Firecraft Products Spitfire - FPInnovations Wildfire Operations

Evaluation of Firecraft Products
Spitfire Prescribed Ignition
Burning Equipment
Jim Thomasson, 19 November 2015
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 New plastic sphere dispenser (PSD) machine
 Same unit used in ground and air operations
 Attaches to mounting plate with one pin
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Air Operations, contains chute, and STC’d mounts for multiple
helicopter types
- Rates up to 180 BPM
Ground Operations, contains Ball Thrower
- Shoots balls up to 130 feet
 Increased Safety
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Processes one sphere at time
Safe position auto or manual, ensures injected ball
are ejected
© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Air Ops
Ground Ops
 Balls are smaller, thicker and heavier, for straighter flight,
and more ignition residence time
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Contracted by Firecraft Products to document
and verify performance metrics
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Ball delivery rate (BPM)
Ignition success
Ball Thrower static, distance and accuracy
Ball Thrower moving, distance and accuracy
Air operations at speeds, heights and BPM
Identify unit issues with prototype for correction on
production unit.
 Partnered with Parks Canada, Jasper for
testing
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Rate of Delivery
▫ 30 BPM set, 31 BPM measured
▫ 170 BPM set, 172 BPM measured
▫ Delivery rate mechanically fixed to cam wheel rotation and
controller, displayed BPM is verified
 Ignition Success
▫ 99.1% based on 323 balls
▫ Time to ignite
- 8.1ºC, Smoke @ 40 sec, Flame @ 50 sec, Out 265 sec
- Flame lasts for ~3.5 minutes
- Colder temp increases ignition time
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Distance, Static
- Analog distance control with fine adjustment
- Place spheres where desired up to ~150 feet
- Distance setting accuracy average +6.1m
▫ Trajectory
- Farther distance more speed but steeper angle, less
roll
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Accuracy, ball initial landing spot
127 ft, ~2.5m
55 ft, ~0.5m
90 ft, ~2.0m
Balls were not injected for test,
Wind 4-6 kmph
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 ATV moving operation
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Delivered balls in straight
line
Variability due to rolling
(hard preburnt ground)
Happy with performance
Identified jamming issue
with Thrower at higher BPM
speeds
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Jam Detection stopped
unit automatically
Ball in Thrower extinguished
with hand bottle
Fix for production unit
© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Air Ops
▫ Straight line
▫ Consistent
spacing
Average Spacing in meters
Hgt (ft)
50
100
50
BPM
60
60
100
Speed (Knots)
20
30
9.14
10.84
7.82
11.66
---
40
15.02
15.94
11.79
▫ Little bounce from balls possibly due to smaller, heavier
size
ended ~1m from landing
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Future Steps
▫ Survey for Parks Canada
▫ Design observations and improvements
- Proprietary to Firecraft Products
▫ Report on test results
- Proprietary Firecraft Products
- Request publish to website
▫ Possible field testing on Jackladder 3 PB in Jasper NP,
spring ’16
- Possible additional contract
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
Firecraft Products Spitfire
 Thanks to Parks Canada’s Dave Smith for
supporting this project.
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.
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© 2014 FPInnovations. All rights reserved. Copying and redistribution prohibited. ® FPInnovations, its marks and logos are trademarks of FPInnovations.