JP3370107B2 - Turbo pump assembly - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to high speed turbopump assemblies and more particularly to a conventional arrangement having a pump or compressor section, a turbine section and associated bearing and seal components. The present invention relates to an integrated turbine pump configuration in which the above is an integrated turbo pump assembly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional turbomachines provide inducers, axial and centrifugal pumps or compressors, which are coupled as power sources to axial or radial flow turbines. The pump can be single-stage or multi-stage depending on the required discharge pressure or head and density of the pumped fluid. The turbine can be single or multi-stage and can be impulse or reaction depending on the energy level available in the working fluid. The pump and turbine can be separate devices connected together by a joint for torque transmission, or they can be mounted on a common shaft. Typically, a rotor is an assembly of many parts, including a pump inducer and impeller, turbine disks or wheels, bearing journals and dynamic seal mating rings, all of which are splines or joints. Is integrally assembled on a common shaft via a shaft and is integrally preloaded by using a retainer nut and a bolt to form a rotor assembly. The housing is composed of a number of components including an inlet, an interstage diffuser, a swirl portion, a turbine manifold, a nozzle, a bearing, a labyrinth seal and a dynamic seal,
All of these components are bolted together with appropriate static seals to form a turbo pump housing. Although the rotor components are assembled for balancing purposes, they must be disassembled to facilitate assembly of the turbopump, causing relocation instability during rotor reassembly.

A typical conventional liquid hydrogen turbopump of the type described above has a housing extending through the rotating assembly which pumps at least four times between the first pump impeller and the last turbine rotor. It penetrates to a smaller diameter than either the impeller or the turbine rotor. The reasons for these penetrations are (a) the diffuser type used, (b) the pump interstage flow path used, (c) the low speed limits of conventional bearings and seals, etc. As a result, at least 6 major rotating assembly parts and 6 major housing parts are required to allow the unit to be assembled and disassembled. In addition, this large penetration depth makes for a very flexible rotating assembly and therefore operates within some bending critical speeds. This large number of parts
Combined with the critical speed limits, it makes the unit expensive to assemble and maintain and makes it difficult to operate over a wide throttle range. The rotational speed limits of conventional bearings and seals make the unit relatively large and heavy.

For example, US Pat. No. 4,482,303, issued Nov. 13, 1984, provides a turbo compressor system having a turbine section and a compressor section in continuous form. A stationary or non-rotating shaft axially supported within the device supports frictionless bearings, the bearings disposed within the turbine section and within the compressor section. Rotatably supporting a rotor assembly having a compressor impeller.

US Pat. No. 4,2, dated Apr. 7, 1981
No. 60,339 refers to housing means, rotor means housed within the housing means, fixed shaft means, anchor means for fixedly attaching the shaft means to the housing means, and rotation with respect to the shaft means. To this end, there is disclosed a turbocompressor device having bearing means for axially and radially positioning the rotor means.

Finally, US Pat. No. 4,255,095, issued Mar. 10, 1991, discloses a turbine pump unit characterized in that the pump and turbine are integrally connected on their high pressure side. is doing.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a typical simplified turbopump system having a single integral rotating element, two main housing elements and a duct. That is. Another object of the present invention is to provide a turbopump device having a very stiff rotating element, in which the bending critical speed is removed from the operating speed range.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a turbo pump assembly is provided having a first pump section, a second pump section, and a turbine section. The objective of a rotating element with a minimum number of parts and no bending critical velocity is achieved by minimizing the number of penetrations of the rotating element by the stationary housing. This means that (a) the centrifugal pump inlet is located at the end of the rotating element, and (b) the bearing and sealing functions are located at the same diameter position as the centrifugal pump impeller to combine them into a single component. , (C) arranging the pump flow diffuser and flow collector at a diameter larger than the diameter of the centrifugal impeller, and (d) a turbine rotor between pump elements at a diameter that may approach or exceed the diameter of the centrifugal pump impeller. And (e) integrating the turbine inlet and outlet manifold and pump inlet and vortex into a two part housing.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description will be made with reference to the drawings, in which the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 shows a turbo pump assembly constructed according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional turbo pump assembly 10
Has a front three-stage pump section 12 and a rear two-stage turbine section 14. The front pump section 12 includes a fluid inlet 16, an inducer 18, and
It has three impeller stages 20. Common shaft 2
2 is associated with the front pump section 12 and the rear turbine section 14 of the assembly 10. The aft turbine section 14 also includes a turbine fluid inlet 2
4, a turbine fluid outlet 26, a turbine blade 28 and a turbine disk 30 are provided. The method of operation of the turbo pump assembly 10 includes a fluid inlet 24
The aft turbine section 14 functions by introducing working fluid through the turbine blade 2
8 and is thereby characterized by rotating shaft 22. The rotating shaft 22 functions the impeller 20 located on the shaft 22 within the pump section 12 of the assembly 10 and induces fluid flow into the pump section 12 via the fluid inlet 16. From the pump section 12, the fluid is pumped from the section 12 at high pressure as indicated by the arrow and then utilized for the required purpose.

