Wiktionary
n. A device consisting of a pump and a turbine mounted on the same shaft.
Wikipedia
A turbopump is a propellant pump with two main components: a rotodynamic pump and a driving gas turbine, usually both mounted on the same shaft, or sometimes geared together. The purpose of a turbopump is to produce a high-pressure fluid for feeding a combustion chamber or other use.
A turbopump can comprise one of two types of pumps: a centrifugal pump, where the pumping is done by throwing fluid outward at high speed, or an axial-flow pump, where alternating rotating and static blades progressively raise the pressure of a fluid.
Axial-flow pumps have small diameters but give relatively modest pressure increases. Although multiple compression stages are needed, axial flow pumps work well with low-density fluids. Centrifugal pumps are far more powerful for high-density fluids but require large diameters for low-density fluids.
Turbopumps operate in much the same way as turbocharger units for vehicles: higher fuel pressures allow fuel to be supplied to higher-pressure combustion chambers for higher-performance engines.
Usage examples of "turbopump".
The tank itself was a smooth dull silver, merging seamlessly into the turbopump casing at its base.
The huge, sleek turbopump designed to bring return coolant from the heat exchanger to the number one engine had been partly dismantled by Francis and her riggers.
He remained awake for the countdown that started engine number one, and made certain that the new turbopump was performing up to specs before calling for Alikhan to bring him his nightly cocoa.
He checked the history of the turbopump that had failed at Arkhan-Dohg, and found that the turbopump had been decommissioned three years earlier, sold as scrap, and replaced by a new pump fresh from the factory.
He remained awake for the countdown that started engine number one, and made certain that the new turbopump was performing up to specs before calling for Alikhan to bring him his nightly cocoa.
He checked the history of the turbopump that had failed at Arkhan-Dohg, and found that the turbopump had been decommissioned three years earlier, replaced by a new pump fresh from the factory, and sold as scrap.
Martinez kept his eyes directed toward his desktop, where he was looking at a report in regard to the replacement of an erratic turbopump used in the engine cooling system.
Alley, to mesh his soul with throbbing turbopumps and wailing afterburners, bringing the mail from one free zone to another.
His turbopumps moan, pouring fuel into the combustion chamber of his shrieking heart.
RDXthat were meant to destroy the hydrogen fuel turbopumps , but only partially did the job.
Turbopumps in the belly of the AL-52 Dragon immediately began pressurizing hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide inside a reaction chamber.
Now the priming sequence had commenced, and the precool switch increased the flow of lox to the turbopump.
The four underground turbopumps would force-mix a sodium carbonate slurry with nitric acid in a large steel vessel under the silo, yielding huge volumes of nitrogen gas in seconds.
The turbopumps were started, and hydrogen began to flow through the cooling jackets and the core.