Liquid Hydrogen Pump System for Airliner Jet Engine

Purpose and goal:

The project Liquid Hydrogen Pump System for Airliner Jet Engine will lay out a fuel system for a future civil turbofan engine. In particular, the flow geometry for a low pressure and a high pressure pump will be designed. The drivesystems for each pump will be described and their constraints will be imposed on the pump design. The pump is required to provide the pressure and flow needed for fuel injection, with adequate margins against cavitation and breakdown of flow stability.

Expected results and effects:

The project will reduced the development risk for aircraft engines fueled by liquid hydrogen. To this purpose, the technology readiness will be raised from level one to level two, concept formulated and theoretically analyzed. The academic parties will be given an increased insight into the requirements that aircraft engines pose on the pumps design, and can together with the industries continue the development of tools for design and analysis of pumps.

Approach and implementation:

The project team of engineers and university reasearchers will during its two year term execute four workpackages: Initially an architecture of a fuel system will be generated and requirements of the fuel pumps will be set. Then the drivsystem, mechanical layout and flow geometries of the pumps will be designed. The flow in the pumps will be simulated for the full annulus three dimensional geometry and the basic design will be refined. Finally the fuel system stability will be investigated.