Bipropellant

Current work focuses mainly on thermolytic and pyrolytic coking in turbine and rocket engines. Work includes:

• Study of oxygen re-absorption rates into de-oxygenated aviation fuels
• Material processing for anti-coking applications

Oxygen diffusion rate measurement apparatus with built in temperature control and multiple fluid capability.

Turbopump Component Design

This student designed and manufactured turbopump started in 2014 and completed in 2018. The pump uses hot air as the working fluid to pump water; future plans for the pump include use with hypergolic propellants. 

The turbopump is capable of moving water at 170 gpm to a pressure of 2000 psi. 

 

 

Fully assembled turbopump

Turbopump components post finish-machining

Bipropellant Test Stand

This bipropellant test stand:​

• utilizes liquid propellant combinations with high concentration hydrogen peroxide to create upwards of 500 lbf thrust​
• is currently used to study coking under supercritical conditions in fuel film cooled liquid rocket engines.​

The stand's feed system is rated to up to 6.000 psia. The stand is capable of supporting numerous working fluids, including:

• Hydrogen peroxide, 1 lb/s, 5400 psi, 2 gal
• Kerosene, 1 lb/s, 5400 psi, 2 gal
• Gaseous hydrogen, 0.01 lb/s, 4000 psi
• Gaseous oxygen, 0.5 lb/s, 2500 psi
• Cooling water, 2.5 lb/s, 600 psi, 40 gal
• Nitrogen ullage/purge for each fluid

Characteristics

The stand has the capacity to reconfigure for both vertical and horizontal firings.  ​Methods and equipment used to characterize coking include​

• Infrared microscopy​
• Scanning electron microscopes​
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Panel used to regulate fluid flow 

Test stand VI, used to control stand systems remotely