Right!
There are some fundamental issues we need to work out first however.
These are very fundamental issues that I believe are required just to
give the first pump a fighting chance at working.
Yes, I kicked this off with a turbocharger idea and that's about what
you'll get working alone on any project of this magnitude. However that
has all changed! Has it not? :)
There is enough knowledge on Arocket to make this a successful project
I really believe that. Is there enough will to make it happen? I believe
that if there are enough people that believe we can and if that happens
I have no doubt we will succeed.
I can tell you right now what we have will not work or else I'd have
already done it.
We are not working on efficiency in anyway at this point. What we are
working on is a pump that won't blow up the first time we try it. We
hope!
We can spin that impeller right now and pour fuel on it and it will
pump I guarantee something would come out the pipe. That's not the goal
here is it?
It won't take us long to get to a test if we work together!
I promise you this is NOT a mental project. This is a project for
people that WILL do.
I also hope that when I said Focus! I didn't offend you it was supposed
to be funny :) But it's hard to convey funny in an email sometimes!
Shaft decision and seals? Back side of impeller/housing!
I double dog dare you to get involved :) I don't believe you can do it!
:)
I'm being funny but kinda serious at the same time here.
But this is really what arocket is for don't you think?
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [AR] Re: Arocket Pump Progress
From: J Farmer <jfarmer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, July 13, 2015 11:40 pm
To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 7/14/2015 2:19 AM, Monroe L. King Jr. wrote:
-------- Original Message --------Lol, well this is gonna be tough enough just to get one pump working
From: J Farmer <jfarmer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, July 13, 2015 11:07 pm
On 7/14/2015 12:53 AM, Monroe L. King Jr. wrote:
Yeah this is the obvious solution.My first instinct is that if the first iteration is electric motor
It's also obvious that this project is not going to just pop out and be
done :)
This is why I think 3D rendering is great for the first iterations. The
fact that the pump is very small also lends it's self to 3D design.
The first pump (fuel pump) can be built soon so we can see how well the
pump works (as designed) and we can do things we would not do on a
flight weight pump (like thrust bearings) as long as we include the
final design goals in this first iteration.
I think it's important of course we decide now for instance whether we
are going with a tandem design (turbine on the end) or a split design
(turbine in the middle)
We are using electric motors to test with and also looking at using
electric motors so for now the bearings can likely be the same bearings
used in the electric motors.
I have several ways we can control axial thrust on the first test and
I'm not worried about that on this first iteration.
So I'm interested in what you guy's all think about tandem or split
design and I'm also interested in what you think about seals.
driven, then go for a split design. An interesting design space would
be to go toward a compact electric driven turbopump that can be placed
where it makes the most sense in respect to the system's engine &
plumbing design.
Hmmm, wonder if it would be sensible to exploit that to use multiple
pumps for redundancy and capacity ...
satisfactory first!
Focus!
Yes. Build first pump, electric driven. Build it "Soviet style" aka
strong and heavy, but working!
And that kinda answers your question, yes? Build it like it was
software, agile style. First make it work, then improve. Don't get off
in the balanced forces, more efficient, weeds. After all your first
approach was to use a car's turbo and get an efficiency of what 1%? :-)
All to often, we tend to get into the "must design the lightest, most
efficient gizmo" before making one work. (which is fun as a discussion
exercise, not so much as a way to get something created..)
