Questions tagged [turbopump]
The turbopump tag has no usage guidance.
35
questions
6
votes
1answer
229 views
Can gas bubbles form in the fuel and oxidizer rocket engine pumps due to insufficient flow from the tanks?
In a staged combustion cycle rocket engine, the fuel and oxidizer are fed into turbo pumps which are in turn powered by a pre-burner. My question is how do they ensure that the fuel and oxidizer are ...
1
vote
1answer
90 views
Difference between 2 pumps on same shaft run by a turbo pump and 2 pumps run on separate turbopumps
So i was trying to understand the working of the Full Flow Staged Combustion cycle(FFSC) and was comparing it to the Staged Combustion Cycle(SC) and Closed Combustion Cycle(CCC) a question came up in ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
F1 engine turbopump
During the initial trials, the LOX pump part of turbopump of F1 engine had some problem with its vanes. They were damaging after approximately 110 seconds of operation. What was the problem and how ...
2
votes
0answers
109 views
Does electric fuel pumping scale well for rockets?
The Electron launch vehicle first stage has nine Rutherford engines In addition to adapting the single-engine-out-friendly nine engine configuration from the Falcon-9, the rocket carries a significant ...
5
votes
1answer
144 views
How is the pressure within the gas generator determined?
The fact that pressure fed engines need their tanks to be at an even higher pressure has always confused me a little, but it's got me thinking; does the same logic apply to gas generator engines. If ...
3
votes
1answer
120 views
What is the inlet and outlet pressure of Merlin LOX/RP-1 turbopump?
I got the inlet and outlet pressure of Saturn V engines turbopumps here, but I couldn't find the turbopump pressure of the Merlin engine of Falcon 9.
2
votes
1answer
227 views
How do we maintain the RPM of turbo pumps in liquid rocket engine?
How do we maintain the RPM of turbo pumps in liquid rocket engine? And how do we control it? And in the case of electric pump fed engine (like Rocket Labs's Rutherford engine) is easy but how we do it ...
0
votes
1answer
252 views
using Tesla turbines to pump rocket fuel
From what I've read, tesla turbines are extremely lightweight and even more efficient (about 95% compared to 90% of turbopumps) when compared to turbopumps, and their bladeless design would also ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Why does the Falcon 9 use turbopumps as well as helium pressurisation system?
Falcon 9 first stage use turbopumps as well as helium pressurisation system.
Isn't the turbopumps enough to pump in the propellants to the combustion chamber?
5
votes
1answer
332 views
Why don’t any engines use turboelectric oxidiser pumps?
Most larger liquid-fuelled rocket engines1 use fuel and oxidiser turbopumps driven by the hot, high-pressure gasses produced by burning said fuel and oxidiser:
The gas-generator cycle burns some of ...
4
votes
1answer
214 views
Is this soot building up on the Falcon 9 interstage?
In the below video of stage separation during Falcon 9's CRS-19 mission, the exhaust of Stage 2's Merlin 1D-Vac impinges on the interstage. It also deposits a black substance on the white paint.
Is ...
6
votes
2answers
188 views
Did rockets use turbopumps prior to the V-2?
Did the liquid propellant rockets before V-2 use turbopumps or were their fuel tanks pressurized with gas? Or perhaps were their engines gravity-fed?
3
votes
0answers
94 views
Would rotating detonation rocket engines always require high pressure fuel pumps? [duplicate]
The question Performance of a pumpless liquid rocket engine is thoughtful and provocative and pretty much all answers include a mention of the extremely high pressure necessary to push propellants ...
18
votes
4answers
3k views
Performance of a pumpless liquid rocket engine
Basically all rockets that I know of have a pump feeding fuel and oxidiser into the combustion chamber. The turbopump is one of the most complicated and expensive components of the entire rocket. If a ...
1
vote
1answer
97 views
Pump Power related queries
I know that pump power can be calculated using this formula
$$P_p = \frac{\rho \ Q \ \Delta H \ g_0}{\mu_p}$$
Source: Rocket Propulsion Elements by Sutton 8th Ed. Equation 10-16, Chapter 10. Page ...
16
votes
1answer
1k views
What is an "exhausterator" and what does it do?
I laughed when I first saw the word "exhausterator" mentioned, I scratched my head when I saw it the second time, and I came here after the third.
Besides making me feel like maybe technobabble isn't ...
2
votes
2answers
166 views
Is it possible to use hybrid propulsion to drive the turbopump?
