Experimental Evaluation of an EM Centrifugal Pump Developed According to Orion’s ESM ATCS Needs

The current developments in terms of space equipment require more versatile thermal control systems, capable of rejecting high heat quantities. This can be done by means of passive or active thermal systems, which, besides typical solutions (coatings, MLI, radiators, etc.), requires either Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) or Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loops (MPFL). One application which requires such active thermal control is the ESM module of the MPCV Orion spacecraft, as part of one of the main international space programs (Artemis) currently undergoing as a collaboration between NASA and ESA, with the goal to bring the first people back to Moon surface after more than 50 years. Following closely this topic, COMOTI, the Romanian R&D Institute for Gas Turbines, is currently developing a centrifugal pump capable of meeting the ESM MPFL system requirements. The pump is a canned centrifugal type, designed to run with HFE-7200, with a duty point of 750 kg/h and 2.13 bard pressure rise. This one was developed in several stages, starting from initial design iterations (analytical calculus and CFD studies), and afterwards focusing on a comprehensive experimental evaluation with tests performed on demonstrators relevant for the hydraulic part/motor, and finally characterization of the performance in relevant environment at pump level on a dedicated dismountable EM (Engineering Model). The current paper addresses the approach followed for the development and experimental evaluation of the pump, presenting each step performed and main conclusions.