Pumps

Turbomachinery is the branch of engineering concerned with transforming mechanical energy between a rotor and a fluid or vice versa. In the context of rocket engines, turbomachinery is used to increase the pressure of the vehicle’s propellants before feeding them to the engine.

The Pumps team is developing a centrifugal radial partial emission pump to power LRI’s liquid bipropellant engine. Currently, the team is testing the university’s first pump, Geyser MK II on the Magma MK I test stand. This is a closed loop test setup independent of an engine, intended to serve as a proof concept. We will be collecting data using a flowmeter, a couple pressure transducers, and a few thermocouples.

This testing campaign is ongoing, with low speed tests scheduled for the end of the Spring 2026 semester, and higher speed tests scheduled for early in the Fall 2026 semester. Concurrent with high speed testing in the Fall, the team looks to design, manufacture, and test Geyser MK III, the first engine ready pump.

Geyser Mk2 is currently driven by an electric motor provided to us by Castle Creations. For the upcoming Fall 2026 semester, the team is looking into designing and manufacturing a custom electric motor in-house to meet the power and speed requirements needed to supply an engine.