Rocket Turbopump Impeller Hub Coolant Passage for Housing Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional rocket engine manufacturing techniques are complex and costly, involving intricate assembly procedures for thrust chambers, injectors, and turbopump systems, which complicate design and increase production time and expenses.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing techniques, specifically direct metal laser sintering, to produce components such as thrust chambers, injectors, and turbopumps, allowing for complex geometries and varying surface roughness in coolant flow passages to enhance cooling performance and reduce assembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional manufacturing techniques are used for thrust chambers and turbopumps, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but device complexity and production cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (thrust chamber, injector, turbopump) into integrated assemblies using additive manufacturing. The thrust chamber includes an integrated injector assembly, and the turbopump assembly integrates the pump with the thrust chamber mounting, reducing the number of separate parts and assembly steps while maintaining manufacturing precision through direct digital manufacturing
2Strength
If traditional manufacturing techniques are used, then component strength can be ensured, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from traditional subtractive or formative methods to additive manufacturing processes. This enables direct construction of complex geometries in a single process step, significantly reducing production time while maintaining or improving component strength through controlled material deposition and layer-by-layer building
3Loss of energy
If smooth surfaces are used in coolant passages, then pressure drop is reduced, but cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different regions of the coolant passages. Smooth surfaces are used in sections where pressure drop reduction is critical, while enhanced roughness or specific surface features are applied in regions where heat transfer enhancement is the priority, optimizing both energy loss and cooling efficiency locally
4Ease of manufacture
If simple geometries are used for turbopump impeller, then manufacturing is easier, but cooling performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach to additive manufacturing, which enables the creation of complex impeller geometries with internal coolant passages and optimized cooling features that would be impossible or extremely difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods, thereby improving cooling performance without sacrificing manufacturing feasibility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies the assembly and design of rocket engine components, reduces production costs, and improves cooling efficiency by enabling precise control over surface roughness and geometry, leading to more effective heat transfer and reduced pressure drop.
Implementation Method 1
direct metal laser sintering
Implementation Method 2
additive manufacturing process to form a rocket engine component
Implementation Method 3
coolant flow passages that extend from a first end of the thrust chamber to a second end of the thrust chamber
Implementation Method 4
regenerative cooling, in which one of the propellants is circulated through the walls of the thrust chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are various technologies pertinent to rocket engines, including injector, thrust chamber, and electrical turbopump devices that may be combined to provide a more efficient rocket engine. The electrical turbopump impeller includes a coolant bypass port fluidically connected with a coolant passage that passes through the impeller central hub and allows some of the propellant that is acted on by the impeller to bypass the impeller outlet and instead be flowed into the electrical turbopump housing so that the diverted propellant may be used to cool the various components housed within the housing such as the electric motor bearings, stator, rotor, and electronics.