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Are turbopumps lubricated?



The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InWhy are rocket engines operating above 100% often considered nominal?Why are Rocket engines at the base of the rocket?What are the maintenance benefits of SABRE engine technology for SSTO launchers?How reliable are pressure fed hypergolic engines?What are the sizes and locations of Progress's thrusters?What's the Isp of a model rocket “D-size” engine, compared to the Isp of engines that do reach space?How large is a magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster? Are there any upcoming programs using it?How are Voyager's 16 thrusters oriented?What are some notable cold gas thruster propellants, and why?What are the 'lights' inside Shuttle main engines at landing?










2












$begingroup$


It is easy to find data about rocket engine propellant, but quite difficult to ind information about other fluids used in rocket engine. For engine using a turbopump, this pump turns at quite high speed. Such a piece of mechanic should require lubrication in order to work for more than few seconds.



My question is: in engine using turbopumps (RD-107, RS-25, Vulcain,...) how are the turbopump and other moving parts lubricated? What kind of lubricant is used and how is it distributed to moving parts?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    The fluid pumped may be used as lubricant too. A hyrdrocarbon lubricant could not be used for a liquid oxygen pump.
    $endgroup$
    – Uwe
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Yep, using the working fluid as the lubricant is pretty common.
    $endgroup$
    – Russell Borogove
    3 hours ago















2












$begingroup$


It is easy to find data about rocket engine propellant, but quite difficult to ind information about other fluids used in rocket engine. For engine using a turbopump, this pump turns at quite high speed. Such a piece of mechanic should require lubrication in order to work for more than few seconds.



My question is: in engine using turbopumps (RD-107, RS-25, Vulcain,...) how are the turbopump and other moving parts lubricated? What kind of lubricant is used and how is it distributed to moving parts?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    The fluid pumped may be used as lubricant too. A hyrdrocarbon lubricant could not be used for a liquid oxygen pump.
    $endgroup$
    – Uwe
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Yep, using the working fluid as the lubricant is pretty common.
    $endgroup$
    – Russell Borogove
    3 hours ago













2












2








2





$begingroup$


It is easy to find data about rocket engine propellant, but quite difficult to ind information about other fluids used in rocket engine. For engine using a turbopump, this pump turns at quite high speed. Such a piece of mechanic should require lubrication in order to work for more than few seconds.



My question is: in engine using turbopumps (RD-107, RS-25, Vulcain,...) how are the turbopump and other moving parts lubricated? What kind of lubricant is used and how is it distributed to moving parts?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




It is easy to find data about rocket engine propellant, but quite difficult to ind information about other fluids used in rocket engine. For engine using a turbopump, this pump turns at quite high speed. Such a piece of mechanic should require lubrication in order to work for more than few seconds.



My question is: in engine using turbopumps (RD-107, RS-25, Vulcain,...) how are the turbopump and other moving parts lubricated? What kind of lubricant is used and how is it distributed to moving parts?







engines






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 4 hours ago









called2voyage

17k772129




17k772129










asked 4 hours ago









Manu HManu H

867622




867622







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    The fluid pumped may be used as lubricant too. A hyrdrocarbon lubricant could not be used for a liquid oxygen pump.
    $endgroup$
    – Uwe
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Yep, using the working fluid as the lubricant is pretty common.
    $endgroup$
    – Russell Borogove
    3 hours ago












  • 1




    $begingroup$
    The fluid pumped may be used as lubricant too. A hyrdrocarbon lubricant could not be used for a liquid oxygen pump.
    $endgroup$
    – Uwe
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Yep, using the working fluid as the lubricant is pretty common.
    $endgroup$
    – Russell Borogove
    3 hours ago







1




1




$begingroup$
The fluid pumped may be used as lubricant too. A hyrdrocarbon lubricant could not be used for a liquid oxygen pump.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
4 hours ago




$begingroup$
The fluid pumped may be used as lubricant too. A hyrdrocarbon lubricant could not be used for a liquid oxygen pump.
$endgroup$
– Uwe
4 hours ago












$begingroup$
Yep, using the working fluid as the lubricant is pretty common.
$endgroup$
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago




$begingroup$
Yep, using the working fluid as the lubricant is pretty common.
$endgroup$
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















2












$begingroup$

The bearings in the SSME (RS-25) had/have no conventional lubrication as such. They were cooled by minute flows of their respective propellants.




