(Czech Technical University in Prague)
Czech engineers have tested an octocopter for extinguishing fires, it independently detects the source of the ignition and shoots a fire capsule at it, which releases gas and absorbs heat.
To extinguish fires in a building at a height, fire escapes and high-pressure hoses are most often used, which allow water to be supplied through the window at a high altitude. But in some cases, these tools either cannot be placed next to the building, or the fire is located too high (from 100 meters and higher).
For such cases, engineers have been developing fire-fighting drones for several years that are capable of pouring water into the windows of buildings or throwing fire bombs.
Engineers from the Czech Technical University in Prague have created a compact drone capable of extinguishing small sources of ignition in buildings. It has an octocopter design with four pairs of propellers. It also has a depth camera for automatic detection of the source of ignition.
The main feature of the drone is a pneumatic cannon capable of firing a fire capsule up to 10 meters. The developers used a Bonpet capsule, consisting of a shell and 600 milliliters of liquid. At 90 degrees Celsius, the shell collapses and releases liquid.
When a liquid is heated from a fire, an endothermic reaction occurs, and the surrounding space cools, the liquid itself decomposes into nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which stop burning. One capsule is designed for fire protection of eight cubic meters.
During the tests, which took place in October in the Czech city of Brandys nad Labem Stara Boleslav, engineers, together with local firefighters, set up an artificial fire in one of the premises of an abandoned building. The drone managed to find the source of the ignition and throw a capsule through the window opening, which then extinguished the fire.
You can see the video here: