Question about the turbine of a turbopump

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the mechanics of a turbopump, specifically its turbine configuration and exhaust flow. The turbine consists of a high-pressure (HP) turbine and a low-pressure (LP) turbine, with exhaust directed to a Laval nozzle for further acceleration. The shape of the nozzle is designed to compress gas initially, reach a throat where the flow is at Mach 1, and then diverge to enhance turbine efficiency. Participants express uncertainty about the accuracy of these details, suggesting further research may be needed. Overall, the conversation highlights the complexities of turbopump design and function in rocket engines.
Olaf Willocx
I found this illustration of a turbopump.

mark-3-jupiter-tp-cut-away.jpg


I need to know if my intuitive sense is correct here.

So, the turbine is located at the bottom right. The gas coming from the gas generator is fed into the torus shaped pipe on the left of the two turbine blades. First there is the HP turbine, the thin one. Then there's the LP turbine, the wide one. The exhaust then goes to a Laval nozzle or so to accelerate the rocket some more.

Now, I notice that the opening is shaped just like a Laval nozzle. At first the gas coming from the pipe is compressed as the opening gets narrower. Then there appears to be a throat, where M=1. Now the opening diverges, and speeds up to make the turbine more efficient.

Is all of this true?
 
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Olaf Willocx said:
I found this illustration of a turbopump.
I'm pretty sure that turbopump was used on some of the engines that made up the Saturn V .... :muscle:
Olaf Willocx said:
Is all of this true?
I don't think this is quite right... ?
The exhaust then goes to a Laval nozzle or so to accelerate the rocket some more.
I could be wrong, though, so you can look at some links...
Here ...
Here ...
 
Due to the constant never ending supply of "cool stuff" happening in Aerospace these days I'm creating this thread to consolidate posts every time something new comes along. Please feel free to add random information if its relevant. So to start things off here is the SpaceX Dragon launch coming up shortly, I'll be following up afterwards to see how it all goes. :smile: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/
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