Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-60). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept of Mechanical Engineering, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-114).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1991. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-154).

In this thesis an analysis is developed to predict the leakage and dynamic characteristics for circumferentially grooved turbulent annular seals used in turbopumps. The flow in the groove is modelled using turbulent shear layer theory and an entrance loss model is applied at the inlet and land regions of the seal. The governing equations are derived using Hirs’ turbulent lubrication theory. The equations are expanded to yield zeroth and first order perturbation equations for small rotor displacements about a centered position. The leakage and velocity distribution is obtained from a numerical solution of the zeroth order equations. The first order equations define the dynamic pressure distribution which is integrated to yield the fluid force reactions. The model predictions are compared to test results for smooth walled and grooved seals. The model shows good qualitative agreement with experimental test results for seal leakage and rotordynamic coefficients. Actual quantitative agreement is unresolved given the high level of experimental uncertainty in the test results. / Master of Science

A computational study of the air flow in a helical rocket pump inducer has been performed using a 3-D elliptic flow procedure including viscous effects. The inlet flow is considered turbulent and fully developed. The geometric, definition of the inducer blade shape and the calculation grid are first presented, followed by a discussion of the flow calculation results displayed in various new graphical representations. The general characteristics expected from previous experimental and analytical work appear in the simulation and were quantitatively studied. The tip leakage flow observed has velocities of the order of the blade tip speed and is partially convected across the entire passage. The important boundary layer development on the blade pressure side and suction side creates radial outward flows, whereas a radial inward motion develops in the core region, with velocities of same order, and from shroud to hub. Secondary and tip leakage flows combine to give a region of high flow losses and blockage near the shroud wall, and the secondary flow pattern is nearly fully developed by the inducer exit. Original details were also resolved in the flow calculation. A circumferential vortex develops near the shroud, immediately upstream of the suction side of the swept-back leading edge. A simplified air-LH2 analogy permitted the prediction of cavitation inception in the liquid hydrogen pump, and the results obtained correspond qualitatively well with water flow visualizations. The accordance of the model with available air test data at the inlet and exit of the inducer is generally very good, with the total pressure losses in excellent agreement. / Master of Science

South Africa is one of the few developing countries able to design and build satellites; however it is reliant on other nations to launch them. This research addresses one of the main technological barriers currently limiting an indigenous launch capacity, namely the development of a locally designed liquid fuel turbopump. The turbopump is designed to function in an engine system for a commercial launch vehicle (CLV) with the capacity to launch 50-500 kg payloads to 500 km sun synchronous orbits (SSO) from a South African launch site. This work focuses on the hydrodynamic design of the impeller, vaneless diffuser and volute for a kerosene (RP-1) fuel pump. The design is based on performance analyses conducted using 1D meanline and quasi-3D multi-stream tube (MST) calculations, executed using PUMPAL and AxCent software respectively. Specific concerns that are dealt with include the suction performance, cavitation mitigation, efficiency and stability of the pump. The design is intended to be a relatively simple solution, appropriate for a South African CLV application. For this reason the pump utilises a single impeller stage without a separate inducer element, limiting the design speed. The pump is designed to run at 14500 rpm while generating 889 m of head at a flowrate of 103.3 kg/s and consuming 1127.8 kW of power. The impeller has six blades with an outer diameter of 186.7 mm and axial length of 84.6 mm. The impeller's high speed and power requirement make full scale testing in a laboratory impractical. As testing will be a critical component in the University of KwaZulu-Natal's turbopump research program, this work also addresses the scaling down of the impeller for testing. The revised performance and base dimensions of the scaled impeller are determined using the Buckingham-Pi based scaling rules. The test impeller is designed to run at 5000 rpm with a geometric reduction of 20%, using water as the testing medium. This gives an outer diameter of 147.8 mm and an axial length of 69.9 mm. At its design point the test impeller generates a total dynamic headrise of 67.7 m at a flow rate of 18 kg/s, with a power requirement of 15 kW. A method for maintaining a similar operating characteristic to the full scale design is proposed, whereby the scaled impeller's blade angle distribution is modified to maintain a similar diffusion characteristic and blade loading profile. This technique is validated by MST analysis for off-design conditions with respect to both speed and flowrate. / M.Sc.Eng. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1996. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [159]-[161]).