Passive overspeed controlled turbo pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167732-B2
Application number	US-201514695079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	Apr 24, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A turbine pump assembly has a turbine, a centrifugal pump, and a passive electrical speed control system. The turbine has a peak efficiency at a first speed that is lower than a second speed at which the centrifugal pump is operating at a peak power requirement. A rocket thrust vector control system is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine pump assembly, comprising:
a turbine having a peak efficiency at a first speed;
a centrifugal pump;
a passive electrical speed control system; and
the first speed is lower than a second speed at which the centrifugal pump is operating at a peak power requirement.

2. The turbine pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein a disk of the turbine is configured to deform when a rotational speed of the turbine exceeds the first speed.

3. The turbine pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turbine drives the centrifugal pump.

4. The turbine pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turbine and the centrifugal pump rotate about a common shaft.

5. The turbine pump assembly of claim 4 , wherein the passive electrical speed control system comprises a generator and a valve control solenoid.

6. The turbine pump assembly of claim 5 , wherein the generator is arranged along the shaft between the centrifugal pump and the turbine.

7. The turbine pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turbine is powered by a propellant provided by a main engine turbo-pump assembly of a vehicle.

8. The turbine pump assembly of claim 7 , wherein the propellant is hydrogen gas.

9. The turbine pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the passive electrical speed control system further comprises a valve configured to meter a flow of propellant to the turbine.

10. The turbine pump assembly of claim 9 , wherein the passive electrical speed control system further comprises a valve control solenoid configured to exert an axial force on the valve, such that the valve meters the flow of propellant proportional to a speed of the turbine.

11. A rocket thrust vector control system, comprising:
an engine nozzle;
a turbine pump assembly having a turbine with a peak efficiency at a first speed, a centrifugal pump, and a passive electrical speed control system; and
wherein the first speed is lower than a second speed at which the centrifugal pump is operating at a peak power requirement.

12. The rocket thrust vector control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein a disk of the turbine is configured to deform when a rotational speed of the turbine exceeds the first speed.

13. The rocket thrust vector control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the turbine drives the centrifugal pump.

14. The rocket thrust vector control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the turbine is powered by a propellant provided by a main engine turbo-pump assembly of a vehicle.

15. The rocket thrust vector control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the passive electrical speed control system, comprises a generator and a valve control solenoid.

16. The turbine pump assembly of claim 2 , wherein the disk is configured to twist when a rotational speed of the turbine exceeds the first speed.

17. The turbine pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turbine has an operating speed between 90,000 rpm and 140,000 rpm.

18. The turbine pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first speed is 80,000 rpm.

19. The rocket thrust vector control system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the disk is configured to twist when a rotational speed of the turbine exceeds the first speed.

20. The rocket thrust vector control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the turbine has an operating speed between 90,000 rpm and 140,000 rpm.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Himmelmann Richard A

Classifications

• F02K9/48

  driven by a gas turbine fed by propellant combustion gases {or fed by vaporized propellants or other gases} · CPC title

• F05D2240/128

  Nozzles · CPC title

• F05D2260/406

  through hydraulic systems · CPC title

• F01D9/02

  Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits {, e.g. individual nozzles (nozzle boxes F01D9/047)} · CPC title

• F04D27/0261

  by varying driving speed · CPC title