Societe Europeenne De Propulsion

Jean-Robert Lehe

Andre Beaurain

Etienne Tiret

Rene Bosson

The centrifugal pump with an open-faced impeller comprises at least one open-faced impeller having blades placed inside a casing defining both a delivery pipe and a suction pipe facing the base of the blades situated in the vicinity of a central shaft for driving the impeller. An active axial balancing system for the rotary assembly is integrated in the impeller and comprises a balancing chamber interposed between the rear face of the body of the impeller and an outer rear portion of the casing, the impeller itself acting as the balancing turntable. A shroud-forming intermediate part is prevented from rotating relative to the casing and is interposed between an outer front portion of the casing and the impeller, a cavity is formed between the outer front portion of the casing and the intermediate part to receive a back pressure of predetermined value serving, in operation, to maintain small clearance without contact between the intermediate part that is prevented from rotating and the blades of the impeller.

High performance centrifugal pump having an open-faced impeller

A compact high power turbopump for feeding liquid propellant to a rocket engine comprises: a short, large diameter shaft that is capable of rotating; a single impeller providing a large pressure rise at a large flow rate, the impeller being mounted on the short shaft so as to constitute a single pump stage; a ball bearing for supporting the short shaft in a small section zone thereof situated in front of the impeller; a fluid bearing dimensioned so as to withstand a high speed of rotation N and having a large diameter D, the fluid bearing serving to support the short shaft in a large section zone situated behind the impeller; a turbine cantilevered out on the short shaft behind the fluid bearing; an inducer of the high pressure type disposed upstream from the ball bearing on the suction pipe; and metal casing elements for the pump and for the turbine that are of simplified shape.

Compact high power turbopump for a rocket engine

A centrifugal pump with an open-faced impeller for conveying a working liquid, the pump comprising at least one open-faced impeller provided with blades placed inside a casing defining a suction pipe facing the bottoms of the blades in the vicinity of a central shaft that drives the impeller and forming a part of a rotary assembly, and a delivery pipe fitted with a fixed diffuser disposed facing the peripheral ends of the blades. An active axial balancing system for the rotary assembly, which balancing system is integrated in the impeller and comprises a balancing chamber interposed between the rear face of the body of the impeller and an outer rear portion of the casing. The balancing chamber communicating with the delivery pipe via a first nozzle whose axial clearance is kept invariable in operation and which is defined by the peripheral end of the impeller itself acting as a balancing turntable, and a nozzle piece secured to the outer rear portion of the casing and interposed between the diffuser and said peripheral end of the impeller. The balancing chamber communicating directly or indirectly with the suction pipe of the pump via a second nozzle.

Growing community of inventors

Vernon, France

Jean-Robert Lehe