Modeling, optimization, and parameter calibration of aerial water dropping for multi-aircraft fire extinguishing operations

This study addresses the limitations of current aerial water-dropping models, which primarily focus on single-aircraft operations, with limited research on multi-aircraft firefighting strategies that could significantly enhance firefighting efficiency. Additionally, current model calibration techniques often rely on the real testing of firefighting, leading to a high cost of implementation. To overcome these challenges, an effective fire extinguishing model based on turbulent jet principles is developed to improve the efficiency of multi-aircraft firefighting, and an analytical solution is derived to the parameter optimization. To reduce the cost of the model calibration, a cost-effective calibration method is proposed without the requirement of setting a real fire in the grassland based on image processing techniques, which enables the determination of model parameters at reduced operational expenses. Furthermore, simulations and practical experiments validate the effectiveness of both the model and the calibration method, demonstrating substantial benefits in improving aerial firefighting strategies.