FRONTIER ASTRONAUTICS LLC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: Z9

Description

The concept proposed is that of an innovative turbopump using hydrogen peroxide to drive the turbine. The turbopump has a unique feature in that it has an integral electric generator used to generate electricity and power an external fuel pump.By using hydrogen peroxide decomposed over a catalyst pack only one fluid can be used to drive the turbine. Typically, a turbopump combusts a fuel and an oxidizernbsp; in a gas generator to generate the gases to drive the turbine. This requires two sets of feed lines (one for fuel and one for oxidizer) and careful mixture ration control so that the two combust at a ratio that does not yield such anbsp;high temperature that may destroy the turbine. If the mixture ratio is too close to the stoichiomentric ratio it will be hot enough to damage the turbine. If it is too far away from the stoiciometric ratio it may not generate the required gases to drive the turbine or even cease combustion (flame out). This problem does not exist with hydrogen peroxide as its maximum decomposition temperature is about half that of modern turbojet engines. Thus, no exotic materials need to be used for the turbine.nbsp;The built in electric generator generates electricity to power an external fuel pump. This allows the fuel pump to be placed anywhere on the rocket engine that is desired and does not necessitate mounting it onto the turbopump itself. this greatly simplifies the plumbing of a rocket engine. It also allows the oxidizer and fuel pump to have different speeds so that the engine can change its mixture ratio in flight.nbsp;This turbopump is designed to be used with a rocket engine burning hydrogen peroxide and kerosene as a fuel. This allows for a relatively simple yet fairly high performing rocket engine. Thenbsp;specific impulse and density are similar to the hydrazine/unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazinenbsp;and nitrogen tetroxide propellants used by the Titan II, III and IV launch vehicles with great success.