Turbopump are driven either by a preburner or by an electrical engine (OK this technology is quite new and currently in 2019 only used on the Rutherford engine).
If I understand correctly, using ...
4
votes
1answer
460 views
Does engine purging cause dry run of turbo pump in a liquid rocket engine? If it occurs, what is the implication?
Does engine purging in a liquid rocket engine cause dry run of the turbopump? If so, does that have any implication for the design, health, maintenance, or operation of the pump?
How do we calculate ...
4
votes
3answers
385 views
How much of the exhaust speed is due to combustion and how much is due to the injection?
The thrust $F$ of a rocket engine is given by
$$F=\dot{m}v$$
where $\dot{m}$ is the mass flow and $v$ is the exhaust speed.
Now the first factor, $\dot{m}$, is almost entirely due to the turbo pumps (...
5
votes
1answer
298 views
How do pressure fed and pump fed systems compare at different scale of rockets
Rocket Design is all about optimising mass, within cost constraints while accepting a certain amount of risk. Both pressure fed and pump fed systems have their pros and cons, but how do they compare ...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
What differences exist between the pressurants and their associated systems between a pressure fed and pump fed liquid rocket engine
There is an apparent need to have pressurants in both pressure fed and pump fed systems. However, since pump fed systems can create the necessary pressure, they can work with less pressurants and ...
3
votes
0answers
318 views
How does a turbopump work
I am a kid pursuing a career in propulsion, and I was wondering, "how does a turbopump work?" I would really appreciate a detailed explanation.
Thanks!
1
vote
0answers
92 views
What is the geometric dimensions of turbo pumps present in SSME?
Here is a really well documented and detailed explanation of the SSME engine.
Looking through this, one can notice that there are no details of the dimensions.
I would like to know about the ...
3
votes
1answer
192 views
What is advantage of independent pumps vs common pump in clustered configuration?
The images of the engine clustering in the Rocket Labs's Electron rocket gives an indication that there are independent drive pumps for individual engines; I am not sure of it. I am not aware of the ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Mass, Chamber pressure and cooling type of Rutherford Engine
What are the specifications of Rocket Lab's Rutherford Engine used by the Electron Rocket?
I'm looking for the chamber pressure, propellant mass flow rate, type of cooling for the nozzle, size of ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
Pressure queries on turbopumps
In the turbopump used in liquid rockets, the stagnation pressure rise is definite. But then the question comes:
Whether static pressure rises or dynamic pressure rises or both rise? If both rise ...
1
vote
2answers
101 views
General queries on pumps
What will be the result if the pipe losses is greater than head produced by the pump?
What will be the result if outlet is closed?
1
vote
1answer
107 views
Pressure in the turbopump
Which pressure is considered, when using the head calculation (stagnation or static)?
Are these pressures absolute or gauge?
1
vote
0answers
57 views
Cryogenic engines till date
How many cryogenic engines are there till date.
Names are mostly necessary.
1
vote
0answers
58 views
How do preburners work in gas generator cycle? [duplicate]
In gas generator cycle small portion of the fuel and oxidzier is burned in the preburner to drive centrifugal pumps feeding the main combustion chamber. But how is the fuel/oxidizer fed into the ...
7
votes
0answers
180 views
Why aren't injector pumps used in rockets?
Is there something that makes injectors unsuitable as oxidizer pumps? Seems to me that rockets would benefit significantly from a pump with no moving parts that runs off its own exhaust.
6
votes
1answer
1k views
At what pressure ratio did the fuel turbopumps of the F1 and J2 operate?
I would like to know the operating points of the fuel-turbo-pumps used in the Saturn rocket engine. (From what I could learn via google, the turbo pump went under the name Mark III)
Is there any ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
How does the propellant flow during descent on SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stage?
Could someone explain to me how, during the descent, the pumps pull the oxidizer and propellant? I could be wrong, but during the burn the propellant should move inside an almost empty tank.
7
votes
1answer
655 views
What are the issues and concerns related to turbopump blade cracks and manned spaceflight?
While the WSJ headline sounds ominous: Congressional Investigators Warn of SpaceX Rocket Defects, Quartz's SpaceX needs to redesign its engine to ensure it is safe for human spaceflight seems to be a ...
15
votes
4answers
4k views
Why do pump and pressure fed liquid engines need to operate at high pressures?
There is apparently some confusion as to why pump or pressure fed liquid rocket engines need to operate at high pressure to product significant thrust, based on the comments to this question about ...
