Marine Copper Fire Pump

I. Product Overview

Marine copper fire pumps are key equipment in ship fire-fighting systems, designed specifically for initial fire control and emergency extinguishing. Constructed with tin bronze (ZCuSn10Pb5) or naval brass (HAl67-2.5) as core materials, they achieve efficient delivery of freshwater, seawater, and foam-containing fire-extinguishing mixtures through centrifugal or reciprocating pump principles. Their working principle involves a power source (electric motor or diesel engine) driving an impeller or piston to generate pressure, drawing water (from overboard seawater or fire water tanks) into the pump, pressurizing it, and delivering it via fire-fighting pipelines to terminals such as hydrants and water cannons, providing a continuous water flow for fire suppression. The pump body undergoes precision machining and anti-corrosion treatment, with a corrosion-resistant service life of ≥8 years in high-humidity and salt-spray environments. It meets Chapter 13 of IMO International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code) and fire equipment certification requirements of classification societies such as LR and ABS, widely used in inland ships, offshore workboats, yachts, and other vessels sensitive to weight or operating in moderately corrosive environments.

II. Core Technologies and Material Characteristics

1.Copper Material Selection and Performance

2.Key Technical Parameters

Flow range: 5-100m³/h, suitable for ships of 100-5000 gross tons (e.g., 1000 gross ton ships recommend flow ≥20m³/h)

Head requirement: ≥80m under rated conditions, ensuring the maximum range of fire water cannons ≥30 meters (minimum standard for initial fire fighting)

Medium compatibility: Capable of conveying seawater (Cl⁻≤20,000ppm), freshwater, foam mixtures (concentration ≤6%), and cooling water containing small amounts of sediment

Self-priming performance: Self-priming models achieve a self-priming height ≥4m and priming time ≤60 seconds, requiring no manual priming

Temperature adaptability: Operates in a wide temperature range of -10℃~60℃, withstanding instantaneous temperature increases (≤80℃) when fire water contacts high-temperature flue gas

3.Safety and Emergency Design

Equipped with dual power interfaces, supporting both electric motor and manual crank drive, enabling manual operation to maintain basic water supply when the main power fails

Pressure overload protection: When outlet pressure exceeds 1.1 times the rated value, the safety valve automatically opens to relieve pressure, preventing pipeline bursting

Lightweight structure: 30% lighter than stainless steel pumps of the same specification, suitable for limited installation spaces on yachts and small ships (weight ≤500kg)

III. Technical Advantages and Innovative Design

1. High-Efficiency Emergency Response Capability

High-speed impeller: Adopts a backward-curved impeller design with a maximum speed of 3000r/min, increasing flow by 15% compared to cast iron pumps under the same power, suitable for quickly establishing fire-fighting water pressure (reaching rated head within 30 seconds).

Foam-compatible flow channel: The inner wall of the flow channel is smooth (Ra≤1.6μm), leaving no residue when conveying foam mixtures, avoiding degradation of fire-extinguishing agents and ensuring fire-fighting effectiveness with a foam passing rate ≥98%.

2. Balance Between Corrosion Resistance and Lightweight

All-copper flow components: Pump body, impeller, and shaft sleeve are made of homogeneous copper materials to avoid galvanic corrosion from contact between dissimilar metals, showing no significant rust after 2000-hour 3% salt spray tests.

Thin-wall structure optimization: Non-loaded parts are thinned (minimum 3mm) through finite element analysis, reducing weight by 10% compared to traditional copper pumps while ensuring strength, facilitating ship hoisting and installation.

3. Adaptability to Small and Medium-Sized Ships

Low-noise operation: The gap between the impeller and volute is precisely controlled (0.1-0.3mm), resulting in operating noise ≤75dB (at 1 meter), suitable for noise-sensitive scenarios such as yachts.

Manual emergency mode: Integrates a hand-crank device, allowing operation by 2 people during power outages with an output flow ≥30% of the rated value, meeting the "minimum emergency guarantee" requirements for inland ships.

IV. Typical Application Scenarios

1. Fire Fighting on Inland and Offshore Ships

Inland passenger ship fire extinguishing: 500-gross-ton inland passenger ships are equipped with naval brass fire pumps (flow 15-30m³/h, head 80m) to deliver freshwater through a network of cabin hydrants, cooperating with fire extinguishers to quickly control initial fires with a response time ≤1 minute.

Offshore fishing boat emergency: Tin bronze self-priming fire pumps (flow 10-20m³/h, self-priming height 4m) directly draw overboard seawater to provide continuous water flow for deck catch fires, exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance to fish and shrimp residue.

2. Fire Fighting on Yachts and Special Vessels

Luxury yacht fire systems: Lightweight naval brass pumps (flow 8-15m³/h, head 60m) with a volume of only 0.8m×0.5m×0.6m are installed in narrow cabin spaces, linking with automatic fire-extinguishing systems to start within 30 seconds during fires.

Workboat temporary fire fighting: Serves as a backup pump to provide fire support for port workboats (flow 5-10m³/h), connecting to dock hydrants via quick connectors to meet temporary fire-fighting needs.

3. Adaptation to Special Environments

Freshwater lake ships: Naval brass pumps perform stably in low-chloride freshwater environments (flow 20-40m³/h, head 70m), suitable for scenic cruises and houseboats with maintenance costs 30% lower than stainless steel pumps.

Humid and hot climate applications: Tin bronze pumps in tropical high-humidity (95%) environments feature anti-condensation designs to prevent rust on internal components from condensation, ensuring a start-up success rate ≥99% during the rainy season.

V. Selection and Maintenance Specifications

1. Key Selection Parameters

Ship type: Tin bronze pumps for offshore and sandy water areas; naval brass pumps for inland rivers and freshwater areas

Flow requirements: Calculate based on the maximum cabin area of the ship (≥5m³/h per 100㎡); e.g., 500㎡ cabins require flow ≥25m³/h

Installation conditions: Naval brass pumps for weight-restricted scenarios (e.g., yachts); tin bronze pumps for frequently started scenarios (e.g., fishing boats)

2. Maintenance Points

Daily inspection: Monitor outlet pressure (fluctuation ≤±0.1MPa), bearing temperature (≤70℃), and seal leakage (≤1mL/h) every 500 hours

Regular maintenance: Clean suction filters (aperture ≤5mm) monthly; replace shaft seals (using nitrile rubber materials) every 1500 hours; inspect impeller wear annually (allowable radial clearance ≤0.2mm)

Anti-corrosion maintenance: Acid pickling and passivation (citric acid solution) of copper components every six months to remove surface oxide layers and restore corrosion resistance

VI. Compliance and Certification

International standards: Complies with Chapter 13 of IMO FSS Code and ISO 14520 fire pump performance standards

Classification society certifications: Passed type approval for fire pumps by LR, ABS, and CCS (including 500-hour seawater operation tests)

Mandatory requirements: At least 1 unit is required for inland ships over 100 gross tons; passenger ships require "one in use, one standby" dual units