AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

INTRODUCTION : Rotating cavitation instabilities in inducers are often encountered in turbopumps of rocket engines even in the normal running conditions. They impact on bearings radial loads, on pipe pressure oscillations and then decrease the engine reliability. The inducer presented here was designed with the goal to suppress these instabilities. A CNES, SNECMA and CREMHYG Laboratory presentation in the frame of Research ad Technology program on unsteady cavitation.

C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

Main cavitation stability key is : M = Q < Mcritical. Vc/ M = Vc/Q Vc/Q = Vc/Lc.Lc/P.P/. /Q Most sensitive on stability are P/ and Lc/P When NPSP decreases, inducers suffering RC may present flat or negative pressure slopes in the overlapping zone of blades Recommendations to designer may be : Ps/x > 0 along any flow path on the blade suction side CREM1 inducer design at inlet (LE) : Larger incidences than a classical one, and therefore larger inlet edge angles
C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME 2

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

CREM1 design : Incidence-metal angle ratio /b>0.5 b angles change from about 10 at casing to about 30 at hub Cylindrical hub in the blades overlapping region 3 blades Nominal point is = 0,1 =0.23
C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME 3

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

Inducer designed with /b > 0,5 the inlet flow acts through : Sactive with positive flux at the hub side Sback with opposite fluxes from backflow and direct flow at the shroud side Sflow is the inlet section based on wall limits /b # 1-Q/Qo From B8.002, cav2001
C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME 4

q=0 q=Q

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001
CREM1 performances

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

/b < 0,5

/b > 0,5 CREM1

Incidence of flow at LE =b LDA CFD 0 Qn tip

C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME

0.85 R

hub
5

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

Comparison CFD-LDA Backflow and incidence of flow at LE

Q/Sactive(real) Q/Sflow(EFU)

0 tip Q% 1.8 Qn 0.8 Qn 0.4 Qn mainflow 0% backflow

Incidence=0 0.85 R hub Qn Sback tip

LDA CFD

45% S/Sflow %hub

6

C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

Backflow at LE near the shroud and at PS near the hub
Sactive

Backflow at tip

15

0
Nominal condition Axial velocity Vz

Flow range 55% 45% 35% Q/QN

-15 0.8 Qn 1.2 0 Vz Pside -5 -10 Vz Pside

Reverse flow At hub

0 -5 -10
C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

Cavitation vizualisation at Qn and 1.3Qn

Qn

1.3 Qn

NPSP decreases
C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME

Head drop
8

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001
When inlet pressure decreases , we observe : resonance of inlet pipe (mode 1) resonance between accumulator and cavitating inducer (mode 2) surge appears (mode3), associated to failure of annular vapor

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

Radial load Rotating frame B6C

accumulator
Inlet pressure Static frame Pinlet

Mode 3

inducer F shaft

Mode 2 Mode 1
C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME

CREMHYG test rig

AFI2001-WS10

Oct.5, 2001

Inducer design that avoids rotating cavitation

CONCLUSION : 1. 2. Assumptions concerning stability and fluid angle at LE lead to design and check an academic inducer in cavitating conditions in CREMHYG. /b > 0.5 rule, Z=3, cylindrical hub at inlet and other geometrical considerations are studied and a complete inducer CREM1 is manufactured and tested. LDA and CFD are well correlated to describe inlet flow for different flow conditions. Cavitation test are performed. The particular behavior at the shroud with a strong backflow at inlet permits to avoid rotating cavitation in a wide range. Design must be improved to increase steady cavitating performance.

3. 4. 5.

C. REBATTET, M. WEGNER, P. MOREL, C. BONHOMME

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