Numerical Prediction of Internal Flows in He/LOx Seals for Liquid Rocket Engine Cryogenic Turbopumps

Abstract

Cryogenic turbopumps are used in high-performance, lightweight liquid rocket engines for space applications. The development of bearings and shaft seals for cryogenic turbopumps requires detailed characterization of the internal flow, taking into account the effects of boiling and multi-component two-phase flow. Here, a flow network solver was developed to analyse the secondary flow circuit of a cryogenic turbopump where the propellant is mixed with high-temperature helium after bearing cooling. The network solver is based on an extension of a classic 1D homogeneous model, originally developed for a pure substance, to the case of two-phase multi-component flow. The solver is capable of predicting pressures, temperatures, flow rates, and species concentrations in a complex two-phase flow in the presence of non-condensable gases. The unsteady mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations are implemented in conjunction with the thermodynamic equations of state using a general-purpose finite volume formulation, where the pressure drop and the heat transfer are calculated using correlations. The numerical tool was validated by comparing its predictions with experimental data obtained during tests on the secondary circuit of an oxygen turbopump developed at Avio S.p.A. A number of engine operating conditions were considered (inlet helium temperature in the range of 250–280 K, helium/liquid oxygen drain in the range of 165–230 K). The predicted temperature values showed good agreement with the experimental data in most conditions.