Turbine, driven by the fluid being pumped, requires no external controls, is completely integrated into the flow system, and has bearings which utilize the main fluid for lubrication and cooling. Torque capabilities compare favorably with those developed by positive displacement hydraulic motors

Rostafinski, W. A.

English

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NASA TECH BRIEF 
October 1970	 Brief 70-10416 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U .S. space program. They are issued to encourage commercial 
application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical 
Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Division, NASA, Code UT, Washington, D.C. 20546, 
Small Hydraulic Turbine. Drives 
An applied research. program has been initiated 
to study the feasibility and performance of a small 
hydraulic turbine as a pump inducer drive. This tur-
bine, driven by the fluid being pumped, requires no 
external controls, is completely integrated into the 
fliw system, and has bearings which utilize the main 
fluid for lubrication and cooling. Basically, a hydrau-
lic turbine has been designed by methods used for 
aerospace gas turbines, but wii; the simplified condi-
tion of incompressible flow. Since an important 
number of gas. turbine design criteria (optimized blade 
geometry, effect of tip clearance, Reynolds number 
effects, etc.) had been obtained for incompressible 
fluids, these criteria were available and directly appli-
cable to axial hydraulic turbines. This research pro-
gram included the design, analysis, optimization, 
fabrication, and testing of the low speed pump inducer 
driven by the hydraulic turbine. 
The results of testing showed close correlation 
between predicted and experimental performance. 
Program restraints, however, restricted the range of 
the steady state experimental data, and only the im-
mediate neighborhood of the design point was eval-
uated. 
The torque capabilities of this turbine compare 
favorably with those developed by positive displace-
ment hydraulic motors. The three-stage turbine is 
very efficient, low-weight, compact, and simple drive. 
Small hydraulic turbines appear promising for 
several industrial applications. They are easily ad-
justable to any given duty, require little if any main-
tenance, and are mechanically simple. If manufactured
in commercial quantities with proven techniques, they 
should be low in cost and reliable in service. The tur-
bines are powerful, of lightweight construction, are 
entirely rotary, and have no sliding parts. They should 
be suitable for many processes in which heavy and 
large hydraulic motors are presently being used. 
Notes: 
1. The following documentation may be obtained 
from: 
Technical Information Service 
American Institute of Aeronautics 
and Astronautics, Inc. 
750 Third Avenue 
New York, New York 10017 
Single document price $3.00 
(or microfiche $0.50) 
Reference: 
NASA-TM-X-52661 (A70-15640), 
Small Hydraulic Turbine Drives 
2. Technical questions may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Lewis Research Center 
21000 Brookpark Road 
Cleveland, Ohio 44135 
Reference: B70-10416 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: W. Rostafinski 
Lewis Research Center 
(LE W-11064) 
Category 07 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned-rights.
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Small hydraulic turbine drives

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