Static Flow Characteristics of an Electric Pump-fed Cycle Space Propulsion System Using Valve and Pump RPM Control

초록

An experimental study was conducted to compare the valve and pump RPM method as a propellant flow control system for an electric pump-fed cycle. The flow characteristics of different types of valves were identified, and the valve that was advantageous as a flow control valve was selected. The flow characteristics of the pump were estimated using the pump performance equation, and upon comparative evaluation with the experimental results, it exhibited a maximum error of 6.63% from a certain number of pump RPM. Furthermore, the pump RPM method could control the flow rate linearly and thus, more precisely compared to the valve method. Additionally, a flow control experiment was performed to compare the pressure loss generated during the flow control, which demonstrated that the pump head reduction tended to be lower than the valve pressure loss.

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