Knowing that the bearings have no lubrication except from a minute
transfer film of the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) from the cages to
the balls, several attempts at improving the lubrication and lowering
the heat generation in the bearings was investigated.




Source: History of Space Shuttle Main Engine Turbopump Bearing Testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center



Also




HPOTP bearings deteriorate quickly for many reasons. The balls wear
the fastest of all the bearing components and, in the process, lose
their preload. Liquid oxygen is their only lubricant and a poor one
at that.




From here



(HPOTP is High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump)



You can see the coolant passage in this cutaway drawing of the Low Pressure Fuel Turbopump from here.



enter image description here



Also see here for more on the High Pressure Fuel Turbopump and here for the High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Polytetrafluoroethylene is a plastic material, not a propellant. Unless they're burning plastic as fuel?
    $endgroup$
    – immibis
    34 mins ago











  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The quoted document is just saying that some of the PTFE is transferred from the bearing cages to the ball bearing and that this is the only substance actually acting as a lubricant. The bearings are cooled by propellant flow, oxygen for the oxygen pumps and hydrogen for the hydrogen pumps.
    $endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    34 mins ago












Your Answer





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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









2












$begingroup$

The bearings in the SSME (RS-25) had/have no conventional lubrication as such. They were cooled by minute flows of their respective propellants.




Knowing that the bearings have no lubrication except from a minute
transfer film of the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) from the cages to
the balls, several attempts at improving the lubrication and lowering
the heat generation in the bearings was investigated.




Source: History of Space Shuttle Main Engine Turbopump Bearing Testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center



Also




HPOTP bearings deteriorate quickly for many reasons. The balls wear
the fastest of all the bearing components and, in the process, lose
their preload. Liquid oxygen is their only lubricant and a poor one
at that.




From here



(HPOTP is High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump)



You can see the coolant passage in this cutaway drawing of the Low Pressure Fuel Turbopump from here.



enter image description here



Also see here for more on the High Pressure Fuel Turbopump and here for the High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Polytetrafluoroethylene is a plastic material, not a propellant. Unless they're burning plastic as fuel?
    $endgroup$
    – immibis
    34 mins ago











  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The quoted document is just saying that some of the PTFE is transferred from the bearing cages to the ball bearing and that this is the only substance actually acting as a lubricant. The bearings are cooled by propellant flow, oxygen for the oxygen pumps and hydrogen for the hydrogen pumps.
    $endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    34 mins ago
















2












$begingroup$

The bearings in the SSME (RS-25) had/have no conventional lubrication as such. They were cooled by minute flows of their respective propellants.




Knowing that the bearings have no lubrication except from a minute
transfer film of the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) from the cages to
the balls, several attempts at improving the lubrication and lowering
the heat generation in the bearings was investigated.




Source: History of Space Shuttle Main Engine Turbopump Bearing Testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center



Also




HPOTP bearings deteriorate quickly for many reasons. The balls wear
the fastest of all the bearing components and, in the process, lose
their preload. Liquid oxygen is their only lubricant and a poor one
at that.




From here



(HPOTP is High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump)



You can see the coolant passage in this cutaway drawing of the Low Pressure Fuel Turbopump from here.



enter image description here



Also see here for more on the High Pressure Fuel Turbopump and here for the High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Polytetrafluoroethylene is a plastic material, not a propellant. Unless they're burning plastic as fuel?
    $endgroup$
    – immibis
    34 mins ago











  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The quoted document is just saying that some of the PTFE is transferred from the bearing cages to the ball bearing and that this is the only substance actually acting as a lubricant. The bearings are cooled by propellant flow, oxygen for the oxygen pumps and hydrogen for the hydrogen pumps.
    $endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    34 mins ago














2












2








2





$begingroup$

The bearings in the SSME (RS-25) had/have no conventional lubrication as such. They were cooled by minute flows of their respective propellants.




