Description

WHAT IS IT? Neruppuda is a fireproof quadcopter that carries the fire extinguisher in its front part. This drone is amphibious, i.e., it can be operated under the water as well as in the air. Hence it can be used to inspect oil spills as well. WHAT DOES IT CONTAIN? The Neruppuda consists of ABC dry chemical which is usually a mix of mono-ammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate, the former being the active one in its front part. The mix between the two agents is usually 40–60%, 60-40%, or 90-10% depending on the type of industry. The powder breaks the chain reaction of liquid and gas fires by coating the surface to which it is applied. These fires (Class B in the American system; Classes B and C in the European and Australian systems) include the burning of gasoline, oil, propane, and natural gas. MADE OF The Material used to make the drone is a fire safe polymer. To explain it in detail, it is an intrinsically fire resistant polymer. Most intrinsically fire-resistant polymers are made by incorporation of aromatic cycles or heterocycles, which lend rigidity and stability to the polymers. Polyimides, polybenzoxazoles (PBOs), polybenzimidazoles, and polybenzthiazoles (PBTs) are examples of polymers made with aromatic heterocycles. They are available and are cheap. Hence the frame of the drone costs approximately $40. These polymers are lightweight. The entire weight of the drone is about 15 Kg including the extinguishing compartment. Delfire series of motors are designed to be a part of smoke and heat control ventilation systems. These systems create a smoke-free layer above the floor by removing the smoke. Thus, they improve conditions for safe escape/rescue of people, animals and the protection of property. They also permit the fighting of fire while still in its early stage. They are also used with jet fans to convey smoke, NOx, carbon monoxide and other gases from tunnels, car parks, basement areas and the likes. In many cases, they operate in the hazard prevention mode. In case of fire outbreak, the temperature rises rapidly. Delfire motor work for a guaranteed period of 1 or 2 hours at a continuous temperature of 300, 250 & 200º Celsius, depending upon the requirement. WORKING The unique design of the extinguisher is attached. When a fire breaks out, the Neruppuda is sent to the particular location using an IR remote control and the unique mixture is released explosively at the epicentre of the fire breakout. This has been proved successful and has put out small fires in less than 30 seconds. COST OF PRODUCTION When it comes to saving lives, money will never play a role. But as you asked for it, The cost of production of one drone is about $450. This is inclusive of the amphibious property. A standard drone for the same purpose would cost $175 with a weight bearing capacity of 15 kilograms. The thrust produced is similar to the concept explained here. The power consumed in this case is same as the standard one. I believe that the same idea should provide an ideal solution to oil spills and petroleum fires as well. The model has been simulated virtually as well as practically using the wind tunnel for various temperatures and pressures. From this, the flight time obtained is about 12 minutes with an accuracy of +/- 1 minute EXTINGUISHER WORKING As you can see in the schematic diagram, there are several compartments ranging from small to large size. At places where the fire is more, more compartments are dropped, which then explodes due to high pressure. And at places where there is less fire outbreak, fewer compartments can be released. This reduces the wastage of extinguisher. This drone can be easily connected to the cloud and integrated with several sensors such as thermal imaging sensor, heat sensor, and so on, but I believe that, during any such circumstances, we cannot rely on technology to provide a solution by itself. Especially in cases where human life is involved, I personally avoid Technology to play a role in it. So I wish to keep it operated by a human pilot. Because there can be miscalculations and misinterpretations. And again, I don't think a normal sensor can perform the task efficiently at such high temperatures. And at the same time, industry grade sensors just add to the cost. Hence both the piloting and firing is manual because it involves human life. Yes, we can get help from sensors to obtain data. But we do not wish the device to take a decision by itself from the data obtained. Hence human intervention is highly essential. These drones can be used... Almost anywhere. The drone can be made visually intelligent by processing and machine learning. So that it is automatically activated at times of fire breakouts. These drones are located in a place near to the building and not inside the building. The best setup to quickly access and eliminate fire is to place it near the factory- say 59 meters away. When a fire breaks out, the drone is operated by someone from the outside and the fire is put out. As the drone is fire resistant by design, it can be easily piloted into the building through the front door or any other windows. The drone is SWOT analysed and the dimensions are about 1.5m*1.5m*4m (l*b*h). Out of the box transmitter/receiver pair, you would get with consumer grade drones (running on 2.4 GHz) can have a maximum range of about 1 mile, depending on the noise and obstacles. Hence a 6 channel 2.4 GHz transmitter-receiver RC can be used. REAL-TIME USE CASE The drone is piloted from a man from the outside and this drone contains a camera so that the pilot can easily identify if there is any human stuck inside the factory. You can notice that, in the design, the propellers are shielded and there is no way it is going to injure someone. The sound of the drone itself is sufficient for a person to know that there is a drone coming. Else a mini siren can be attached to it to announce it's arrival.

References

1. "Ecological Effects of Fire Retardant Chemicals and Fire Suppressant Foams". Archived from the original on 2007-08-18. Retrieved 2011-02-16. 2. http://www.falckproductions.com/resources/fire-safety-and-firewatch/classes-of-fire-a-b-c-d-and-k/ 3. "Selection of Fire Extinguishers for Fires Involving Oxidizers (Swimming Pool Chemicals)". Archived from the original on 2009-03-07. Retrieved 2008-09-13. 4. "Chlorine facts". Archived from the original on 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2008-09-13. 5. "Sprinkler protection for swimming pool chemicals". NFPA Journal. 2004. Retrieved 2008-09-13.

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