Date of Award

5-2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics

Department

Aeronautics and Astronautics

Committee Chair

Timothee L. Pourpoint

Committee Member 1

Guillermo Paniagua Perez

Committee Member 2

Alberto Da Silva Mello Jr.

Abstract

Liquid-propelled rocket engines are the current state-of-the-art in the space propulsion industry. Turbopumps are used to deliver the necessary engine conditions to ensure the large chamber pressurization that liquid-propelled systems require. As there is no record of any full-scale development of a rocket turbopump in academia, Purdue University and its Maurice J. Zucrow Propulsion Laboratories launched the Turbopump Project with the objective of designing, building, and testing a turbopump with engine-relevant conditions. This thesis briefly outlines turbomachinery design processes along with a brief overview of Purdue’s Turbopump Project design that started in 2013. The thesis mainly provides the complete testing campaign development ranging from flow conditioning, initial testing, Design Point condition attainment, and 2 off-design conditions at Low Power and at the limiting Redline condition. In addition, the thesis provides flow control and off-design mapping strategies.

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