Knowing that the bearings have no lubrication except from a minute
transfer film of the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) from the cages to
the balls, several attempts at improving the lubrication and lowering
the heat generation in the bearings was investigated.




Source: History of Space Shuttle Main Engine Turbopump Bearing Testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center



Also




HPOTP bearings deteriorate quickly for many reasons. The balls wear
the fastest of all the bearing components and, in the process, lose
their preload. Liquid oxygen is their only lubricant and a poor one
at that.




From here



(HPOTP is High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump)



You can see the coolant passage in this cutaway drawing of the Low Pressure Fuel Turbopump from here.



enter image description here



Also see here for more on the High Pressure Fuel Turbopump and here for the High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$



The bearings in the SSME (RS-25) had/have no conventional lubrication as such. They were cooled by minute flows of their respective propellants.




Knowing that the bearings have no lubrication except from a minute
transfer film of the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) from the cages to
the balls, several attempts at improving the lubrication and lowering
the heat generation in the bearings was investigated.




Source: History of Space Shuttle Main Engine Turbopump Bearing Testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center



Also




HPOTP bearings deteriorate quickly for many reasons. The balls wear
the fastest of all the bearing components and, in the process, lose
their preload. Liquid oxygen is their only lubricant and a poor one
at that.




From here



(HPOTP is High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump)



You can see the coolant passage in this cutaway drawing of the Low Pressure Fuel Turbopump from here.



enter image description here



Also see here for more on the High Pressure Fuel Turbopump and here for the High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 4 hours ago

























answered 4 hours ago









Organic MarbleOrganic Marble

59.9k3165256




59.9k3165256











  • $begingroup$
    Polytetrafluoroethylene is a plastic material, not a propellant. Unless they're burning plastic as fuel?
    $endgroup$
    – immibis
    34 mins ago











  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The quoted document is just saying that some of the PTFE is transferred from the bearing cages to the ball bearing and that this is the only substance actually acting as a lubricant. The bearings are cooled by propellant flow, oxygen for the oxygen pumps and hydrogen for the hydrogen pumps.
    $endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    34 mins ago

















  • $begingroup$
    Polytetrafluoroethylene is a plastic material, not a propellant. Unless they're burning plastic as fuel?
    $endgroup$
    – immibis
    34 mins ago











  • $begingroup$
    I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The quoted document is just saying that some of the PTFE is transferred from the bearing cages to the ball bearing and that this is the only substance actually acting as a lubricant. The bearings are cooled by propellant flow, oxygen for the oxygen pumps and hydrogen for the hydrogen pumps.
    $endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    34 mins ago
















$begingroup$
Polytetrafluoroethylene is a plastic material, not a propellant. Unless they're burning plastic as fuel?
$endgroup$
– immibis
34 mins ago





$begingroup$
Polytetrafluoroethylene is a plastic material, not a propellant. Unless they're burning plastic as fuel?
$endgroup$
– immibis
34 mins ago













$begingroup$
I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The quoted document is just saying that some of the PTFE is transferred from the bearing cages to the ball bearing and that this is the only substance actually acting as a lubricant. The bearings are cooled by propellant flow, oxygen for the oxygen pumps and hydrogen for the hydrogen pumps.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
34 mins ago





$begingroup$
I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The quoted document is just saying that some of the PTFE is transferred from the bearing cages to the ball bearing and that this is the only substance actually acting as a lubricant. The bearings are cooled by propellant flow, oxygen for the oxygen pumps and hydrogen for the hydrogen pumps.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
34 mins ago


















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