Handbook of Turbomachinery Second Edition Revised - Ventech!

As might be expected, the state of the art has moved rapidly forward,
thanks to the intense effort expended by both the government and industry.
Particular factors that imposed limitations on the performance of one
machine have been systematically addressed during development of the next
generation of machinery. As a result, the contemporary design community
now finds itself dealing with limitations more fundamental than ever before.
These include constraints imposed by material properties, as well as the
long-term durability of these materials in turbomachinery service. In the last
half-dozen years, the interests of potential customers of rocket engine
systems have shifted significantly. Whereas interest was previously on engine
ballistic performance and performance-to-weight ratio to the practical
exclusion of all else, this is beginning to be tempered by serious interest in
satisfactory long-term service as well as minimizing requirements for
maintenance between uses of the system. It is probably safe to say that a
significant portion of future development effort will be expended in this
area.
Finally, a rather disturbing report must be made. At one time, the
United States was the undisputed world leader in development of the highperformance
turbomachinery common in rocket engine systems. Unfortunately,
the lead we once possessed has been badly eroded, and in some cases
all but nullified, by other countries. Japan, for instance, is displaying
development capabilities disquietingly close to our own. Also, in the areas
where they are known to be still behind, they have undertaken fundamental
research and development efforts that should bear substantial fruit if carried
through to completion. If we are to continue to lead the world in the years
ahead, we must be committed to maintaining a high level of effort in this
regard on a long-term basis.
This author is grateful for the opportunity to participate with
Professor Logan in this book and humbly solicits any comments and/or
suggestions on the content of this chapter.
ROCKET PROPULSION SYSTEMS—A SHORT HISTORY
The application of turbomachinery to rocket systems has a long history,
which can be both instructive and somewhat entertaining. We explore some
of this history (as well as some of its products) in order to put today’s
capabilities in better perspective.
Most rocket enthusiasts are aware of the experiments Dr. Robert H.
Goddard in the 1920s and beyond, and we do not dwell on the details here.
However, in the mid-1930s, Dr. Goddard had apparently reached the
conclusion that his experiments were pointing out the limitations of
Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc.