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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

Hydrodynamic impeller stiffness, damping, and inertia in the rotordynamics of centrifugal flow pumps

The lateral hydrodynamic forces experienced by a centrifugal pump impeller performing circular whirl motions within several volute geometries were measured. The lateral forces were decomposed into: (1) time averaged lateral forces and (2) hydrodynamic force matrices representing the variation of the lateral forces with position of the impeller center. It is found that these force matrices essentially consist of equal diagonal terms and skew symmetric off diagonal terms. One consequence of this is that during its whirl motion the impeller experiences forces acting normal and tangential to the locus of whirl. Data on these normal and tangential forces are presented; it is shown that there exists a region of positive reduced whirl frequencies, within which the hydrodynamic forces can be destablizing with respect to whirl.

Jery, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Liquid Scavenger for Separator/Pump

Pump for hydrogen modified to remove moisture that condenses in impeller stage. Impeller-pump housing has circumferential groove leading to exit hole near high-pressure outlet. As impeller disk rotates, flings water droplets condensed in pump toward groove. Aerodynamic drag drives water around groove to exit hole.

Berg, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Unshrouded Centrifugal Turbopump Impeller

The ratio of rocket engine thrust to weight is a limiting constraint in placing more payload into orbit at a low cost. A key component of an engine's overall weight is the turbopump weight, Reducing the turbopump weight can result in significant engine weight reduction and hence, increased delivered payload. There are two main types of pumps: centrifugal and axial pumps. These types of pumps can be further sub-divided into those with shrouds and those without shrouds (unshrouded pumps). Centrifugal pumps can achieve the same pump discharge pressure as an axial pump and it requires fewer pump stages and lower pump weight than an axial pump. Also, with unshrouded centrifugal pumps (impeller), the number of stages and weight can be further reduced. However. there are several issues with regard to using an unshrouded impeller: 1) there is a pump performance penalty due to the front open face recirculation flow; 2) there is a potential pump axial thrust problem from the unbalanced front open face and the back shroud face; and, 3) since test data is very linu'ted for this configuration, there is uncertainty in the magnitude and phase of the rotordynamics forces due to the front impeller passage. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the design of an unshrouded impeller and to examine the design's hydrodynamic performance, axial thrust, and rotordynamics performance. The design methodology will also be discussed. This work will help provide some guidelines for unshrouded impeller design. In particular, the paper will discuss the design of three unshrouded impellers - one with 5 full and 5 partial blades (5+5). one with 6+6 blades and one with 8+8 blades. One of these designs will be selected for actual fabrication and flow test. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to help design and optimize the unshrouded impeller. The relative pump performance penalty is assessed by comparing the CFD results of the unshrouded impeller with the equivalent shrouded impeller for a particular design. Limited unshrouded - versus - shrouded impeller data from the J-2 pump is used to anchor the CFD. Since no detailed impeller blade force data is available, axial thrust and rotordynamic force predictions are based on the CFD model. For the axial thrust, the impeller front flow passage axial force is integrated from the CFD results and compared to the equivalent shrouded impeller axial force. For the rotordynamics forces, the fluid reaction forces are computed from unsteady flow CFD results using a moving boundary method; the rotor- shaft is moved at several whirl-to-speed frequency ratios to extract the rotordynamics coefficients.

Prueger, George↗
NASA NTRS1972

Noncontacting device to indicate deflection of turbopump internal rotating parts

Phase 2 (development) which was concluded for the ultrasonic Doppler device and the light-pipe-reflectance device is reported. An ultrasonic Doppler breadboard system was assembled which accurately measured runout in the J-2 LOX pump impeller during operation. The transducer was mounted on the outside of the pump volute using a C-clamp. Vibration was measured by conducting the ultrasonic wave through the volute housing and through the fluid in the volute to the impeller surface. The impeller vibration was also measured accurately using the light-pipe probe mounted in an elastomeric-gland fitting in the pump case. A special epoxy resin developed for cryogenic applications was forced into the end of the fiber-optic probe to retain the fibers. Subsequently, the probe suffered no damage after simultaneous exposure to 2150 psi and 77 F. Preliminary flash X-radiographs were taken of the turbine wheel and the shaft-bearing-seal assembly, using a 2-megavolt X-ray unit. Reasonable resolution and contrast was obtained. A fast-neutron detector was fabricated and sensitivity was measured. The results demonstrated that the technique is feasible for integrated-time measurements requiring, perhaps, 240 revolutions to obtain sufficient exposure at 35,000 rpm. The experimental verification plans are included.