FIG. 4 illustrates a turbo pump assembly 40 constructed in accordance with the present invention. The turbo pump assembly 40 has a first pump section housing 42 and a second pump section housing 70, each of which is made of aluminum, according to the design requirements of the assembly 40.
It can be composed of titanium, or a high strength steel alloy, or a plastic material. In addition to the housings 42 and 70, the assembly 40 is further provided with a rotating shaft 51 having a generally cylindrical outer surface of constant diameter, as shown in FIGS.

The rotating shaft 51 is located within the housings 42 and 70 and cooperates therewith to define a first pump 43 within the first pump section housing 42 and a second pump section housing 70. Defining a second pump 71 therein and manifold 9
A central turbine 70 is defined with 4 and 86. In other words, when the shaft and housing of FIG. 6 are assembled, the composite structure, as shown in FIG. 4, has a first or a front portion having a first pump section fluid inlet 44 and a second pump section inlet 72, respectively. A pump 43 and an aft pump 71 are provided and a central turbine 50 having an inlet manifold 86 and an outlet manifold 94 is provided.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the first or front pump 43 includes an inlet 44, an inducer 46,
Impeller 48, diffuser 54, swirl chamber (swirl recovery
Part) 56. An internal manifold 94 defined by the internal surface of the first pump section housing 42 (see FIG. 6) and the external surface 66 of the shaft 51 constitutes the turbine discharge manifold. Similarly, the second pump 71 has an inlet 72, an impeller 76, a diffuser 78, and a swirl chamber 80. The inner manifold 86 defined by the inner surface 98 of the second pump housing 70 and the outer surface 100 of the shaft 51 constitutes the turbine inlet manifold 86.
With this configuration, the first to front pump 43, the second to rear pump 71, and the central turbine 50 form a turbine / double pump turbo pump configuration in which they are integrated.

To process the working fluid by the turbo pump assembly 40, the first pump section housing 4 is used.
2 has a fluid inlet 44, which directs the fluid passed through an inducer 46 associated with the front impeller hub 52 of the rotating shaft 51. The front impeller hub 52 also has a pump impeller 48 attached to it. First pump section housing 4
A diffuser 54 is provided within the position 2. The diffuser 54 is in communication with a swirl collector 56, which is associated with a fluid passage 58 which supplies lubricating fluid to an adjacent hydrostatic bearing and seal surface 59.

The forward swirl discharge section 60 is formed in the vicinity of the swirl recovery section 56, and has a crossover duct between pumps.
Via the door 62, the fluid is first pump 43 and the housing 4
2, and can be delivered to and from the second pump 71 defined by the housing 70 and the rotating shaft 51. As shown in FIG. 4, the second pump inlet 72 at the rear end of the second pump section housing 70.
Has an impeller hub 74 of the shaft 51, a second pump impeller 76, a second pump diffuser 78, and a second pump spiral recovery unit 80. The fluid from the spiral discharge part 60 flows into the inlet 72 and the second pump 71 via the inter-pump crossover 62.

