Aerodynamic Design of the Upper Stage Ariane 5 LOX Turbopump Using CFD Techniques

The upper stage of the “Ariane 5” “Vinci” liquid oxygen turbopump was designed making use of traditional one–dimensional criteria and CFD techniques. The three main component geometries (inducer, impeller and volute) were selected and optimized on the basis of three–dimensional fully–viscous computations. This approach was used to assess each component’s performance at design point and in off–design conditions, to investigate flow structure details responsible for inefficiencies and losses and to suggest possible design improvements. One–dimensional  parameters used in the preliminary stages of the design were also modified in accordance with 3D results.