Performance of a New Lightweight Reciprocating Pump

A new four-chamber piston pump design has been fabricated and tested. The small-scale propellant pump is intended to be powered by gas at elevated temperatures, e.g. in a gas-generator cycle rocket propulsion system. Two key features are combined for the first time: leak-tight liquid-cooled seals, and a high throughput per unit hardware mass. Measured performance curves quantify flows, pressures, leakage, volumetric efficiency, and tank pressure requirements. A pair of 300-gram pumps operating with significant margin could deliver fuel and oxidizer at 5 MPa to a compact lightweight 1000-N engine, while tank pressure remains at 0.35 MPa. Pump weight is well below one percent of thrust, as is typical for launch vehicle engines. Applications include small upper stages, aggressive maneuvers in space, and miniature launch vehicles for Mars ascent