Numerical study on the blade shape optimization of a rim-driven pump for high-rise firefighting drones

초록

Frequent large-scale fires in mountain forests and high-rise buildings highlight the accessibility and altitude limitations of conventional firefighting systems. Firefighting drones capable of aerial water discharge have therefore attracted increasing attention, but their practical suppression performance is limited by insufficient flow rate, low discharge pressure, and short discharge distance. This study investigates the application of a rim-driven pump (RDP) to improve hydraulic performance for firefighting drone systems. A total of 240 RDP blade design cases were analyzed using CFD by varying the blade number, pitch ratio, and expanded area ratio (EAR). The optimal configuration achieved a maximum flow rate of 3885 LPM, consisting of three blades, a pitch ratio of 5.81, and an EAR of 1.6. System-level analysis further evaluated the effect of RDP installation on water discharge distance at different operating heights. At a height of 75 m, the application of the RDP increased the discharge distance by 15.4 %. The proposed blade design provides practical guidelines for improving the hydraulic performance of RDP in firefighting drone applications.

키워드