said gas entry fed by a flexible gas line. 6. A firefighting aircraft, comprising in combination: an aircraft;a water and activated polymer gel emulsion vessel carried by said aircraft;said vessel including a mixer to keep the water and activated polymer gel emulsion mixed;said vessel having a discharge for application of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion from the vessel into a firefighting area over which said aircraft is flying;wherein said mixer includes a gas entry into a portion of said vessel below a surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion for sparging of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion with gas;wherein said gas entry is located adjacent to a top of a hollow vertically extending tower within said vessel;wherein said hollow tower includes at least two parts including a fixed lower part and a movable upper part, said movable upper part moving relative to said fixed lower part in a vertical direction, said movable upper part including a float thereon which keeps said movable upper part of said tower adjacent to said surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion within said vessel; andwherein a recirculating pump is located within said vessel, said recirculating pump causing flow of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion within said vessel to occur in a manner including vertical flow through said hollow tower in an upward direction and vertical flow outside of said hollow tower in a downward direction. 7. The aircraft of claim 6 wherein said recirculating pump is located within said hollow tower, said recirculating pump including an impeller which rotates and causes vertical flow of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion up through said tower. 8. The aircraft of claim 7 wherein said recirculation pump includes a polymer gel concentrate line feeding into said pump upstream of said impeller, said impeller configured to impart sufficient shear upon the water and the polymer gel concentrate to cause the polymer gel concentrate to be activated to form the water and activated polymer gel emulsion downstream of said pump. 9. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said vessel includes a tank fixed to said aircraft. 10. The aircraft of claim 9 wherein said aircraft is a fixed wing aircraft with a water scoop inlet located on a lower portion of said aircraft adapted to drive water into said tank by skimming the aircraft over a body of water at high velocity, and wherein said discharge includes doors on a lower portion of said tank which are selectively openable to dump the water and activated polymer gel emulsion from said tank when desired. 11. The aircraft of claim 9 wherein said aircraft is a rotary wing aircraft with a snorkel having a pump on a lower portion thereof adapted to be dipped into a body of water with said snorkel pump driving water up said snorkel and into said tank, and wherein said discharge includes a downwardly pointing nozzle for spray of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion from said tank when desired. 12. The aircraft of claim 11 wherein said mixer includes pressurized gas taken from a high energy gas exhaust of an engine of said rotary wing aircraft, said high energy gas passing through a heat exchanger to cool said gas, and passing said gas into said tank beneath a surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion, such that the water and activated polymer gel emulsion is sparged by said gas. 13. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said mixer includes at least one paddle rotating within said vessel. 14. The aircraft of claim 13 wherein said at least one paddle includes a motor thereon causing said paddle to rotate and mix the water and activated polymer gel emulsion within said vessel. 15. The aircraft of claim 14 wherein at least two paddles are provided within said tank, each of said at least two paddles extending and rotating about separate axles which are substantially parallel with each other, said vessel being in the form of an elongate tank having a longest dimension and with the axles of the at least two paddles extending substantially parallel with said longest dimension of said elongate tank. 16. The aircraft of claim 6 wherein said recirculating pump is located within said hollow tower. 17. The aircraft of claim 6 wherein said vessel includes a tank fixed to said aircraft. 18. The aircraft of claim 17 wherein said aircraft is a fixed wing aircraft with a water scoop inlet located on a lower portion of said aircraft adapted to drive water into said tank by skimming the aircraft over a body of water at high velocity, and wherein said discharge includes doors on a lower portion of said tank which are selectively openable to dump the water and activated polymer gel emulsion from said tank when desired. 19. The aircraft of claim 17 wherein said aircraft is a rotary wing aircraft with a snorkel having a pump on a lower portion thereof adapted to be dipped into a body of water with said snorkel pump driving water up said snorkel and into said tank, and wherein said discharge includes a downwardly pointing nozzle for spray of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion from said tank when desired. 20. The aircraft of claim 19 wherein said mixer includes pressurized gas taken from a high energy gas exhaust of an engine of said rotary wing aircraft, said high energy gas passing through a heat exchanger to cool said gas, and passing said gas into said tank beneath a surface of the water and activated polymer gel emulsion, such that the water and activated polymer gel emulsion is sparged by said gas. 21. The aircraft of claim 6 wherein said mixer includes at least one paddle rotating within said vessel. 22. The aircraft of claim 21 wherein said at least one paddle includes a motor thereon causing said paddle to rotate and mix the water and activated polymer gel emulsion within said vessel. 23. The aircraft of claim 22 wherein at least two paddles are provided within said tank, each of said at least two paddles extending and rotating about separate axles which are substantially parallel with each other, said vessel being in the form of an elongate tank having a longest dimension and with the axles of the at least two paddles extending substantially parallel with said longest dimension of said elongate tank.