Analytical Investigation of the Significance of Turbine-Inlet Temperature in High-Energy Rocket Turbodrive Applications

The effect of turbine-inlet temperature on rocket gross weight was investigated for three high-energy long-range rockets in order to explore the desirability of turbine cooling in rocket turbodrive applications. Temperatures above and below the maximum that is permissible in uncooled turbines were included. Turbine bleed rate and stage number were considered as independent variables. The gross weight of the hydrogen-reactor system was more sensitive to changes in turbine-inlet temperature than either the hydrogen-oxygen or the hydrogen-fluorine systems. Gross weight of the hydrogen-reactor system could be reduced by 2.6 percent by the use of cooling and a turbine-inlet temperature of 3000 R. The reductions in the first stages of the hydrogen-oxygen and hydrogen-fluorine systems were 0.7 and 0.2 percent, respectively. The effect of turbine-inlet temperature on rocket gross weight was small because the resulting turbine weight and bleed rate variations were small. Since these small gains must be balanced against considerations of greater cost, weight, and complexity as well as lessened reliability with a system utilizing a cooled turbine, none of the systems investigated showed gains warranting the use of turbine cooling

Analytical Investigation of the Effect of Turbopump Design on Gross-Weight Characteristics of a Hydrogen-Propelled Nuclear Rocket

The effect of turbopump design on rocket gross weight was investigated for a high-pressure bleed-type hydrogen-reactor long-range rocket with a fixed mission. Axial-flow, mixed-flow, and centrifugal pumps driven by single and twin turbines were considered. With an efficiency of 0.7 assumed for all pumps, the lowest rocket gross weights were obtained with an axial-flow or a mixed-flow pump driven by a single turbine of at least eight stages. All turbopump combinations could be used, however, with gross weight varying less than 8 percent for a given payload. Turbopump efficiencies have a significant effect on the ratio of gross weight to payload with the magnitude of the effect determined by the ratio of rocket structural weight to total propellant weight. One point in pump efficiency is worth 0.2 percent in gross weight for a given payload with a structural weight parameter of 0.1 and 0.6 percent with a structural weight parameter of 0.2. Turbine and pump weights are much less significant in terms of gross-to-pay weight ratio than the efficiencies of these components. One point in pump efficiency is equivalent to approximately 13 percent in pump weight, while 1 point in turbine efficiency is equivalent to about 7 percent in turbine weight

Investigation of Semivaneless Turbine Stator Designed to Produce Axially Symmetrical Free-vortex Flow

A semivaneless turbine stator designed to eliminate blade wakes and secondary-flow accumulations of boundary-layer air was built and tested. Performance of this stator was evaluated with static pressures measured in the vaneless section and surveys of total pressure and flow angle made at the stator exit. Results are presented in terms of theoretical and experimental velocities and flow angles, boundary-layer parameters, and contours of total-pressure loss across the stator

Investigation of a 0.6 hub-tip radius-ratio transonic turbine designed for secondary-flow study I : design and experimental performance of standard turbine

Detailed design information including overall performance parameters, velocity diagrams, and blade surface velocities is presented. Experimental performance includes maps based on rating as well as total-pressure ratios showing the effect of exit whirl. Also included are results of surveys at the stator exit and downstream of the rotor at design speed and specific work. This information will be used as a standard for comparison with subsequent secondary-flow work

Experimental Investigation of Flow in an Annular Cascade of Turbine Nozzle Blades of Constant Discharge Angle

The experimental performance of turbine nozzle blades designed for a constant discharge angle was investigated at discharge hub Mach numbers of 1.18, 1.31, and 1.41. Flow characteristics are presented in terms of energy losses, angle gradients, and secondary flow effects. Blade efficiency decreased from 0.983 to 0.978 with increasing Mach number in the range investigated while angle variations in the loss regions became very large, indicating poorer blade performance than efficiency implies

Study of secondary-flow patterns in an annular cascade of turbine nozzle blades with vortex design

In order to increase understanding of the origin of losses in a turbine, the secondary-flow components in the boundary layers and the blade wakes of an annular cascade of turbine nozzle blades (vortex design) was investigated. A detailed study was made of the total-pressure contours and, particularly, of the inner-wall loss cores downstream of the blades. The inner-wall loss core associated with a blade of the turbine-nozzle cascade is largely the accumulation of low-momentum fluids originating elsewhere in the cascade. This accumulation is effected by a secondary-flow mechanism which acts to transport the low-momentum fluids across the channels on the walls and radially in the blade wakes and boundary layers. The patterns of secondary flow were determined by use of hydrogen sulfide traces, paint, flow fences, and total pressure surveys. At one flow condition investigated, the radial transport of low-momentum fluid in the blade wake and on the suction surface near the trailing edge accounted for 65 percent of the loss core; 30 percent resulted from flow in the thickened boundary layer on the suction surface and 35 percent from flow in the blade wake

Secondary Flows and Boundary-Layer Accumulations in Turbine Nozzles

An investigation of secondary-flow loss patterns originating in three sets of turbine nozzle blade passages was conducted by means of flow-visualization studies and detailed flow measurements. For all cases, high loss values were measured in the fluid downstream of the corners formed by the suction surfaces of the blades and the shrouds, and these losses were accompanied by discharge-angle deviations from design values. Despite the size of the loss regions and angle gradients, over-all mass-average blade efficiencies were of the order of 0.99 and 0.98 and, therefore, are not a good index of blade performance