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Dissertation
CHARACTERIZATION OF CRITICAL FLOW IN A NOZZLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIQUID HYDROGEN JET PUMPS
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
12/2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000008359
Abstract
Increased globalization efforts have enabled a surge in the aviation industry. Heavy reliance on carbon-based fuels has caused a surge in emissions at higher altitudes, resulting in increased warming of the planet. Our dependence on carbon-based fossil fuels has become unsustainable due to the sheer quantity of fuel needed from a depletable resource. As alternative fuels are investigated, liquid hydrogen has become a popular option due to the high gravimetric energy, low mass, versatility in production methods, and universal abundance. The challenge becomes the engineering of systems for integrating this alternative fuel. One of the key technologies required for any fuel integration is a pumping system to maintain a constant fuel flow throughout the system. This dissertation focuses on developing an understanding of liquid hydrogen critical flow for the design of venturi jet pumps that achieve consistent pumping, mass flow rate, and subcooling of liquid and two-phase cryogenic hydrogen. In order to understand how to develop a liquid hydrogen jet pump there needs to be a way to predict performance. Chapter 2 starts with a literature review of existing critical-flow reduced-order models and the key experimental apparatuses used for model validation. This section then explores key venturi jet pump models, highlighting the fundamental differences between most reduced-order models, the assumptions made, and the breakdown of nodes within a venturi jet pump. This addresses a fundamental knowledge gap, as there is no liquid hydrogen validation data or technological developments. Based on this gap, Chapter 3 discusses the development, results, sensitivity analysis, and case studies of the reduced-order model proposed to predict the performance of a venturi jet pump with liquid or two-phase hydrogen. To validate the model, Chapter 4 describes the critical flow nozzle experimental setup, testing procedure, results, and model comparison. Chapter 5 reviews the jet pump experimental setup, testing procedure, results, model comparison, and finally proposes a scaled-up jet pump. Chapter 6 presents final conclusive remarks and proposes steps for future work.
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Details
- Title
- CHARACTERIZATION OF CRITICAL FLOW IN A NOZZLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIQUID HYDROGEN JET PUMPS
- Creators
- Yulia Katrina Gitter
- Contributors
- Jacob Leachman (Chair)Konstantin Matveev (Committee Member)Jin Liu (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 166
- Identifiers
- 99901356972001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation