Little-known facts of turbopump unit creation history in ijquid rocket engine

Aeronautical and Space-Rocket Engineering

To the 100th anniversary of B.V. Ovsyannikov


DOI: 10.34759/vst-2021-3-63-72

Аuthors

Filin N. A.1*, Mkrtchyan M. K.2**

1. Keldysh Research Centre, 8, Onezhskaya str., Moscow, 125438, Russia
2. GNPP "Region", 13a, Kashirskoe shosse, Moscow, 115230, Russia

*e-mail: nafilin@mail.ru
**e-mail: mger_97@mail.ru

Abstract

The turbopump unit (TPU) solves the problem with the flow rate and, thus, the problem of overcoming the power threshold necessary for long-distance flights into space. All modern space rockets employing a turbopump as an alternative device for supplying high fuel consumption to the combustion chamber, ensuring the necessary power and thrust of a liquid-propellant rocket engine (LPRE).

The V-2 rocket was created in Germany during the Second World War. It was being deeveloped on an initiative basis by a group of specialists within the framework of the German Ministry of Defense. It took a lot of time and trouble to convince the leaders of Nazi Germany of the need to create powerful space rockets that could cross continents and go into outer space. As the result, on July 7, 1943, the decision was made to assign the Peenemunde project the status of the highest priority in the German armament program. After that, the original name of the rocket “A-4” project was changed to “V-2”, and under this name, it became a history.

The basic invention of the V-2 (A-4) rocket was the centrifugal pumps application. Werner von Braun solved the problem of pumps by using fire pumps in the LPRE. Thus, he anticipated the beginning of a new era of LPRE – the era of turbopump.

It seemed almost impossible to design such a pump. After all, it had to perform a number of complex functions, such as supplying liquefied gas, which was one of the fuel components, at a pressure of about 21 atm, and pump herewith more than 190 liters of fuel per second. In addition, it should be quite simple in terms of design and quite light. Besides, the pump had to be started and switched to full power within a very short period of time (~6 s). Explaining to the pumping factory staff his requirements for rocket pumps for the V-2, von Braun involuntarily expected objections from people, but they did not follow. The entire staff of the pumps producing factory was ready for such requirements. Instead of objections, everyone listened, silently and approvingly. Specialists immediately offered a specific solution – the necessary pump was in many ways similar to one of the fire centrifugal pump types. A gas turbine and a steam generator were proposed to be employed as a drive.

The V-2 turbopump represented a single structure in which a two-stage turbine powered by steam gas and two centrifugal pumps for fuel components supplying were mounted on one shaft.

German scientists have created a truly unique unit, and together with it a unique rocket. In fact, a new branch of the industry was created, namlely, rocket engineering under the general leadership of V. R. Dornberger. Subsequently, many V-2 solutions were used by Soviet and foreign rocket engine developers in their latest products, in particular, when creating the R-1 medium-range ballistic missile under the leadership of S.P. Korolev and V.P. Glushko. The historical significance of the A-4 and R-1 missiles cannot be underestimated. This was the first breakthrough into a completely new field of technology. It is impossible to derogate the merit of domestic scientists, their dedicated work, but German scientists V.R. Dornberger, V. Thiel, V. von Braun and others were the first at that time.

Nevertheless, the main finding of German scientists, the turbopump, along with a revolutionary leap, brought a lot of worries into the life of rocket scientists. The impartial analysis of the failures associated with this unit revealed that in most cases the main cause of engine failures was due to the turbopump. It is well-known, that one of the most insidious causes of rotary machines accidents is the so-called fatigue, i.e. the gradually accumulating effect of cyclic dynamic loads, leading to the breakage of shafts, turbine blades, machine rods and other parts.

Thus, it seems rather relevant to apply new methods of analysis, including a combination of various methods of rotary machines diagnostics (primarily, methods of vibration diagnostics) to determine the source and nature of increased dynamic loads to eliminate them or reduce their impact on the structure.

As practice has revealed, hard-to-detect furtive defects, which were not detected by the other methods and control means, specified by the regulatory documentation, were detected, identified and eliminated by the TPU vibration diagnostics. Malfunctions of the turbopump subassemblies caused increased vibration-pulsation loads, leading in some cases to the LPRE failures and emergencies.

The effects and phenomena that were not previously encountered with in the practice of domestic and foreign LPRE-building were identified and studied in detail.

Keywords:

space-rocket technology, liquid-propellant rocket engine, turbo pump unit

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