This paper proposes the armored combat bulldozer, essential for amphibious tasks, requires water ingress prevention and submersion capabilities, typically addressed by a centrifugal pump. This study aims to boost the bulldozer's drainage pump efficiency by replacing the traditional aluminum 3-blade impeller with one made of ASA material using 3D printing. Analysis via ANSYS Fluent revealed that the 5-blade impeller increased discharge volume by 19.31% and efficiency by 6.07%, while the 6-blade variant saw a 27.07% increase in discharge volume and 8.81% efficiency improvement. Further scrutiny with ANSYS Static Structure ensured the new impellers' structural integrity and robustness under extreme conditions. This research confirms the potential of 3D printing in enhancing military equipment, demonstrating significant improvements in pump performance and opening paths for advanced manufacturing techniques to meet the demanding needs of combat vehicles.
In this study, numerical analysis is conducted to understand the flow characteristics of the radial impeller with the design parameters such as the blade shape and position using the ANSYS Fluent software. The shape of blade is divided into two types, a backward curved blade and an airfoil forward curved blade. To examine the fundamental flow characteristics near the blades, a rectangular flow field is modeled and analyzed. On the other hand, for the impeller rotation analysis, the simulation is performed by modeling the rotational region separately. As a result, the airfoil forward curved blade shows higher outlet flow rate than the backward curved blade. In addition, as the depth of the impeller and the attachment angle of blade increase, the higher flow rate appears.