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Attempts at contact

As part of my research, I have spent time in trying to contact the fire service as I believed that be beneficial as a part of my research in order to understand what would want as a replacement for a drip-torch.

My first attempt was through https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/contact-us/ , which I send an email through, but I did not recieve a response.

My second attempt was through https://forums.fireservice.co.uk/ , which I did get a response, but it came far too late to the deadline for any meaningful research, but I will still pursue this line of enquiry.

My final attempt was through contacting the forestry Commission, which I also got a response, which I will also pursue as further research.

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“This great new tool is perfect for small acreages, large-scale gardening, and commercial landscape use when a hand torch is too small [...] This unit has an inside wheel distance of 48.25" making it an adjustable 24"-48" width. The torch manifold width is 27" and the flaming area ranges from 30"-36".

This Multi-purpose flamer is similar to my thoughts on creating a drip-torch that you could push instead of having to carry, but I presume that it uses propane or another flammable gas as fuel instead of petrol or diesel.

Links:

Multi-Purpose Flamer

https://flameengineering.com/collections/agriculturalflamers/products/reddragonmultipurposeflamer

Manual of the Multi-purpose Flamer

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0781/4013/files/instructional_pdf_158_f3ea31fc-10b8-47ce-bf03-c702f6225d51.pdf?3057370754514623363

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“FAROS is fireproof and flame-retardant. A network of aramid fibers protects its sensitive electrical and mechanical innards from open flame. An air buffer and a thermoelectric cooling system beneath this fibrous “skin” help FAROS keep its cool. Its creators, a team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), claim that the drone can withstand temperatures above 1,800°F (1,000°C) for over a minute. The team put this to the test using a combination of butane gas and ethanol aerosol flames”. (Green, 2016)

This Table shows some examples of Aramind fibers, which could be used to cover my device to protect it from fires.

Link:

Erin Green, 2016

https://www.engineering.com/story/the-firefighting-drone-faros-to-the-rescue

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Links:

How these flame-throwing tractors...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m88JLUAW2l0

Flame Engineering - Agricultural Flamers      

https://flameengineering.com/collections/agriculturalflamers

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The Goliath could be considered one of the earliest mass-produced Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV), as around 7,500 of the Goliath was produced from 1942. There were two versions of the Goliath, the 302 and the 303.

The 302 had electric motors that was powered by a 24volt battery, while the 303 has a motorcycle engine powering it. Because of the area that for the explosive charge, I think the form of this design could be adapted for the purpose of prescribed burning. I’m not sure if having a gasoline engine would a good idea in relation, but because of the sound it would be making, it would probably be easy to locate.

Sketch of a Goliath 303 Diagram

Goliath 303 on it’s trailer that could be attached to other vehicles.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhK8L0PgPdA

Tank Chat #81 Goliath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmEO1pxAsZU

Goliath Tracked Mine: The Beetle That Started the ROV Craze

https://www.historynet.com/goliath-tracked-mine-the-beetle-that-started-the-rov-craze.htm

Goliath Sd. Kfz. 303a - Flying Hertiage. 

https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/Germany/Goliath-Sd-Kfz-303a.aspx

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The Dragon Runner is controlled robot that is currently in use with the UK military for Explosive Ordnance disposal (Bomb Disposal). It is produced by QINETIQ. This robot comes in two models, the Dragon Runner® 10  and the Dragon Runner® 20.

The Dragon Runner® 20 specifications can be seen below.

And the image below this text is for the Dragon Runner® 10

Compare to the COLOSSUS, these robots are much smaller and lighter, but they do not have as long battery life. These robots could be take the place of fire-fighter or farmer for prescribed fire, carrying the drip torch instead of a human, thus is something does go wrong, there would be no serious injuries.

Links

Engineering equipment for the British Army

https://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/engineering-equipment/

Dragon Runner Small and Compact Robot

https://www.qinetiq.com/en/what-we-do/services-and-products/dragon-runner-small-and-compact-robot

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The COLOSSUS from the Shark Robotics, a french robotic company, is a unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), which was developed with the Paris firemen (BSPP).  A small amount of information about the COLOSSUS was extracted from Shark Robotics Website.

I discovered the COLOSSUS through the Youtube’s algorithm, where a video of the machine was shown being used to help with putting out the Notre-Dame fire. It appears that in order to pump water, it has to be connected to a water hose.

