Relay Pumping Control via a Wire Pair Embedded in the Hoses
The ideas presented here are protected by US Patents 7,819,345 and 7,942,350.
Also, Australian Patent 2008302447, and pending patents.
Contact: steve.shoap@alum.mit.edu
The ideas presented here are protected by US Patents 7,819,345 and 7,942,350.
Also, Australian Patent 2008302447, and pending patents.
Contact: steve.shoap@alum.mit.edu
I have invented a system that simplifies the control of a long relay pumping system.
The system can be used to deliver water to fight fires, and also can be used to
supply drinking water to regions that have lost their water supply because an earthquake
has broken their water mains.
Click HERE to see an article written by me in the magazine Wildfire.
Wildfire is published by the International Association of Wildland Fire.
Current relay pumping operation requires a dedicated firefighter at each pump,
and all operators must be able to communicate with each other to make changes to flow.
I propose to embed a small gauge wire pair in the system hose. The wire pair supports a
digital data network which monitors and controls the pumps in the relay.
All of the pumps in the relay can be controlled by a personal computer that is driven from a control panel.
Once the hose and pumps of the system are deployed, there is no need to dedicate a firefighter
to control each pump.
Firefighter safety is enhanced since there is no need to remain with a pump that is in an area
that might be overrun by a fire.
The figure directly below shows three pickup trucks, with pumps, that have deployed hose from reels.
The next figure below shows a tractor towing two trailers. Each trailer carries a large reel of hose with an embedded wire pair.
Each trailer also carries a diesel powered pump that can be controlled by a digital data network.
The system can be used to deliver water to fight fires, and also can be used to
supply drinking water to regions that have lost their water supply because an earthquake
has broken their water mains.
Click HERE to see an article written by me in the magazine Wildfire.
Wildfire is published by the International Association of Wildland Fire.
Current relay pumping operation requires a dedicated firefighter at each pump,
and all operators must be able to communicate with each other to make changes to flow.
I propose to embed a small gauge wire pair in the system hose. The wire pair supports a
digital data network which monitors and controls the pumps in the relay.
All of the pumps in the relay can be controlled by a personal computer that is driven from a control panel.
Once the hose and pumps of the system are deployed, there is no need to dedicate a firefighter
to control each pump.
Firefighter safety is enhanced since there is no need to remain with a pump that is in an area
that might be overrun by a fire.
The figure directly below shows three pickup trucks, with pumps, that have deployed hose from reels.
The next figure below shows a tractor towing two trailers. Each trailer carries a large reel of hose with an embedded wire pair.
Each trailer also carries a diesel powered pump that can be controlled by a digital data network.
The tractor or pickup truck deploys the hose onto the ground as it moves forward.
The data network invention can be used with any size hose and pumps.
The figure below is an existing hose from All-American Hose. It is used for moving fuel, and has a anti-static wire embedded in its walls.
Bob Harcourt is president of All-American Hose, and says that adding a second wire would not be a problem. The embedded wire pair would support an Ethernet type of network along the relay. The network would enable monitoring and controlling any number of pumps along the relay.
Bob Harcourt suggests that the distance between pumps be 1 km, that it be composed of five sections of hose that are each 200 meters long.
A six inch diameter hose could supply approximately 1000 gpm of water. The 1 km of hose would be flat when not pressurized, and would fit on the proposed vehicles.
The pickup trucks and hoses can be used to move fuel as well as water. (As seen later on this site, the military currently uses large spools of hose on trucks to move water and fuel.)
The diesel or gasoline pumps must be refueled by tanker trucks before or after their local fuel supply is exhausted.
I propose that when the hoses are being used to transport fuel, that some of the fuel can be used to power the diesel or gasoline pumps.
The monitoring of the local fuel supply and the diversion of some of the fuel from the hoses can be controlled by the digital network running
through the hoses.
NEXT
The data network invention can be used with any size hose and pumps.
The figure below is an existing hose from All-American Hose. It is used for moving fuel, and has a anti-static wire embedded in its walls.
Bob Harcourt is president of All-American Hose, and says that adding a second wire would not be a problem. The embedded wire pair would support an Ethernet type of network along the relay. The network would enable monitoring and controlling any number of pumps along the relay.
Bob Harcourt suggests that the distance between pumps be 1 km, that it be composed of five sections of hose that are each 200 meters long.
A six inch diameter hose could supply approximately 1000 gpm of water. The 1 km of hose would be flat when not pressurized, and would fit on the proposed vehicles.
The pickup trucks and hoses can be used to move fuel as well as water. (As seen later on this site, the military currently uses large spools of hose on trucks to move water and fuel.)
The diesel or gasoline pumps must be refueled by tanker trucks before or after their local fuel supply is exhausted.
I propose that when the hoses are being used to transport fuel, that some of the fuel can be used to power the diesel or gasoline pumps.
The monitoring of the local fuel supply and the diversion of some of the fuel from the hoses can be controlled by the digital network running
through the hoses.
NEXT
