• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.655-659
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• 2004

Performance tests of the fuel pump for a turbopump unit have been successfully carried out in water environment. The tests are performed to evaluate the hydraulic and cavitation performances. The head and volute pressure distribution of the fuel pump followed the conventional similarity rule - unlike this, the secondary passage pressure distribution showed a small deviation from the conventional similarity rule. Also, critical cavitation number decreased as the rotational speed of the pump increased.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.375-383
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• 2005

The present paper describes the first development of a LOX/kerosene type turbopump in Korea. The liquid rocket engine, that the turbopump can be applied to, has a 30-ton(metric) level of vacuum thrust and employs a gas generator cycle. The turbopump consists of two single-stage centrifugal pumps, that is, LOX and kerosene pumps, and one single-stage impulse turbine. Inter-propellant seal(IPS) is located between the LOX pump and the kerosene pump to avoid any interaction between the propellants. A series of component and TPU(Turbopump Unit) test has been completed in the level of simulant propellants and ready for hot firing tests.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.471-477
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• 2003

The floating ring seal is often used in the turbopump (TP) unit of liquid rocket engine (LRE) owing to its inherent ability of minimizing the leakage flow and superior dynamic characteristics as well. This paper describes the test results concerned with the lock-up and dynamic characteristics of the floating ring seals in the turbopump. The characteristics of the floating ring seals were extracted from the frequency response function (FRF) by instrumental variable method. The experiment was tested at 7.0MPa and 0-24,800 rpm. And the test results were introduced about the dynamic characteristics of floating ring seal related with the eccentricity and attitude angle.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.79-86
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• 2014

A turbopump real-propellant test facility(TPTF) is to verify the performance of a turbopump unit(TPU) based on liquid oxygen and kerosene. One of the most important sub-facilities is a hot-gas generation system which makes the driving force of the TPU with an alcohol burner. The alcohol burner generates the required flow rates and temperature at the facility using high pressure air and ethanol. In the study, the verification tests of the alcohol burner which was manufactured entirely with domestic technology were performed and fabrication technique and operation skill for the burner could be obtained ahead of the construction of the facility. Two burners will be operated simultaneously for the real-propellant test of 75tf class turbopump and satisfy the power requirement from the turbine of the TPU.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06e
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• pp.619-624
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• 2001

A performance test facility for turbopump inducer cavitation was developed and the inducer cavitation performance tests were performed. Major components of the performance test facility are driving unit, test section, piping, water tank, and data acquisition and control system. The maximum of testing capability of this facility are as follows: flow rate - 30kg/s; pressure - 13 bar; rotational speed 10,000rpm. This cavitation test facility is characterized by the booster pump installed at the outlet of the pump that extends the flow rate range, and by the pressure control system that makes the line pressure down to vapor pressure. The vacuum pump is used for removing the dissolved air in the water as well as the line pressure. Performance tests were carried out and preliminary data of test model inducer were obtained. The cavitation performance test and cavitation bubble flow visualization were also made. This facility is originally designed for turbopump inducer performance test and cavitation test. However it can be applied to the pump impeller performance test in the future with little modification.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.98-104
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• 2015

Excessive thrust acting on the rotor of pump can cause the damage of pump or the decrease of pump lifetime. Therefore, for ensuring the safety of LOX pump of a liquid rocket engine, the thrust of pump rotor is estimated by similarity tests. Axial thrust is indirectly measured by an axial thrust measurement unit positioned outside pump. Radial thrust is calculated based on pressure distribution of volute scroll. As a result, axial and radial thrust are increased when the flowrate of pump decreases. However, both thrusts do not affect the stability of pump rotor since their values are not large.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• v.y2005m4
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• pp.128-133
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• 2005

In this study, performance design programs for components of a turbopump unit (TPU) in a Liquid Rocket Engine (LRE), that has non-cryogenic centrifugal pumps and 1-stage impulse turbine with partial admission nozzle, were developed. The programs were integrated in a TPU module by balancing the mass flow rate for pump-turbine power, and the module was inserted into the LRE system conceptual design program. The fundamental design conditions, satisfying LRE system requirements and minimum mass flow rate condition of gasgenerator, were found and compared with data from a Russian liquid rocket engine.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

An optimization study on a small turbopump impeller operating at the low specific speed is conducted to obtain high output head at the impeller exit. Its specific speed in SI unit (RPM, m3/sec, m) is 4.0, and the outer diameter is 56mm. On the optimization, the outer diameter of the impeller is maintained constant to restrict the pump size, and an objective function of pressure head is maximized with eight design variables, which are related with designing an impeller shape. The response surface method is used to the optimization scheme, and the commercial code CFX-10 is applied for numerical analysis. The pressure head of the objective function obtained with an optimized impeller is increased by 9.7% compared with that obtained on an impeller designed with typically recommended design parameters. This increment is caused by reducing the recirculation region within the impeller passage.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• v.y2005m4
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• pp.123-127
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• 2005

LRE(liquid rocket engine) performance design code with several modules for each engine component has been developed for a preliminary design purpose. Thrust chamber, non-cryogenic centrifugal pump, single stage axial impulse turbine, gas generator and exhaust pipe for extra thrust have been considered. For simplicity, pump exit pressures are fixed, which eliminates pressure balancing problem between thrust chamber and turbopump unit. In this paper, calculated performance parameters with system flow charts and the design methodologies for each component are briefly presented and the results are compared with tile real engine specification.

• Aerospace Engineering and Technology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.72-80
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• 2004

LOX pump is one of the sub-assemblies constructing turbopump unit. In the current study, static structural analysis on such rotating parts as impeller and inducer has been carried out. Three major factors which can affect the structural stability of the rotating parts of LOX pump, are temperature, pressure, and centrifugal force. The effect of each factor was preliminarily investigated, then the analysis under the consideration of the combined loading conditions has been carried out. The major factor that affects the structural stability was proved to be temperature. The analyses of the combined cases showed that the designed impeller and inducer had reasonable safety margins, which means that the impeller and the inducer will be stable in static structural strength. Although there was no problem in the structural strength of the impeller and the inducer, a model analysis should be followed in order to verify the interference between the rotating part and the inner surface of casing.