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Problem Statement
According to the U.S. Department of interior, approximately 90% of all wildfires are caused by human interference leading to approximately 6.9 million acres of burnt fields and homes. This problem has led to millions of people without homes and has led to major economic problems, due to the fact that most cities cannot function without proper human infrastructure. If this problem continues, wildfires can lead to long term effects that can be irreversible and affect all wildlife around the globe.
Introduction
This year alone the National Interagency Fire Center reported over thirty thousand wild fires and they ranged from people leaving campfires unattended, burning of debris, downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. In 2018, there were 58,083 wildfires, compared with 71,499 wildfires in 2017, according to the NIFC about 8.8 million acres were burned in 2018, compared with 10 million in 2017. Currently in California, helicopters battled smoky skies overnight in an attempt to rescue dozens of people trapped in the fiery depths of the Sierra National Forest and at least 148 people had been flown to safety by Tuesday morning. In Oregon, whipping winds and dry conditions have helped fuel fire outbreaks. South of Portland, officials in Marion County implored some residents to “please leave now” as fires that have burned through more than 27,000 acres approached more densely populated areas. The fire has burned thousands of acres, destroyed countless wildlife and may potentially cause a lot more devastation as the uncontrolled fire continues to burn.
Natural fires are generally started by lightning, with a very small percentage started by spontaneous combustion of dry fuel such as sawdust and leaves. On the other hand, human-caused fires can be due to any number of reasons. Some classifications include smoking, recreation, equipment, and miscellaneous. How do wildfires start? Though they are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as natural disasters, only 10 to15 percent of wildfires
occur on their own in nature. The other 85 to 90 percent result from human causes, including unattended camp and debris fires, discarded cigarettes, and arson. Wildfires can burn millions of acres of land at shockingly fast speeds, consuming everything in their paths. These rolling flames travel up to 14 miles an hour, which converts to about a four-minute-mile pace, and can overtake the average human in minutes.
Patent #1
Bambi Bucket (Helicopter Bucket)
Patent #: US5829809A
Inventor: Don Arney
Description: On October 2, 1984, Don Arney developed the first Bambi bucket, but it was originally called the Collapsible Fire Fighting Bucket. The Collapsible Fire Fighting Bucket is a valve system that can control the release of water from the bags, the way that it works is by having the Collapsible Fire Fighting Bucket being suspended from an aircraft and filled from an open body of water, the bucket has a body made of pliable material having an upper rim, a side wall and a bottom rim. The design for the Collapsible Fire Fighting Bucket has inspired many other companies around the world to come up with their own design of combating wildfires.
Pros
Pros
Capable of holding large amounts of water
Can collect water from any open source
Any airplane can be compatible to carry
Cons
Cons
Cost
Takes a long time to refill
Can only drop water in one area
Patent #2
Fire extinguishing firefighting drone
Patent #: WO2016195320A1
Inventor: Kiyeon Won
Description: The present invention relates to a fire drone for extinguishing fire, and more particularly, when a fire occurs in a house, a building, etc. It is made so that the fire can be quickly suppressed by an initial input, and ground movement and flight movement can be freely performed. The present invention relates to a fire drone for fire suppression, which is connected to a central control system and operated unattended from a long distance. In general, a firefighting helicopter is a aircraft that rotates the rotor blades by the engine to fly the fuselage with lift and propulsion force generated by the flow of air passing through the surface of the rotor blades, and is widely used for transportation, movement, attack, and firefighting.
Pros
Pros
Able to get to fires quicker
Able to put out fires quicker
Capable of analyzing the spread of fires
Cons
Cons
Cost
Cannot hold a lot of water
Drone battery does not last long
Patent #3
FMC 220 Fire Tracker
Patent #: US1959871A
Inventor: Sir Francis Ronalds
Description: This invention relates to tractors, such as-are ordinarily used for farming operations, and is more particularly directed to a new and improved gear reduction transmission means for reducing the speed between the crank shaft of the tractor engine and the drive wheels of the tractor. Heretofore, it has been found by experience that in certain hilly sections in the wheatcoun- .10 try a tractor will stall by reason of the fact that it does not have enough power in low gear to be able to pull uphill certain types of heavy farm machinery, such as a combined harvester and thresher. Occurrence 15 from time to time, causes great inconvenience and leads to a considerable loss of time in working a field.
