Heat-transfer and surface-pressure measurements for the SSME fuel-side turbopump turbine

Detailed heat flux and surface pressure distribution on the first-stage vane and blade of the Space Shuttle Main Engine fuel side turbopump turbine are examined. The specific turbine being utilized for the study is a combination of actual engine hardware and reproduced hardware consistent with that being used at NASA-Marshall for the initial measurements in their newly constructed blow-down turbine test facility. The facility is of the short duration shock tunnel variety, which permits use of thin film thermometers which are used to measure the surface temperature histories at prescribed locations on the turbine component parts. Heat flux values are then inferred from the temperature histories using standard data reduction procedures. The measurement program is described in detail