A gas-turbine-driven pump system was designed and tested. Pump systems are generally driven by an electric motor, but a gas turbine is occasionally used as the power source for high power and performance; for example, the turbopump of a liquid rocket propulsion system. For research on turbopumps, a gas generator, turbine, and pump are developed. After each component is developed, the performance should be confirmed with a link test. In the case of a turbopump, an axial turbine is applied to generate huge torque, but a radial inflow turbine was used in this research. A radial inflow turbine can be obtained easily and mass-produced. System analysis was conducted using a link test with all components at once. The turbine generated shaft power under steady operation of the gas generator, and the pump performance was measured using a stepped closing valve at the pump exit. Turbine heat loss was considered and a slip factor was applied to the impeller design to modify performance. This research shows the feasibility of developing a pump system operated by a radial inflow turbine and its application to a small turbopump for a hybrid rocket propulsion system and an air-independent system.
Hydrazine monopropellant is often used with a spontaneous catalyst a high-performance aircraft emergency power unit (EPU) and in aerospace propulsion; however, it is toxic and requires special handling. A hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-based gas generator, which is suitable for a new family of environmentally friendly monopropellants and is a substitute for toxic hydrazine in EPUs, is introduced in this study. A MnO2/Al2O3 catalyst for H2O2 decomposition, superior to silver catalysts at normal starting and reactivity capabilities, was selected and developed. The performance tests of coupling the gas generator with a turbocharger showed acceptable results for an aircraft EPU with decomposition above 90%, 37 kW maximum turbine output power, and a maximum starting delay of 1.2 s during normal starting operation. The gas generator also demonstrated satisfactory performance during repeated pulse operation at a pulse duration of 3 s and 60 s under various output conditions.
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