Hamilton, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Pressure oscillation in the leakage annulus between a shrouded impeller and its housing due to impeller-discharge-pressure disturbances

The perturbed flow in the leakage path between a shrouded-pump impeller and its housing is analyzed using experiences with the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFTP) wearing-ring seals. Analysis is based on a bulk-flow model which consists of the path-momentum, circumferential momentum, and continuity equations. The pressure oscillations in the leakage annulus are driven by a circumferential variation of the impeller discharge pressure. It is shown that the occurrence and nature of the pressure oscillations depend on the tangential-velocity ratio of the fluid entering the seal, the order of the Fourier coefficient, the closeness of the precessional frequency of the rotating pressure field to the first natural frequency of the fluid annulus, and the clearance of the wearing-ring seal. The results obtained may explain the internal melting observed on SSME HPFTP seal parts.

Childs, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Development of Titanium Alloys for Application in the Space Shuttle Main Engine

The high-strength-to-weight ratio of titanium alloys, particularly at cryogenic temperatures, make them attractive for application in rocket engines - offering the potential of superior performance while minimizing component weight. This was particularly attractive for rotating components, such as pump impellers, where titanium alloys presented the potential to achieve a major advance in rotational tip speed, with a reduction in stages and resultant saving in pump weight and complexity. The investigation into titanium alloys for application in cryogenic turbopumps began in the early 1960's. However, it was found that the reactivity of titanium limited applications and produced unique processing challenges. Specialized chemical compositions and processing techniques had to be developed. A substantial amount of material properties testing and trials in experimental turbopumps occurred, ultimately leading to application in the Space Shuttle Main Engine. One particular alloy stood out for use at liquid hydrogen temperatures, Ti-5Al-2.5Sn ELI. This alloy was employed for several critical components. This presentation deals with the development effort, the challenges that were encountered and operational experiences with Ti-5Al-2.5Sn ELI in the SSME.

Halchak, John A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Parallel Unsteady Turbopump Simulations for Liquid Rocket Engines

This paper reports the progress being made towards complete turbo-pump simulation capability for liquid rocket engines. Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) turbo-pump impeller is used as a test case for the performance evaluation of the MPI and hybrid MPI/Open-MP versions of the INS3D code. Then, a computational model of a turbo-pump has been developed for the shuttle upgrade program. Relative motion of the grid system for rotor-stator interaction was obtained by employing overset grid techniques. Time-accuracy of the scheme has been evaluated by using simple test cases. Unsteady computations for SSME turbo-pump, which contains 136 zones with 35 Million grid points, are currently underway on Origin 2000 systems at NASA Ames Research Center. Results from time-accurate simulations with moving boundary capability, and the performance of the parallel versions of the code will be presented in the final paper.

Kiris, Cetin C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Water Flow Testing and Unsteady Pressure Analysis of a Two-Bladed Liquid Oxidizer Pump Inducer

The unsteady fluid dynamic performance of a cavitating two-bladed oxidizer turbopump inducer was characterized through sub-scale water flow testing. While testing a novel inlet duct design that included a cavitation suppression groove, unusual high-frequency pressure oscillations were observed. With potential implications for inducer blade loads, these high-frequency components were analyzed extensively in order to understand their origins and impacts to blade loading. Water flow testing provides a technique to determine pump performance without the costs and hazards associated with handling cryogenic propellants. Water has a similar density and Reynolds number to liquid oxygen. In a 70%-scale water flow test, the inducer-only pump performance was evaluated. Over a range of flow rates, the pump inlet pressure was gradually reduced, causing the flow to cavitate near the pump inducer. A nominal, smooth inducer inlet was tested, followed by an inlet duct with a circumferential groove designed to suppress cavitation. A subsequent 52%-scale water flow test in another facility evaluated the combined inducer-impeller pump performance. With the nominal inlet design, the inducer showed traditional cavitation and surge characteristics. Significant bearing loads were created by large side loads on the inducer during synchronous cavitation. The grooved inlet successfully mitigated these loads by greatly reducing synchronous cavitation, however high-frequency pressure oscillations were observed over a range of frequencies. Analytical signal processing techniques showed these oscillations to be created by a rotating, multi-celled train of pressure pulses, and subsequent CFD analysis suggested that such pulses could be created by the interaction of rotating inducer blades with fluid trapped in a cavitation suppression groove. Despite their relatively low amplitude, these high-frequency pressure oscillations posed a design concern due to their sensitivity to flow conditions and test scale. The amplitude and frequency of oscillations varied considerably over the pump s operating space, making it difficult to predict blade loads.

Schwarz, Jordan B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Time-Dependent Simulation of Incompressible Flow in a Turbopump Using Overset Grid Approach

This paper reports the progress being made towards complete unsteady turbopump simulation capability by using overset grid systems. A computational model of a turbo-pump impeller is used as a test case for the performance evaluation of the MPI, hybrid MPI/Open-MP, and MLP versions of the INS3D code. Relative motion of the grid system for rotor-stator interaction was obtained by employing overset grid techniques. Unsteady computations for a turbo-pump, which contains 114 zones with 34.3 Million grid points, are performed on Origin 2000 systems at NASA Ames Research Center. The approach taken for these simulations, and the performance of the parallel versions of the code are presented.