In an interview with the co-founder of Shark Robotics, the price of the robot ranges from “€130,000 to €200,000 (roughly US $150,000 to $225,000). The range is quite substantial because the design of the robot is modular and there are many features that are optional, so our clients can customize their robot to a certain extent in order to better suit the job that it will have” (Cyril Kabbara, 2019)

Links:

Cyril Kabbara Interview

https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/industrial-robots/colossus-the-firefighting-robot-that-helped-save-notre-dame

Video of the COLOSSUS in use at Notre-Dame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=109lZVuI5Dc

Video about the COLOSSUS from Shark Robotics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3L7WF6K6BM

Technical Details regarding the COLOSSUS

https://www.ctif.org/news/see-video-firefighting-robots-helped-extinguish-notre-dame-fire

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It is interesting to discover that there exist drones that are able to shoot out flame for a purpose. They have been used in China to remove nets or other hazards from power-lines, which the one in the video appears to be used to remove a insect nest.

The Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service employ drones, which could mean that producing a device that could be remote-controlled and serve the function of a drip torch would not be out of the question.

Links:

Flamethrower drone can shoot a seven-metre long stream of fire, Dezeen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3_eEO0Cvwg

Flame-Throwing Drone Removes Net Entangled in China Power Line

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOqWfLZT8OM

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Equipment

https://www.cambsfire.gov.uk/about-us/fleet-and-equipment/equipment/

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Seeing how farmers have used prescribed burning on their fields in other parts of the world, I decided to ask some of the local farmers in my area for their thoughts, so this was the sheet that I gave them which I collected at a later date. Both Farmers believe the prescribed burning may become a future alternative, but both also admitted that their waste product is taken care of by a external company.

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The reason that I have looked at this paint line marker tool is because it’s the form and function could be adapted so instead of having to carry and pour the fuel from the drip torch by hand, a fire fighter could just this and pull a handle when they want to release fuel onto the ground.

However, looking at some other line markers tools, I could require electrical system in order to pump the liquid through, like the Kombi 3 from a company called Fleet

Links:

PROline Paint Line Marking System Aerosol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaorIhuUCeI&feature=emb_title

Kombi Classic from  Fleet

https://fleetpitchmarker.co.uk/kombi-classic/

Manuals of Fleet Products

https://www.fleetlinemarkers.co.uk/downloads.html

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Through watching this episode of Panorama from the BBC, I have learnt some statics regarding wildfires in the UK. “During the 12 months to July, 104 wildfires broke out across the UK with nine in a two week period in may alone” and in 2020, almost 25,000 acres in the UK were burned due to wildfires.

A problem with wildfires in the UK is that there could be peat underground the location of that wildfire, meaning that even if the fire is put out at ground level, the fire will still be spreading underground.

The wildfire that in Lancashire caused the Lancashire Wildlife to estimate that “300 pairs of rare birds and their nests have been lost” and the cost to tackle the fire was close to 1,000,000 pounds.

This segment on wildfire in the UK ends on the discussion that there is “plenty of evidence that the warm weather we've been seeing is part of an accelerating trend", suggesting that in the future, wildfires might occur more in the UK.

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After the failure to light the previous firelighter outside, I decided to soak it in white spirit as I had previously done for the jute to see if it would catch alight quicker and burn for longer. I did this and when I attempted to light it again, I still had issues as the wind prevented it from lighting.

After this second attempt, I have decided that my device will use the same fuel as the current drip torch does, as I have remembered that the mixture is changed based upon the temperature.

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After the tests with the jute, I bought some fire-lighters as to experiement with function as my intension were to light them and then drag it behind me to see if having a design where you would need to pull would work. However, my attempts at lighting them were met with failure as the wind prevent me from lighting it.

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After the result previous experiment with using jute string, I attempted it to burn it again, but the material had been soaked in white spirit before hand. When it was ignited, the flame burnt the white spirit and only left burnt marks on the string.

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I decided that because fuel in the drip-torch seemed to be the main cause of accidents, through either leaking or the fuel running back towards the fire-fighter.

I decided to try and burn a piece of jute string as a part of this experimentation, because if it were flammable, then it meant that I could design something that would unreel that could also be cut off to prevent a uncontrollable flame.

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Look back at my research for my A.C.E Project, I realised that I did not have an image or video that directly showed what a drip torch looked like, so after a quick search, I found this diagram of a drip torch online, which is based on a model from a company called Sure-seal.

This red drip torch is made by Vallfirest. It is has aluminum alloy tank with full-length handle, smooth domed-top to prevent fuel accumulation, and check valve in cover to protect against flashbacks. The total amount of fuel that it can carry is 5 liters and it costs € 310.73, which is £280.02.

Links:

https://www.irlsupplies.com/0/product.htm?pid=96093&cat=5579

https://www.vallfirest.com/en/shop/vallfirest-5-liters-drip-torch