Integrated firefighting fluid supply mechanism and methods thereof

1 . An additive supply system for a fire fighting mechanism, comprising:

an additive supply line connected to an additive source with a fire fighting fluid line;

a balanced pressure valve capable of throttling a recirculating line, the balanced pressure valve is connected to an orifice tube and the recirculating line;

a high pressure sensor, a low pressure sensor and the recirculating line connected to the orifice tube;

an additive pump comprising an additive pump controller, the additive pump connected to the additive supply line; and

a controller comprising a processor and computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine a high pressure outputted by the high pressure sensor;

determine a low pressure outputted by the low pressure sensor;

determine an additive pump displacement outputted by the additive pump controller; and

control the additive pump to adjust a flow from the additive pump based on one or more of the high pressure outputted by the high pressure sensor, the low pressure outputted by the low pressure sensor and the additive pump displacement outputted by the additive pump controller;

wherein, when the system is in use, a portion of an additive pumped around the additive pump is capable of being recirculated through the recirculating line to balance pressure between a portion of the additive supply line and a portion of the fire fighting fluid line, and

wherein the controller varies a rate of change of the flow of the additive pump based on one or more of the high pressure outputted by the high pressure sensor or the low pressure outputted by the low pressure sensor such that when changing the rate of change of the flow such that the rate of change is non-zero, a first magnitude of a first rate of change of the flow at a first time is different than a second magnitude of a second rate of change of the flow at a second time.

2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a fire fighting fluid pressure sensor connected to the fire fighting fluid line;

and the controller further comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine a fire fighting fluid pressure outputted by the fire fighting fluid pressure sensor; and

control the additive pump based on one or more of the high pressure outputted by the high pressure sensor, the low pressure outputted by the low pressure sensor, the additive pump displacement outputted by the additive pump controller and the fire fighting fluid pressure outputted by the fire fighting fluid pressure sensor.

3 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an additive pressure sensor connected to the additive supply line; and

the controller further comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine an additive pressure outputted by the additive pressure sensor; and

control the additive pump based on one or more of the high pressure outputted by the high pressure sensor, the low pressure outputted by the low pressure sensor, the additive pump displacement outputted by the additive pump controller and the additive pressure outputted by the additive pressure sensor.

4 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a fire fighting fluid pressure sensor connected to the fire fighting fluid line;

an additive pressure sensor connected to the additive supply line; and

the controller further comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine a fire fighting fluid pressure outputted by the fire fighting fluid pressure sensor;

determine an additive pressure outputted by the additive pressure sensor; and

control the additive pump based on one or more of the high pressure outputted by the high pressure sensor, the low pressure outputted by the low pressure sensor, the additive pump displacement outputted by the additive pump controller, the fire fighting fluid pressure outputted by the fire fighting fluid pressure sensor and the additive pressure outputted by the additive pressure sensor.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a fire fighting fluid in the fire fighting fluid line comprises water.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the additive comprises a base foam concentrate.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the additive comprises a thixotropic material.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fire fighting mechanism comprises a mobile fire fighting vehicle.