Hose Systems to Protect Homes from Wildfires,
Confine Prescribed Fires,
and Deliver Water Over Long Distances.
IFFC, LLC Contact: steve.shoap@alum.mit.edu Twitter: @steveshoap
The ideas presented here are protected by US Patents 7,819,345, 7,942,350, 9,561,393,
and Canadian patents 2,693,158, and 2,891,833.
and Deliver Water Over Long Distances.
IFFC, LLC Contact: steve.shoap@alum.mit.edu Twitter: @steveshoap
The ideas presented here are protected by US Patents 7,819,345, 7,942,350, 9,561,393,
and Canadian patents 2,693,158, and 2,891,833.
Las ideas presentadas aquí están protegidas por las Patentes de Estados Unidos 7.819.345, 7.942.350,
La patentes canadiense 2.693.158 y 2.891.833.
Si está leyendo esto en español, utilice Google Translate para leer el resto de mi sitio web.
La patentes canadiense 2.693.158 y 2.891.833.
Si está leyendo esto en español, utilice Google Translate para leer el resto de mi sitio web.
Spray Hose Invention to Protect Homes from Wildfire and Embers
The above photo shows 200 ft of a spray hose that can protect a home from wildfire embers, and also confine a prescribed fire (RxFire). There is a spray nozzle every 10 ft that sprays water onto the adjacent area.
The hose in the above photo has a diameter of 3 inches.
Further experimentation has shown that a similar hose with diameter 1.5 inches gives exactly the same spray result. A 3 inch hose is needed for very long hose lengths to reduce pressure loss, however a 1.5 inch hose will be sufficient to protect most homes.
To view a VIDEO of the 200 ft hose spraying 300 gpm of water, Click HERE
The picture above shows a house that is surrounded by the spray hose (shown in blue). A pump is pumping water out of a swimming pool into the blue spray hose. The gray water spray is shown spraying vertically from the spray hose.
A possible preferred direction would be an angle of 45 degrees from the ground away from the house, but is too difficult to show in the picture.
The 45 degrees would help stop the fire before it reaches the hose.
The two photos below show a closeup of how the spray hose surrounding the house is constructed.
At the top of the photo below is a fire hose that has a small hole for spraying water.
Below the fire hose are two rectangular sections of hose that have been glued together.
One rectangular hose section has a smaller rectangle cut from its center.
The other rectanglular hose section has TWO HOLES that are centered in the cut rectangle area.
Below the fire hose are two rectangular sections of hose that have been glued together.
One rectangular hose section has a smaller rectangle cut from its center.
The other rectanglular hose section has TWO HOLES that are centered in the cut rectangle area.
TWO HOLES
The photo below shows the two rectangular hose sections glued to the longer fire hose section.
When water is pumped into the long fire hose, some the of the water exits the hole in the hose.
This water enters the chamber formed by the rectangular area removed from one of the rectangular
hose sections. The water in the chamber then exits from the two hole shown in the photo.
If a hose has a single hole, the water exiting will form a narrow column. The water exiting the TWO HOLES
does not form columns, but actually forms a very wide and deep spray. The wide and deep spray pattern
is very desirable for fighting a grassfire or low intensity wildfire. The spray is also useful for stopping blowing embers from reaching the house. Embers are often the reason that a house catches fire.
The photo below shows the two rectangular hose sections glued to the longer fire hose section.
When water is pumped into the long fire hose, some the of the water exits the hole in the hose.
This water enters the chamber formed by the rectangular area removed from one of the rectangular
hose sections. The water in the chamber then exits from the two hole shown in the photo.
If a hose has a single hole, the water exiting will form a narrow column. The water exiting the TWO HOLES
does not form columns, but actually forms a very wide and deep spray. The wide and deep spray pattern
is very desirable for fighting a grassfire or low intensity wildfire. The spray is also useful for stopping blowing embers from reaching the house. Embers are often the reason that a house catches fire.
The two rectangular hose sections have a very low profile, and are flexible.
This makes them useful for creating a long spray hose with such nozzles.
Their low profile allows such a hose to be deployed from a reel.
Such a hose can also be folded and deployed from a storage cavity.
Spray Hose System vs. Sprinkler System
Cost:
100 feet of the Spray Hose will cost much less than the $3000 for a 100 ft sprinkler system.
I will be getting a cost estimate soon. My guess is that the Spray Hose will cost between
1/3 and 1/2 of a sprinkler system.
Speed of Deployment:
The sprinkler system has a very large number of pieces to be interconnected.
The Spray Hose is a simple hose that has a Angle Adjustment Device every 10 feet.
The Spray Hose can be deployed MUCH faster.
Spray Height:
The Spray Hose has a spray that is HIGHER and more DENSE than the sprinkler system.
Moving Parts:
Spray Hose had none. Sprinkler system has many.
Fire Resistance:
The Spray Hose uses a very fire resistant hose.
Sprinkler systems usually use commodity hoses.
The image above is a low cost pump that can supply water to 50 feet of Spray Hose.
The system CANNOT work from a garden faucet in a home.
The homeowner must have a large and local source of water.
The tank shown below is an example of what is available.
