Hydraulic Design of an Ultracompact Liquid Methane–Liquid Oxygen Turbopump for a Mid-Scale Thruster for Upper Stage Application

As space missions proliferate and the payload requirements increase, the environmental impact of thrusters can no longer be considered negligible. Therefore, less impactful fuels such as methane are starting to be considered for launchers. In this paper we present a design case study for such a turb...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Inventions (Basel) 2024-10, Vol.9 (5), p.104
Main Authors: Cancescu, Alexandru-Claudiu, Crunteanu, Daniel-Eugeniu, Andreescu, Anna-Maria Theodora, Danescu, Simona-Nicoleta, Dragan, Valeriu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon
Computational fluid dynamics
Computer simulation
Computer-generated environments
Construction
Cooling
Design and construction
Engines
Fuel pumps
Gases
green propulsion
Launchers
Liquid oxygen
Mechanical properties
methalox
Methane
mid-scale thruster
Propulsion systems
Rockets
Sea level
Space missions
Space vehicles
Thrusters
Turbine pumps
Turbines
turbopump
upper stage
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Summary:As space missions proliferate and the payload requirements increase, the environmental impact of thrusters can no longer be considered negligible. Therefore, less impactful fuels such as methane are starting to be considered for launchers. In this paper we present a design case study for such a turbopump. Using both analytical models and Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques, we were able to reduce the size and weight of the turbopump assembly. Also, due to the elimination of some auxiliary systems, the overall efficiency was enhanced. This paper’s findings and methods can be transferred not only to launchers in its own class, but also to larger scale engines with a similar construction.
ISSN:2411-5134
2411-5134
DOI:10.3390/inventions9050104