As will be described in detail below, the spiral recovery section 8
0 communicates with the second pump spiral discharge part 82 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The turbine inlet 84 is in communication with a stationary inlet nozzle vane 88 and an inlet manifold 86 mounted on the second pump section housing 70 for supplying working fluid to the turbine rotor blades 92. A chamber 90 is defined by the second pump section housing 70 and the rotating shaft 51. As shown in FIG. 4, in the chamber 90, the shaft rotor blade 9 attached to the rotating shaft 51 is attached.
The nozzle blade 88 is located close to the nozzle 2. The chamber 90 further forms a conduit between the turbine outlet manifold 94 of the front pump housing 92 and the inlet manifold 86. The outlet manifold 94 communicates with a manifold outlet 96 (see FIG. 3) that directs turbine working fluid exiting the turbopump assembly 40 to a desired location, such as a rocket engine thrust chamber.

In operation, a fluid such as liquid hydrogen is supplied from a fuel system storage tank (not shown) to the first pump inlet 44 and gaseous high energy fluid is supplied to the turbine inlet 84. Pump fluid enters the first pump section 43 via the inlet duct 44 and passes to the inducer 46, which allows the pump to operate at low inlet pressure. Most of the first pump section energy input then occurs at impeller 48. Excess kinetic energy in the flow exiting the impeller is converted to static pressure in diffuser 54. The flow is then recovered in the swirl recovery 56 and directed into the discharge duct 60, which leads to a pump section flow crossover duct 62.
The crossover ducts meet and direct the flow into the inlet 72. All of the second pump section energy input occurs at impeller 76. The flow conditions therefrom are similar to those at the outlet to the first pump section impeller, ie the flow is converted to static pressure in the diffuser 78 and the second pump sex
Vortex collection section (swirl section) 80 and is directed into a discharge duct 82 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). From there, the fluid is directed towards a predetermined system, such as a rocket propulsion system. Some or all of this pump flow is superheated by combustion and / or heat transfer before returning to drive the turbine. It enters the turbine as a moderately hot gas via the turbine inlet duct 84 (see FIG. 4) and flows into the turbine inlet manifold 86. Turbine nozzle blades 88 align the flow to efficiently pass it through turbine rotor blades 92, which converts the kinetic energy at the nozzle outlet flow into torque that drives the two pump sections. To do. After exiting the rotor blades, the flow is recovered in turbine outlet manifold 94 and turbine discharge duct 96.
(See FIGS. 2 and 3). From there, the flow depends on the engine cycle, the main combustion chamber,
Or delivered to either a turbine discharge attitude control rocket.

The rotating element is supported in the radial direction by united hydrostatic bearing and seals located on opposite sides of both impeller outlets.

In conventional turbopumps, the center of rotation of the rotor was established by radial bearings, and the concentricity of the impeller shroud and interstage seal had to be maintained with respect to the bearings. By coupling the function of the bearing and the seal to the hydrostatic bearings located on both sides of the impeller discharge part, the concentric control between the bearing and the seal is eliminated and the normal differential pressure leak is utilized. Provides static pressure bearing rigidity and damping.

In the case of the first pump section 43, the first of these couplings or coalescing bearings is located in the radial concentric space between the inducer impeller shroud 49 and the housing 42. The second of these combined bearings is located on the opposite side of the impeller 48 and is supplied by the flow passing from the spiral recovery section 56 to the secondary bearing supply section 58. Similar coalescing bearings support the radial load on the second pump section 71. The axial thrust load is pressured by the flow of the balance piston that is supplied to the radial surface of the second pump section swirl 80 through the balance piston flow duct that passes to the radial surface outside the inducer 46. Balanced.

In the case of a turbopump component of this construction it is clear that the housing is made up of three parts, namely the first pump section housing 42, the second pump section housing 70 and
There are three parts of the pump section crossover duct 62. The fact that the housing does not penetrate into the rotary element 51 to a diameter smaller than the diameter at the tips of the impellers 48 and 76 makes it possible to greatly simplify this arrangement. It also allows the rotating assembly to be constructed from only one part. Moreover, it allows the diameter of the rotating assembly to be maximized, thereby removing the critical velocity for bending from the turbopump operating range.