Pros
Pros
Can go through rough terrain
Capable of carrying large equipment
Capable of transporting firefighters to the disaster zone
cons
cons
Cost
Not very fuel efficient
Too heavy
Product #1
Phos-chek
Inventor: Monsanto Company
Description: Phos-chek is a non-colored long-lasting fire retardant. The USDA Forest Service has used PHOS-CHEK to stop the spread of wildfires for over 50 years. It’s the same product formulation you’ve seen dropping from planes during virtually every US wildfire. The phosphate and sulfate salts act as fire retardants and prevent combustion of cellulosic materials. They also act as a fertilizer once the fire danger has passed. Guar gum and clay are thickening agents to prevent dispersal of the retardant after it is dropped from the plane. Other ingredients include corrosion inhibitors and flow conditioners
pros
pros
Can go over fires
Capable of putting out large areas
Not harmful to the environment
cons
cons
Can only be on airplane
Too messy
Too heavy
Product #2
Fire extinguisher
Inventors: George William Manby & Ambrose Godfrey
Description: A Fire extinguisher is a portable or movable apparatus used to put out a small fire by directing onto it a substance that cools the burning material, deprives the flame of oxygen, or interferes with the chemical reactions occurring in the flame. Water performs two of these functions: its conversion to steam absorbs heat, and the steam displaces the air from the vicinity of the flame. Many simple fire extinguishers are small tanks equipped with hand pumps or sources of compressed gas to propel water through a nozzle. The water that’s inside may contain a wetting agent to make it more effective against fires in upholstery, an additive to produce a stable foam that acts as a barrier against oxygen, or an antifreeze. Carbon dioxide is a common propellant, brought into play by removing the locking pin of the cylinder valve containing the liquefied gas; this method has superseded the process, used in the soda-acid fire extinguisher, of generating carbon dioxide by mixing sulfuric acid with a solution of sodium bicarbonate.
pros
pros
Portable
Efficient
Cost
cons
cons
Not suitable for all fires
Capacity
Messy
Product #3
Fire Hydrant
Inventor: Birdsill Holly
Description: A fire hydrant is a visible fixture placed inside or outside a building, parking area, industrial area, mine, roadside, etc. that is connected to the municipal or a private water service network. Fire hydrants are designed to instantly provide the water required by fire fighters to extinguish a fire.
pros
pros
Capable of providing large amounts of water
Efficient
Easy access
cons
cons
Can only be in one place
May cause damage to the instruments
Requires 2 people to activate
Similar Solution Matrix
Conclusion
Human interactions are the main cause of all global wildfires which have led to millions of acers of burnt fields and houses. There has been many solutions to solving this problem; however, the Bambi bucket can take up to an hour to refill, the Firefight Drone is still a developing solution, the Fire Tracker causes more damage to the field in order stop the fire, and Phos-chek are very affective in putting out fires but if not cleaned properly it can stain the ground. There are also other current solutions like the fire hydrant and fire extinguisher, but these two solutions are only capable of solving problems in a certain situation. Although these solutions are being used in practice they are not the most effective way in quickly putting out fires.
Reference
Don Arney's Bambi Bucket, a major contribution to aerial firefighting tech from the 1980s - IPWatchdog.com: Patents & Patent Law. IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law. (2017, September 30). https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2017/10/02/don-arneys-bambi-bucket-aerial-firefighting-tech/id=88568/.
Fire extinguisher. (n.d.). Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/technology/fire-extinguisher
Fire Hydrant Systems - Best Fire Hydrant Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2020, from https://damiaglobalservices.com/fire-hydrant-systems/
FMC SoftTrack Skidgen. Wildfire Fighters. (2014, June 13). https://wildfirefighters.com/skidgen.html.
Fire Retardant - Phos-Chek. (2019, October 01). Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://phoschek.com/product-class/fire-retardant-for-wildland/
McNabb, P. B. M., & Miriam McNabbMiriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones. (2020, August 3). EHang Launches a Firefighting Drone for High-Rise Fires [VIDEO]. DRONELIFE. https://dronelife.com/2020/07/31/ehang-launches-a-firefighting-drone-for-high-rise-fires/.
Safeopedia. (2019, December 15). What is a Fire Hydrant? - Definition from Safeopedia. Retrieved November 06, 2020, from https://www.safeopedia.com/definition/1081/fire-hydran
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