Kiris, Cetin↗
DOE OSTI2023

In-Situ Monitoring Assisted Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing of Mild Steel and 316L Alloys for Nuclear Application

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) Program is aimed at developing cross-cutting technologies in support of a broad range of nuclear reactor parts, and to maintain U.S. leadership in materials and manufacturing technologies for nuclear energy applications. The overarching vision of the AMMT program is to accelerate the development, qualification, demonstration and deployment of advanced materials and manufacturing technologies to enable reliable and economical nuclear energy. One of its three goals is to target big challenges and game-changing technologies, to realize the mission and vision of AMMT program. Based on this context, this multi-year work package focuses on understanding the current state of large-scale additive manufacturing (AM) technology for the deposition of 316L stainless steel materials for final components and mild steel for use in nuclear manufacturing processes. The targeted AM modality is directed energy deposition (DED), capable of fabricating components on the size scale of meters including valves, pumps, impellers. etc. that are challenging or difficult to source, especially when developing new systems or replacing obsolete components. Accordingly, the current writeup aims at providing a baseline literature survey on structure-property relationships in mild steel and 316L alloys. Also, information on preliminary trials to date involving these two alloys show tremendous potential of printing parts having complex geometry and thin- walled structures, such as nuclear valve and Hot isostatic Press (HIP) can, using wire based (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing and Hybrid Additive Manufacturing) as well as blown powder DED machines. All of this is aimed towards (i) demonstrating the ability to fabricate large components for pressure boundary applications relevant to the nuclear community and nuclear manufacturing technology, and (ii) understanding the effect of different manufacturing technology on AM can production and post HIPed material for nuclear applications. Another target of this writeup is to compile various in-situ monitoring tools that have been incorporated for different DED AM modalities, in order to understand process variability during the entire fabrication process. This can be correlated with processing-structure-property response surfaces and would add confidence around process quality verification and ultimately component certification for nuclear applications.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1982

Spring Support for Turbopump Rotor Bearing

Novel bearing support for liquid-oxygen turbopumps protects against impact loads while avoiding a major disadvantage of earlier flexible supports. It allows controlled axial movement necessary for proper operation of pressure-operated pump impeller. While spring-loading rotor to midpoint of the axial movement to avoid impact-load damage to turbopump components. Support is made by machining azimuthal slots in cylindrical portion. Resulting structure permits controlled axial deformations.

Strangeland, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Effect of low temperature on fatigue and fracture properties of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn(ELI) for use in engine components

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of the Ti-5Al-2.5Sn (ELI) alloy used in a fuel pump impeller at cryogenic temperatures. Tension, fracture toughness, and fatigue crack propagation data were collected determining the effect of frequency and load ratio on crack propagation. The results revealed that tensile strength increased significantly at 20 K compared to room temperature and fracture toughness was reduced at cryogenic temperatures. The fatigue crack growth rate was not sensitive to experimental conditions and there were only minimal crack orientation effects. Different frequencies produced no effect. At various temperatures and frequencies a load ratio increase resulted in higher crack growth rates. At low stress intensity levels the fatigue rate for both temperatures was the same; however, at high stress intensity levels the crack growth rate at 20 K increased because of the decrease in fracture toughness. The results correlated well with previous data.

Ryder, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Measurements of the rotordynamic shroud forces for centrifugal pumps

An experiment was designed to measure the rotordynamic shroud forces on a centrifugal pump impeller. The measurements were done for various whirl/impeller speed ratios and for different flow rates. A destabilizing tangential force was measured for small positive whirl ratios and this force decreased with increasing flow rate.

Guinzburg, A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

CFD applications in pump flows

The objective of the proposed paper is to develop a computational procedure that solves incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for pump flows. The solution method is based on the pseudo-compressibility approach and uses an implicit-upwind differencing scheme together with the Gauss-Seidel line relaxation method. The equations are solved in steadily rotating reference frames and the centrifugal force and the Coriolis force are added to the equation of motion. As a benchmark problem, the flow through the Rocketdyne inducer is numerically simulated. A coarse grid solution is obtained with a single zone by using an algebraic turbulence model. In multi-zone fine grid computation, a one-equation Baldwin-Barth turbulence model is utilized. Numerical results are compared with experimental measurements and a good agreement is found between the two. The resulting computer code is then applied to the flow analysis inside a two-stage fuel pump impeller operating at 80 percent, 100 percent, and 120 percent of design flow.

Kiris, Cetin↗