Alternative turbopump configurations applying the principles of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. These configurations are shown in FIG.
The difference from the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is that these variants have only one pump section (ie stage) and therefore the turbine is located at the other end of the shaft rather than in the middle. . The configuration shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 has a radial inflow turbine, and FIG.
The arrangement has an axial flow turbine. However, both configurations use a merged hydrostatic bearing and seal, and the principle that there is no penetration or penetration of the housing into a diameter smaller than the diameter of the pump impeller, and thus FIG. It is possible to obtain the same degree of simplification and durability against critical speed as that obtained in the configuration of FIG.

Similarly, as in the turbopump assembly shown in FIG. 4, the turbopump assembly shown in FIGS. 7-9 has a respective diffuser, collector (recovery) equal to or greater than the turbopump impeller tip. Part) and the inner diameter of the nozzle. Further, as in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the assembly of FIGS. 7-9 includes a diffuser for each assembly,
It provides a minimum diameter to the collector and turbine stator that is equal to or greater than the impeller tip.

Thus, the turbopump assembly (FIGS. 1-9) provides a housing configuration that selectively removes penetration by the aforementioned components into the assembly shaft of the turbopump assembly. .

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a fluid flow of the type described above enters the pump through the inlet 100 and passes through an inducer 102 that allows the pump to operate at low inlet pressure. To do. Most of the pump energy input to that flow then occurs in impeller 104. The flow then passes into radial diffuser 106, where excess kinetic energy is converted to static pressure. From there, the flow passes into the swirl collector 108, which directs the flow toward the pump outlet duct 110.

To drive this pump, turbine drive gas enters the turbine via turbine inlet duct 112 and passes into turbine inlet manifold 114. It is the inlet nozzle 116
Radial inflow turbine rotor 118 at an appropriate angle
(See FIG. 8). As the flow passes radially inward, rotor 118 converts the kinetic energy of the drive gas into mechanical energy to drive a pump at the other end of shaft 122. The used drive gas then exits the turbine axially via duct 120.

A shaft 122 having a pump impeller at one end and a turbine rotor at the other end is supported by combined hydrostatic bearings / seals 128, 130, 132, which bearings / seals are pumps. It is located at the same diameter as the diameter of the impeller tip and the turbine rotor tip. With this configuration, the configurations in FIGS. 7 and 8 require only three parts: the shaft / rotor / impeller 122 and the housing parts 124 and 126. Therefore, it has the same simplification and rigidity as in the configuration shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the annular gap 1
25 serves to thermally isolate the higher temperature turbine from the lower temperature pump during operation.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 9, the pump function is the same as that described above. Flow is the inlet 2
Inducer 202 that enters the pump via 00 and allows the pump to operate at low inlet pressure
Pass through. Most of the energy input into the flow then occurs in impeller 204. The flow then flows into radial diffuser 206, where excess kinetic energy is converted to static pressure. From there, the flow enters the swirl collector 208 where it is directed towards a pump outlet duct (not shown).

To drive this pump, turbine drive gas enters the turbine through a turbine inlet duct (not shown) and into a turbine inlet manifold 210, which matches its flow and axially. Directed into turbine rotor blades 212. These turbine rotor blades expand gas energy and convert it via shaft 218 into mechanical energy for driving the pump. Upon exiting the rotor blades, the gas is diffused and axially rotated by stationary stator vanes 214. Then
The used gas exits the turbine via outlet duct 216.

A shaft 218 having a pump impeller at one end and a turbine rotor at the other end is supported by united hydrostatic bearings / seals 224, 226, 228 located at the same diameter as the tip of the pump impeller. Has been done. With this configuration, the configuration of FIG. 9 is made up of three parts: shaft / rotor / impeller 218 and housing sections 220 and 222.

By combining or combining the bearing and sealing functions into a single unit and locating them at the same diameter position as the diameter of the pump impeller tip,
By locating the pump inlet at the end of the shaft and by making the diameter of the pump diffuser / collector (recovery) and turbine manifold nozzle equal to or greater than the diameter of the pump impeller tip, Such an effect can be obtained.

