EP-4741662-A2 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USE IN OPERATION OF A FIREFIGHTING VEHICLE

Abstract

Systems and methods implemented as part of firefighting operations include a dual priming system having a positive displacement pump and a venturi, each of which may be active depending on the mode in which the system is operational, a BLDC motor operable in two modes depending on the rotational speed and required torque, a fire suppression system operating a bypass valve upon detecting a loss of prime from an off-board additive container, a valve checker system that rotates a valve element without opening the valve to prevent stiction and detect errors, a chemical additive system for a firefighting vehicle configured to perform an air purge after a flushing operation, and a system that uses a bypass valve and an off-board container for dispersing a decontamination solution.

Inventors

• BROWN, WILLIAM J.
• Clementson, George H. M. III
• LASKARIS, MICHAEL A.
• MILLER, DAVID LAMONT
• CERRANO, JASON

Assignees

• Hale Products, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20201028

Claims (6)

1. A system comprising: a brushless direct current electric (BLDC) motor having a plurality of phases; and a motor controller operatively connected to the plurality of phases of the BLDC motor and configured to selectively power rotation of the BLDC motor via the plurality of phases in a first mode and a second mode, wherein when the motor controller powers rotation of the BLDC motor in the first mode, the motor controller is configured to (a) determine a current rotational position of the BLDC motor, (b) determine a subsequent rotational position of the BLDC motor to which the BLDC motor is to be rotated, (c) apply a first pulse width modulation (PWM) setting to one or more of the plurality of phases to cause the BLDC motor to rotate toward the subsequent rotational position, (d) responsive to detecting that the BLDC motor has reached the subsequent rotational position, apply a second PWM setting different from the first PWM setting to the one or more of the plurality of phases until expiration of a timer of predetermined duration, and (e) after expiration of the timer, return to step (a), and wherein when the motor controller powers rotation of the BLDC motor in the second mode, the motor controller is configured to: (i) determine a current rotational position of the BLDC motor, (ii) determine a subsequent rotational position of the BLDC motor to which the BLDC motor is to be rotated, (iii) apply a third PWM setting to one or more of the plurality of phases to cause the BLDC motor to rotate toward the subsequent rotational position, and (iv) responsive to detecting that the BLDC motor has reached the subsequent rotational position, return to step (i).
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a foam pump having an input configured for fluid communication with at least one additive source and an output configured for fluid communication with a discharge conduit, the foam pump being driven by the BLDC motor to inject one or more chemical additives from the at least one additive source into the discharge conduit.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the BLDC motor and the foam pump are provided in a common housing.
4. The system of any one of claims 2-3, further comprising a source selector valve disposed upstream of the foam pump input and configured to enable selection of one of a plurality of additive sources for fluid communication with the foam pump input.
5. The system of any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a plurality of position sensors operatively connected to the motor controller and configured to detect the current rotational position of the BLDC motor.
6. The system of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the third PWM setting is different from the first and second PWM settings.

Description

BACKGROUND Embodiments described in this application below relate generally to firefighting vehicles, and more particularly, to various aspects of systems and methods that may be implemented as part of firefighting operations managed by the vehicle, including flow control systems involving pumps, tanks, intakes, discharges, and the like. In one aspect, embodiments described herein are generally directed to pump priming, and, more particularly, to a dual priming system for a centrifugal pump. Centrifugal pumps are pumps that convert rotational energy, e.g., from a motor of the pump, into kinetic energy in the form of a moving fluid. Traditional centrifugal pumps require the pump casing to be evacuated of gas and filled with liquid before the pump is operated in order to function properly. Accordingly, centrifugal pumps require priming systems to supply fluid into the centrifugal pump casing prior to operation thereof. Generally, centrifugal pumps are primed via a positive displacement pump, such as, for example, an electrically operated positive displacement vacuum pump. In emergency services applications, such as priming a pump on a fire truck, the positive displacement pump is powered by the truck's electrical system. As should be understood, time is of the essence in emergency services applications and a delay in water delivery can be catastrophic. Accordingly, one drawback of such a priming setup is that the power of the positive displacement pump, and, in turn, the priming efficiency of the pump, is limited by the maximum power that can be obtained from the truck's electrical system. Another drawback of such a priming setup is that it is generally loud in operation, rendering verbal communication increasingly challenging, even in light duty priming operations. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to manufacture a priming system capable of producing greater priming power resulting in faster priming. It would be further advantageous to manufacture a priming system capable of operating in a low noise setting during light duty priming operations. In another aspect, embodiments described herein relate to a device and method for checking the operability of fire truck valves, and more particularly, to a fire truck valve checker and a method of using the fire truck valve checker to validate the operability of one or more fire truck valves. Valves of various types experience sticking that makes them hard to operate when they have been sitting for a while without operating. This is particularly an issue in fire apparatus pumps and valves where individual valves may not be used for a considerable period of time between use. This is characteristic of power operated ball valves and butterfly valves used in a pumper type fire apparatus where the valves sit for long periods of time in between use. Pumper truck valves typically have a softer sealing element that can stick to a harder valve element. Different materials are used to minimize this phenomenon; nonetheless valves can still stick and not operate when needed. Should this be the case of a power operated valve, the stuck valve might trip a breaker or stall a motor. Stuck manually operated valves can be so difficult to operate that the valve fails to open under pressure. The longer a valve sits without being used, the more the materials tend to stick to each other, sometimes through 'plastic creep' of the two adjacent materials. The materials can flow into the pores of the mating part, binding them together. Lubrication is used to prevent sticking, but lubrication is difficult to achieve in a mobile fire apparatus that has limitations on size and weight. Even with lubrication, sticking or seizing can occur when a valve is not moved over longer periods of time. In the case of rubber seated valves, the rubber appears to vulcanize to the mating part. Additionally, the valve mechanical actuator and/or its electrical connections (whether they be via a J1939 CAN network or individual hardwired connection, for example) are subject to wear and damage like any other component. So, a mechanical or electrical issue can contribute to a stuck valve. For instance, a weak ground connection that has been subject to corrosion from road salt or other means may reduce the effective power available to the motor, which decreases the motor output torque and makes it more likely that the valve will be unable to move when needed after sitting a long time. Similar risks apply to all the mechanical interconnects, couplings, gears and electrical interconnects, switches, wires, and the like. Furthermore, the vast majority of fire departments in North America are volunteer based, meaning an operator is not necessarily at the vehicle every day, and the number of fire events per year is decreasing over time, based on readily available reporting, which yields an assessment that valves can remain untested and possibly stuck or otherwise not function over time and a stuck condition may not be de