TURBOdesign-1 Used in Design of Space Rocket Pump

By DE Editors

Advanced Design Technology (ADT; LondonUK) reports that its TURBOdesign-1 was used by the Japan Aerospace ExplorationAgency (JAXA) — an independent administrative institution from the merger of theInstitute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the National AerospaceLaboratory of Japan (NAL), and the National Space Development Agency of Japan(NASDA) — to improve the design of a new generation of its rocket pump for theLE-7 LOX turbopump used in the H-II rocket.

JAXA, whichis involved in all aspects of aerospace activities, from basic research anddevelopment to utilization, needed to achieve high energy density for therocket’s centrifugal pump (i.e., to achieve the same head and flow rate with acompact size pump under the same rotational speed as the original) in order toreduce the weight and cost of the rocket turbo pump.

When JAXAdecided to use TURBOdesign-1 in the design of pump stage, both the impeller anddiffuser were redesigned using TURBOdesign-1. The impeller loading distributionwas optimized to reduce exit flow nonuniformity and the diffuser loading wasoptimized to increase the static pressure recovery.

By usingTURBOdeisgn-1, it was possible to reduce the impeller diameter by 5 percentwithout any significant reduction in performance.

With abudget of 183.8 billion yen ($27B), JAXA focuses on projects such as theInternational Space Station and Human Space Exploration, Launch Vehicles andSpace Transportation Systems, Satellites and Spacecraft and finally Space andAeronautic Engineering Research.

To downloadthe full case study, visit AdvancedDesign Technology Ltd.

Sources:Press materials received from the company and additional information gleanedfrom the company’s website.