Electric-pump Rocket Engines

Electric-pump Rocket Engines: Comparative analysis of the electric-pump cycle using Rocket Cycle Analysis Tool (RoCAT)

van den Berg, Ruben (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering; TU Delft Space Engineering)

Zandbergen, B.T.C. (mentor)
Cervone, A. (graduation committee)
Gill, E.K.A. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Aerospace Engineering

2023-08-29

The electric-pump cycle is a rocket engine configuration that uses an electric motor to power the pumps instead of a turbine. This offers several expected advantages such as simpler design, lower development costs, and easier restartability, but comes with reduced performance compared to conventional cycles. Previous research has primarily compared the electric-pump cycle to the gas generator cycle and has been limited to direct comparison. To extend the previous research a Rocket Cycle Analysis Tool was developed called RoCAT. It models the last-named cycles as well as the open expander cycle for a broad scope of thrusts, burn times, and chamber pressures, and several propellants. In addition, RoCAT optimizes several inputs for each cycles individually for a fairer comparison. Besides analyzing the electric-pump cycle's current performance, this research also estimates its performance in the future based on historic trends in its key technologies like the battery and electric motor.

propellant
rocket
rocket engine
rocket propulsion
cycle
optimization
propulsion
preliminary design
electric motors
rocket engine cycles

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:094ada37-dfdb-4d47-9802-d36d19f90b07

Student theses

master thesis

© 2023 Ruben van den Berg