Project Title:

Coherent Phase Cavitation Monitoring System (CPCMS) For Turbomachinery

AI Signal Research, Inc.
904 Bob Wallace Ave. Suite 211
Huntsville, AL 35801

93-111.05 0959    __      AMOUNT REQUESTED $69,895

Coherent Phase Cavitation Monitoring System (CPCMS) For Turbomachinery

Abstract:

The focus of the Phase I work proposed herein is the preliminary
design of a Coherent Phase Cavitation Monitoring System (CPCMS) for
turbomachinery. Cavitation is the process of boiling water which
occurs when local hydrodynamic pressures in the areas of
accelerated flow drop below the vapor pressure of the fluid. When
cavitation occurs on the turbopumps for liquid rocket engine
propulsion systems, it can i) severely degrade the overall system
efficiency, ii) cause excessive structural vibration, and iii)
create erosion damage to the turbopump blades. The proposed
Coherent Phase Cavitation Monitoring System will utilize our proven
innovative signature analysis techniques to accurately detect the
cavitation inception point (when it occurs), severity (magnitude),
and location, with an on-line, continuous monitoring (stand-alone)
system. The ultimate effectiveness of this system will be
attributed to its unique signal processing ability to optimally
extract cavitation generated signature without being subjected to
the commonly encountered high frequency discrete interference. The
Phase I effort will focus on the overall system design; sensors,
data acquisition and evaluation of optimal signal processing
techniques. The end result will be the overall Cavitation
Monitoring System design to be used by both NASA and industry for
online cavitation monitoring of turbomachinery systems.

Cavitation Monitoring Systems have strong commercial applications
for other turbomachinery systems. In particular, the hydropower
industry (almost all hydroturines experience cavitation and undergo
excessive erosion and performance degradation), nuclear power
industry (boiler feedwater pumps), and the U.S. ship building
industry (commercial and military surface ship propellers) could
all benefit from on-line cavitation monitoring systems.

Turbopump Cavitation, Cavitation Monitoring, Modulation, Wide-Band
Demodulation