Duration: 18 months
Global space activity has expanded rapidly in the past decade, increasing the demand for affordable, reliable, and sustainable launch systems. Rocket engines, though mature, remain limited by high costs, complex turbomachinery, and constrained reusability—challenges most evident in turbopumps, which operate under extreme stress and are frequent points of failure. Improving their performance is therefore critical for next-generation reusable vehicles, where durability, precise throttling, and reduced maintenance are critical to fast turnaround and multi-mission capability.
This project proposes a hybrid electric turbopump with variable gear ratios, combining three innovations: (1) high gear ratios for optimal turbine and pump speeds, (2) adjustable planetary gearing for adaptive throttling across flight phases, and (3) electric assistance to support peak demand, smooth transients, and increase overall efficiency.
The research will follow a staged methodology. First, system requirements will be defined using a 500 kN-class LH₂/LO₂ engine as the reference case. A dynamically scaled 80 kW demonstrator will then be designed to preserve key nondimensional parameters of a full-scale turbopump. The prototype will integrate a centrifugal pump, turbine analogue, variable-ratio gearbox, and electric motor with dedicated control electronics. After subsystem validation, the assembled system will undergo laboratory flow-loop testing. Key performance indicators—start-up dynamics, transmission ration variation, hybrid drive coordination, and throttling response—will be measured and compared to analytical and numerical models to assess scalability, efficiency, and reusability potential.
The objective is to deliver a proof of concept for a hybrid turbopump with electrically controlled gear ratios, demonstrating improved efficiency, robustness, and controllability, and laying the groundwork for future reusable launch vehicle propulsion systems.
