Patent ID: 8616071
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: A62C

Abstract:
1. A foam free fire fighting vehicle foam delivery test system, comprising: a foam concentrate storage bottle to receive AFFF concentrate from said fire fighting vehicle; a mobile platform adapted for movement to a location having said fire fighting vehicle; a surrogate fluid storage tank mounted on said mobile platform, said surrogate fluid storage tank housing an environmentally safe surrogate fluid, said surrogate fluid storage tank having an inlet/outlet port; a flow sensor located on said mobile platform and pipingly connected to the inlet/outlet port of said surrogate fluid storage tank, wherein said flow sensor provides a measurement of a fluid flow rate of said surrogate fluid through said flow sensor; a first ball valve located on said mobile platform, said first ball valve having an inlet port pipingly connected to said flow sensor and an outlet port; a first flexible hose having a first end connected to the outlet port of said first ball valve; a first universal adapter fitting having a first port and a second port, said first port being connected to a second end of said first flexible hose; a second flexible hose having a first end connected to said foam concentrate storage bottle; a second universal adapter fitting having a first port and a second port, wherein said first port of said second universal adapter fitting is connected to a second end of said second flexible hose; a fitting connector connected to a first end of a flow piping and adapted to removably connect to said second port of said first universal adapter fitting and said second port of said second universal adapter fitting; a foam storage tank having a discharge port; a T having a first end, a second end, and a third end; an isolation valve having an inlet port and an out let port, wherein the inlet port of said isolation valve is pipingly connected to said discharge port of said foam storage tank, and the outlet port of said isolation valve is connected to said first end of said T; a drain valve having a remote operator, a first inlet/outlet port, and a second inlet/outlet port, wherein the first inlet/outlet port of said drain valve is connected to the second end of said T and the second end of said flow piping is connected to the second inlet outlet port of said drain valve; a first spring check valve having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the inlet port of said spring check valve is pipingly connected to said third end of said T; a second ball valve having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the inlet port of said second ball valve is pipingly connected to said first spring check valve outlet port; a metering valve located on said fire fighting vehicle, said metering valve having an outlet port and an inlet port, wherein the inlet port of said metering valve is connected to the outlet port of said second ball valve, said metering valve controlling a flow rate of said surrogate fluid from said second ball valve through said metering valve when said foam free system is testing the foam delivery system on said fire fighting vehicle; a second spring check valve having a second spring cheek valve inlet port and a second spring check valve outlet port, wherein the inlet port of said second spring check valve is pipingly connected to the outlet port of said metering valve; a supply tank to provide a pressurized liquid, said supply tank having an outlet port; and an eductor located on said fire fighting vehicle, said eductor having a first inlet port connected to the outlet port of said supply tank, a second inlet port connected to said second spring check valve outlet port, and a discharge port, said eductor receiving said pressurized liquid from said supply tank, said pressurized liquid creating a vacuum within said eductor that draws said surrogate fluid into said eductor, said eductor mixing said surrogate fluid with said pressurized liquid to form a surrogate fluid mixture under pressure, said eductor discharging said surrogate fluid mixture through the discharge port of said eductor to a plurality of nozzles located on said fire fighting vehicle; said first ball valve, said isolation valve, and said second ball valve being closed, and said second flexible hose being connected to said flow piping, while said drain valve is open, when said foam free system is discharging residual foam in said system to said foam concentrate storage bottle, wherein said second flexible hose is connected to said flow piping via engagement of said second universal adapter fitting and said fitting connector; and said isolation valve being closed and said first flexible hose being connected to said flow piping while said first ball valve, said drain valve, and said second ball valve are open, when said foam free system is testing the foam delivery system allowing said surrogate fluid to flow trough said first ball valve, said drain valve, and said second bail valve, wherein said first flexible hose is connected to said flow piping via engagement of said first universal adapter fitting and said fitting connector.