Electromagnetic Rotor Torque Check

In order to achieve a high payoff turbopump with a low investment, the modern turbopump in today's space propulsion program is required to have greater life, with lower maintenance costs. In order to achieve lower maintenance costs, the turnaround time between mission cycles must be kept to a minimum. At each cycle, one item on the maintenance checklist to be conducted is rotor torque. In order for a turbopump to be returned to service, among other requirements, it must be clear of all FOD as well as damage to the rotor or bearings. One maintenance check that is a valid indicator of FOD or rotor and bearing damage is a rotor torque check. Failure of a turbopump due to rotor or bearing damage may lead to an event categorized as a Criticality 1 (Loss of Life or Vehicle) failure mode. In most modern turbopumps, performing a rotor torque check involves timely and costly maintenance procedures. In many cases, inlet piping or structural cases must be removed to expose the turbopump rotor. As each piece of hardware is reinstalled, they routinely must undergo lengthy quality checks to ensure proper assembly and function. FTT proposes development of a means to measure the rotor torque through the use of an electromagnetic drive device. Similar to a DC electrical motor, the new component would be powered and cause the rotor to rotate. After recording measurements of the rotor speed and electromagnet input power, the rotor torque could be calculated. Incorporating a device such as this into a turbopump would reduce time associated with torque measurements from days to seconds.

The resulting technology is directly applicable to rotating equipment and turbo machinery in the industrial sectors. This technology would impact maintenance costs by allowing reduced maintenance time, and fewer components to be handled during maintenance cycles. Automated rotor torque checks would improve health monitoring capabilities as engine health could be monitored in real time, which could be especially useful for equipment that is located in remote locations. With the addition of rotor torque data, preventative maintenance and scheduled downtime could be better managed and organized to prevent future outages.

The anticipated benefits from this technology include reduced maintenance time and increased reliability as fewer turbopump components will be disassembled and handled during maintenance cycles. This technology is directly applicable to booster engines, in-space engines, and lunar engine NASA applications.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — 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.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.