Essais hydrauliques de l'inducteur hydrogène du moteur fusée Vulcain

Hydraulic tests of the Vulcain rocket engine hydrogen inductor

¹ CREMHyG, Grenoble
² SEP, Vernon

Abstract

Hydrodynamic tests of the prototype inductor of the Vulcain rocket engine hydrogen turbopump were conducted on the high speed section of the CREMHyG test bench in Grenoble. The test assembly, enginered by SEP, reproduces here the suction stage.

In addition to the usual characteristics (height, torque, efficiency and NPSH versus flowrate), the speed measurement campaign in the non-cavitating and cavitating running allows to specify the performances and to readjust the theoretical calculations. A visualization campaign has allowed for various cavitation figures to be identified; simultaneously, the measurements of peripheral pressures were recorded and they provide the fluid evolution along the hydraulic canal for several cavitation levels.