China3D printingNet, May 31st, the US private aerospace company Launcher has partnered with 3D printer manufacturer VELO3D and simulation software company Ansys to optimize the design of performance-critical components in its E-2 rocket engine.
Launcher CEO Max Haot spoke with Gene Miller of VELO3D in an online webinar and explained how the two companies worked closely to redesign traditional liquid oxygen (LOX) turbo pumps. Equipped with an upgraded impeller and casing, the modified pump has been successfully tested in Launcher’s engine, and the project now allows it to establish a workflow to quickly iterate future parts.
“As Launcher’s first successful turbopump test, this is very important because they process liquid oxygen in the pump at a speed of 30,000 rpm,” Haot explained. “At this discharge pressure is 4,000 [磅/平方英寸] In the environment, any abnormal situation-any friction between the rotor and the stator-may cause an accident. “
Reach maximum thrust
For small launch vehicles, turbomachinery pumps are usually critical to the level of thrust they can achieve because they are directly responsible for injecting propellant into the engine. Prior to its retrofit project, Launcher obtained schematics of such components from the Ukrainian RD-8 rocket to fuel its E-2 device, which is a liquid oxygen turbopump, which has been performed 72 times on the Zenit launcher. Orbital flight.
However, in order to optimize the propellant flow and pressure level in the thrust chamber of the engine, Launcher needed to produce and test in-house, so it turned to VELO3D and Ansys for help. In the initial phase of the project, the company’s engineers were able to use Ansys’ CFX platform to ensure that the rocket’s expected thrust level matches its performance, and then optimize its parameters through simulated test runs.
Once the part is approved for production, it will be 3D printed using the VELO3D Sapphire system, which allows it to be manufactured with minimal support. In view of the overhanging internal geometry of the inlet housing of the LOX pump, VELO3D’s SupportFree technology greatly reduces the complexity, time-consuming and waste of creating parts.
Using a similar method, Launcher’s engineers were also able to redevelop the impeller of the pump. Normally, the overhang of such parts is low, so it is difficult to combine any support, but the machine using VELO3D can 3D print it into a flat surface, make its mass distribution uniform, and prevent it from causing engine problems during rotation.
“By printing the part as a plane, we got a good symmetrical mass distribution of the part with respect to the central axis of rotation,” explained Launcher engineer Andre Ivanovic who also participated in the webinar. “Balance is necessary because if the rotating parts in the turbomachinery are unbalanced, then every time it rotates, there will be a lot of vibration impact on your system and bearings.”
Launcher’s 3D printed Inconel entrance and aluminum exit housings. Photo: Launcher.
In practice 3D printingPump
After assembling a working pump prototype, Launcher began extensive engine testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. In these performance evaluations, the part proved to be able to withstand a two-minute test shot at a nominal speed, a 30-second input and output pressure check, and a 30-second 33,000 rpm test.
After the successful test, Launcher expects to integrate the newly optimized E-2 engine into the upcoming “Launcher Light” rocket that will be put into use in 2026. Through cooperation with VELO3D and Ansys, the company also concluded that it can produce more complex pumps at a lower cost and lead time than before, proving the practicality of 3D printing in rocket manufacturing applications.
Launcher’s 3D printed turbo pump components. Photo: Launcher
Launcher’s AM optimization engine
Since its establishment in 2017, Launcher has continued to use 3D printing to upgrade the performance of its rocket engines. The company’s new turbopump is actually installed in a fully additively manufactured combustion chamber, which itself is produced in a single piece using EOS M 4K AM provided by subsidiary AMCM 3D printingmachine.
The development of the 3D printed components for the E-2 engine can be traced back to a $1.5 million Space Force contract, which was awarded to Launcher in November 2019. At that time, the rocket combustor produced by the company was reported to be the largest part of its kind, with a height of 860 mm and a 410 mm outlet nozzle.
Similarly, in 2019, SLM Solutions signed a contract to develop a 3D printed rocket engine for the British aerospace company Orbex, which is considered the largest of its kind in the world. To power Orbex’s Prime launch vehicle, the part was printed as a single piece to eliminate the use of any joints and enhance its overall integrity.
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