(A) Diffuser and collector (collecting section)
It is possible to configure the housing containing the manifold, the nozzle and the nozzle with only two parts that can be removed from both ends of the rotary assembly when the bolts are removed.

(B) It is possible to construct the rotary assembly containing the shaft, the pump impeller and the turbine rotor from only one part.

(C) The above feature is simply 4 if there are two pump sections (as in FIG. 4).
It is possible to have a turbo pump assembly consisting of three parts and, if there is one pump section (as in FIGS. 7 and 9), a turbo pump assembly consisting of only three parts.

(D) The minimum diameter of the rotating assembly is maximized, which minimizes the possibility of operating at bending critical speeds, which significantly improves operational stability, range and reliability.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention should not be limited to these specific examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that the above can be modified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway schematic perspective view showing a conventionally known turbo pump assembly.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a turbo pump assembly of the present invention.

3 is a schematic side view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.

5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present turbo pump assembly taken along line 5-5 of FIG.

6 is a schematic exploded view of the turbo pump assembly of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a turbo pump assembly having a single stage centrifugal pump and a radial inflow turbine according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a turbo pump assembly having a single stage centrifugal pump and an axial flow turbine according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

42 First Pump Section Housing 43 First (forward) pump 44 inlet 46 Inducer 48 Impeller (impeller) 51 shaft 54 Diffuser 56 Whirlpool 64 Internal surface 66 External surface 70 Second pump housing 71 Second pump 72 Inlet 76 Impeller 78 Diffuser 80 Whirlpool 86 internal manifold 94 Internal manifold 98 Internal surface 100 external surface

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Maynard Leo Strangeland USA, California 91362, Thousand Oaks, Valley High 864 (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F04D 29/22 F02D 13 / 04 F02K 9/48 F04D 29/62

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] 1. A turbopump assembly, wherein a plurality of housings defining a front pump section housing and a rear pump section housing are provided, positioned within said plurality of housings, and said plurality of housings. And a common rotatable shaft defining a first pump section in the front pump section housing and a second pump section in the rear pump section housing. Has an inner manifold defined by an inner surface of the front pump section housing and an outer surface of the shaft, and the second pump section has an inner surface of the rear pump section housing and an outer surface of the shaft. Defined by the surface An internal manifold, in which the first pump section, the second pump section and the internal manifold are integrated into a turbine.
Turbopump assembly characterized by Tei Rukoto constitute a double pump form. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first Ponpuseku <br/> sucrose emissions is, the flow body inlet inducer and a diffuser, and a spiral collection portion, and a coupling hydrostatic bearing seals, spiral discharge portion And a rotor blade and an outlet manifold. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second Ponpuseku <br/> sucrose emissions is, the flow body inlet, a diffuser, a spiral collection portion, and a coupling hydrostatic bearing seal, a spiral discharge portion, the inlet manifold And a fixed inlet blade, a turbo pump assembly. 4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the front pump section housing and the rear pump section housing further communicate with an inlet manifold of the second pump section and an outlet manifold of the first pump section. A turbo pump assembly, characterized in that it defines. 5. The swirl discharge section of the first pump section and the second pump section according to claim 2.
Means for providing a fluid connection to and from the fluid inlet of the turbo pump assembly. 6. The turbo pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first pump section further comprises an impeller hub and an impeller. 7. The turbopump assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second pump section further comprises an impeller hub and an impeller. 8. The method of Claim 5, turbo pump assembly, wherein the means for providing a pre-Symbol Fluid coupling has a cross-over duct between the pump. 9. A turbo pump assembly, wherein a plurality of housings defining a front pump section and a rear turbine section are provided, positioned within and coupled to the plurality of housings. A rotatable shaft defining a pump and a turbine is provided, an impeller is provided, a coupling bearing / seal having an outer diameter equal to or greater than the impeller is provided, and an inner diameter is Diffuser equal to or greater than impeller, collector and turbine
Turbopump assembly and the manifold nozzle, characterized in Tei Rukoto provided. 10. The turbopump assembly according to claim 9, wherein the front pump section has a combined hydrostatic bearing and seal.