Magnetically Actuated Seal

FTT proposes development of a magnetically actuated dynamic seal. Dynamic seals are used throughout the turbopump in high-performance, pump-fed, liquid rocket engines for a variety of purposes. The most common applications are in the lift-off seal (LOS), inter-propellant seal (IPS), and balance piston seals high-pressure orifice (HPO), low-pressure orifice (LPO), and inner diameter impeller shroud seal (eye seal). The system solution for conventional seals represents a compromise between the turbopump mechanical design, primarily flowpath, and secondary flowpath design that results in increased leakage, increased seal wear, and reduced balance piston load capacity that reduces performance, throttle-ability, thrust-to-weight, reliability, and operability. The magnetically actuated seal eliminates this compromise and provides significant improvement in performance, throttle-ability, thrust-to-weight, reliability, and operability. Phase 1 resulted in a significant advancement of the technology by demonstrating a magnetically actuated face seal in both ambient and cryogenic conditions, characterizing the seal and actuator performance, and quantifying the performance improvements for the turbopump and engine. Phase 2 will advance the technology from TRL 3 to 5. The technology is applicable to booster engines, in-space engines, and ascent/descent engines.

The resulting technology is directly applicable to address the seal wear issue in the commercial pump industry, dynamic seals in FTT's family of small UAV turbofan engines as well as for active clearance control systems in large aero engines and industrial gas turbine engines. These product lines have the potential demand for more than 10,000 units annually.

The anticipated benefits from this technology include reduced seal leakage (for improved efficiency, and reduced turbine inlet temperature, which improves reliability), reduced seal wear (which increases life and reliability), reduced or eliminated purge (which improves operability and reduces weight), eliminates primary and secondary seal drains and associated plumbing and valves (which improves reliability and reduces weight), and improves design point and off-design balance piston performance (which increases the throttle range). This technology is directly applicable to booster engines, in-space engines, and ascent/descent engine for NASA applications including booster and upper stage engines planned for HLLV.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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