AAFF - Advanced Aerial Fire Fighting - HyDrop™
AAFF - Advanced Aerial Fire Fighting - HyDrop™
HyDrop™ is a new and innovative aerial firefighting method that improves the safety and efficiency of the current aerial firefighting methods, enabling continuous operation 24/7 day and night in harsh weather and degraded visibility conditions.
This method replaces the drop of water from a low altitude of about 100 ft. above ground level (AGL), by dropping pellets (Bio-Degradable plastic bags containing 200-400 milliliters of water or any suppression material) from a significantly higher and safer altitude of about 500 ft. to 2000 ft. (150 to 600 meters) AGL.
• In current aerial firefighting technology, the water is dropped from the aircraft and turns into aerosol, immediately after leaving the aircraft. This aerosol tends to evaporate and is shifted by the wind, which affects the accuracy and the efficiency of the firefighting process.
• To achieve more effective results, the aircraft is flown to very low altitudes and in a dangerous flight profile. Diving from about 500 ft.(150 meters) AGL to 100 ft. (30 meters) AGL, it releases the water and climbs up in a very steep ascent to exit the fire area as fast as possible.
• The decision of when to drop the water is determined by the pilot, according to his experience and intuition.
• The HyDrop™ technology is operated using straight and level flight at heights of 500 – 2000 ft. AGL. From this safe height the aircraft drops pellets (Bio-Degradable Pouches) filled with water or other suppression material towards a target, using a ballistic computer for automatic release - eliminating pilot error.
• The computerized system includes INS-GPS sensor onboard the aerial vehicle and predicts the delivery timing, based on geographic coordinates of the fire (Target area) and angle of approach, taking into account the aircraft height and speed, wind velocity and ballistic coefficient of the pellets.
• The computer in the HyDrop™ system calculates the ballistic trajectory continuously and releases the pellets automatically, to hit the target area accurately.
HyDrop™ is a mature technology, demonstrated on a Kamov 32 aircraft in Leon, Spain and on a Black Hawk UH-60 during a live fire for both day and night, in San Bernardino California, USA.
• Increased flight safety - high altitude (500-2000 ft.), straight and level flights.
• Aerial Firefighting Capability 24/7 throughout the night and in degraded visibility.
• Increased efficiency - higher drop accuracy and higher coverage level.
• Can be implemented on any cargo helicopter.
Drop width on ground: 20 meters when dropped from 750 ft. Area Coverage - Helicopter @60 Kt. and 750 ft. AGL – 1200 m2 (12,000 ft.2)
Water Coverage level: > 8 GPH-Gallon Per 1002 ft. (> 3 liters per 1 m2).
Enables 24/7 firefighting throughout the night.
Advantageous in urban and wildland interface.
No harm to people, homes or the environment, even in direct impact.
“Green”, does not pollute the environment, completely biodegrades in several weeks.
1 X Commercial ruggedized PC Computer (add on).
1 X INS-GPS sensor. 1 X 7” Display positioned temporarily on Helicopter Dashboard.
3 X Sling Loaded Fin Stabilized Tanks for loading and dropping pellets (The tank can also carry water).
1 X PMS (Pellet Manufacturing System) - Standard Shipping Container that includes
8 FFS (Form Fill Seal) machines and conveyor for manufacturing of 12 Tons of Pellets per hour, enable 4 rounds of Aerial Firefighting in 1 hour with Kamov 32 Helicopter (or similar) carrying 3 metric tons of pellets each time. Logistics and Concept of Operation:
Mobile PMS is positioned near a water source close to fire area (Fire Hose, or Lake or Water Pond) and pumps water for manufacturing and filling the pellets.
The pellets dropped out of the container into an empty Sling Loaded Fin Stabilized Tank.
The Tank fills in 15 minutes and is ready to be carried by helicopter to extinguish the fire.
Meanwhile other tanks are filled with pellets so when the helicopter returns with the empty tank, it leaves it on the ground and picks up a full tank to repeat the mission. This process continues until accomplishing the aerial firefighting mission.
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