Apparatus and method for supporting distribution from aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9731153-B2
Application number	US-201414259400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2011
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

When distribution material is distributed over a target site on a ground surface from an aircraft, a distribution supporting apparatus offers support information to a pilot dropping the distribution material to efficiently distribute the distribution material. The distribution supporting apparatus includes: an input section to which information items on at least an aircraft velocity, an aircraft altitude, and a wind velocity are input; a computation section configured to compute a location at which the distribution material dropped from the aircraft arrives on the ground surface and a density distribution of the distribution material on the ground surface based on the information items input to the input section; and a display control section configured to display, on a display, the support information relating to the location and density distribution computed by the computation section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial distribution supporting apparatus which, when distribution material is distributed over a target site on a ground surface from an aircraft, offers support information to a pilot dropping the distribution material to efficiently distribute the distribution material, the apparatus comprising:
an input section to which information items on at least a velocity and an altitude of the aircraft and a wind velocity are input, the aircraft including a tank to store the distribution material;
a computation section configured to compute a location at which the distribution material dropped from the aircraft arrives on the ground surface and a density distribution of the distribution material on the ground surface based on the information items input to the input section, the distribution material being dropped from the tank, the distribution material splitting into small liquid drops while falling, the small liquid drops being dispersed; and
a display control section configured to display, on a display, the support information relating to the location and density distribution computed by the computation section, wherein
the distribution material is water or a fire extinguishing agent to be distributed over a fire site,
with increasing aircraft altitude from which the distribution material is dropped, an area of the ground surface where the distribution material is spread increases, and a density of the distribution material on the ground surface decreases, while, with decreasing aircraft altitude from which the distribution material is dropped, the area of the ground surface where the distribution material is spread decreases, and the density of the distribution material on the ground surface increases,
the distribution material having a density higher than or equal to a predetermined density is required to effectively extinguish a fire,
an information item on a location of the fire site that is the target site is further input to the input section,
the computation section computes, based on the input information items, a drop location and a drop altitude from which the distribution material is to be dropped, which enable distribution of the distribution material over the fire site at a density higher than or equal to a density effective in extinguishing a fire, and which allow an area where the distribution material is distributed to be maximum, and
the display control section displays, on the display, information items on the drop location and the drop altitude from which the distribution material is to be dropped as the support information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
an information item on an aircraft location is further input to the input section, and
the display control section displays, on the display, an information item on discrepancies between the aircraft location and the computed drop location and between the aircraft altitude and the computed drop altitude as the support information in real time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:
a dropper configured to drop the distribution material when the aircraft has arrived at the drop location and the drop altitude.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
an information item on an aircraft location is further input to the input section,
the computation section further computes a path through which the aircraft reaches the drop location and the drop altitude, and
the display control section displays, on the display, information items on the computed path and a time when the distribution material is to be dropped as the support information in real time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a dropper configured to drop the distribution material when the aircraft has arrived at the drop location and the drop altitude.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the computation section computes, based on the input information items and previously determined table data, the location at which the distribution material arrives and the density distribution.

7. An aerial distribution supporting apparatus which, when distribution material is distributed over a target site on a ground surface from an aircraft, offers support information to a pilot dropping the distribution material to efficiently distribute the distribution material, the apparatus comprising:
an input section to which information items on at least a velocity and an altitude of the aircraft and a wind velocity are input, the aircraft including a tank to store the distribution material;
a computation section configured to compute a location at which the distribution material dropped from the aircraft arrives on the ground surface and a density distribution of the distribution material on the ground surface based on the information items input to the input section, the distribution material being dropped from the tank, the distribution material splitting into small liquid drops while falling, the small liquid drops being dispersed; and
a display control section configured to display, on a display, the support information relating to the location and density distribution computed by the computation section, wherein
the distribution material is water or a fire extinguishing agent to be distributed over a fire site,
with increasing aircraft altitude from which the distribution material is dropped, an area of the ground surface where the distribution material is spread increases, and a density of the distribution material on the ground surface decreases, while, with decreasing aircraft altitude from which the distribution material is dropped, the area of the ground surface where the distribution material is spread decreases, and the density of the distribution material on the ground surface increases,
the distribution material having a density higher than or equal to a predetermined density is required to effectively extinguish a fire,
the computation section computes an effective distribution density area in which the distribution material is distributed over the ground surface at a density higher than or equal to the predetermined density, and a location of the effective distribution density area, and
the display control section displays, on the display, the effective distribution density area obtained by dropping the distribution material at a present moment, and the location of the effective distribution density area as the support information in real time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the computation section computes, based on the input information items and previously determined table data, the location at which the distribution material arrives and the density distribution.

9. An aerial distribution supporting method in which, when distribution material is distributed over a target site on a ground surface from an aircraft, support information is offered to a pilot dropping the distribution material to efficiently distribute the distribution material, the method comprising:
inputting information items on at least a velocity and an altitude of the aircraft, a wind velocity, and a location of a fire site that is the target site, the aircraft including a tank to store the distribution material;
computing, based on the input information items, a drop location and a drop altitude from which the distribution material is to be dropped, which enable distribution of the distribution material having a density higher than or equal to a density effective in extinguishing a fire over the fire site, and which allow an area where the distribution material is distributed to be maximum, the distribution material being dropped from the tank, the distribution material splitting into small liquid drops while falling, the small liquid drops being dispersed; and

Assignees

• Shinmaywa Ind Ltd
• Japan Aerospace Exploration

Inventors

• Goda Yushi
• Yamada Tsubasa
• Arimoto Masatoshi
• Tagawa Shinji
• Nakaie Taiki
• Adachi Jun
• Ito Takeshi
• Muraoka Koji
• Funabiki Kohei
• Matsuo Yuichi

Classifications

• F41G9/002

  for guiding a craft to a correct firing position (for bombing control F41G9/02) · CPC title

• G01C23/00

  Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration · CPC title

• A62C3/0292

  by spraying extinguishants directly into the fire (A62C3/0242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64D1/16 Primary

  Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting (jettisoning fuel B64D37/26) · CPC title

• A62C3/0242 Primary

  by spraying extinguishants from the aircraft (spraying from aircraft in general B64D1/16) · CPC title