Configuration Analysis and Impeller Design for an Oxidizer Pump in Small Liquid Rocket Engines
Miłosz KOZYCZ1
Abstract. This article presents the design of an oxidizer pump impeller for experimental sounding rockets, based on the NOVA engine developed by the Scientific Student Association PWr in Space. The proposed methodology is applicable to other liquid-propelled engines in the 3–15 kN thrust range. The working fluid is nitrous oxide (N₂O), whose thermodynamic properties pose specific design challenges discussed in the paper. The model can also be adapted for other oxidizers, such as liquid oxygen (LOX). The paper begins with a comparison of engine cycles based on system mass and complexity, followed by an analytical impeller design approach grounded in established literature. Numerical validation was conducted using ANSYS Fluent and the BEM supercomputer at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The study investigates optimal operating conditions, including pump operating parameters, selection of working fluid properties, and evaluation of pump-fed system influence on the total propulsion unit mass. An analytical procedure for impeller geometry design is proposed based on technical references. After defining the preliminary impeller geometry, further analysis focused on optimising selected parameters such as hydraulic efficiency, pressure head, and cavitation risk. The combination of analytical and CFD methods provides a foundation for the development of efficient oxidizer pump impellers. The findings are particularly relevant for small-scale, low-cost propulsion systems, where N₂O is often overlooked in favour of LOX.
Keywords
Oxidizer Pump, Liquid Propulsion, Sounding Rockets, Turbomachinery, CFD
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Miłosz KOZYCZ1, Configuration Analysis and Impeller Design for an Oxidizer Pump in Small Liquid Rocket Engines, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 718-723, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-127
The article was published as article 127 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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