The US Department of Defense spends US$25.5 million to develop niobium alloy additive manufacturing engine components to accelerate research on hypersonic technology

In order to further accelerate research on hypersonic flight, the US Department of Defense (DOD) has invested a total of US$25.5 million in 18 university-led projects, which mainly cover3D printing, Machine learning and non-destructive testing and other cutting-edge technologies.It is reported that these research project contracts will be issued within three years, and participants will be awarded as members of the University Applied Hypersonic Technology Alliance (UCAH). As the name suggests, UCAH aims to promote the development of hypersonic technology and operates under the Joint Hypersonic Technology Transition Office (JHTO). The winners included participants from 28 universities, 15 industrial partners, 3 national laboratories and 4 other international partner universities.

JHTO Director Gillian Bussey said: “These awards are an important step for the Department of Defense and the University Alliance. Each project is led by a UCAH University partner, bringing together expertise from across the country to solve difficult hypersonic problems. These projects motivate us. At the same time, it also provides a way for students to participate in hypersonic research and establish contacts with industry and national laboratories to cultivate the majors we need in the future.Talents. “

△On March 19, 2020, the United States tested a hypersonic glider at the Pacific Missile Range facility in Kauai, Hawaii. The picture comes from the U.S. Navy.

Why develop hypersonic flight technology?

Hypersonic flight is defined as a speed above Mach 5, which is five times the speed of sound, or approximately 6,800 miles per hour. From the perspective of commercial applications of this technology, theoretically a hypersonic aircraft can fly from Europe to Australia within three hours, greatly shortening the intercontinental flight time.Of course, this concept also has applications in national defense, especially in hypersonic missiles. At speeds of Mach 5 and above, flying objects are more difficult to intercept for missile defense systems. This makes hypersonic missiles an extremely useful strategic tool in the arsenal, especially if used with nuclear warheads.

Additive manufacturing of niobium alloys

UCAH’s list of award-winning projects includes research on composite aircraft materials, flight control systems, and even solid propulsion fuel. But one project is particularly noticeable, it is the “additive manufacturing of high-performance niobium alloy components for jet aircraft” at the University of Virginia. It is said that the performance of niobium alloy additive components far exceeds the traditional alloy C103.

Niobium is a refractory metal characterized by high strength, high melting point (2410°C), and good chemical resistance.Due to its oxidation resistance and low weight, the C-103 alloy of this metal has been used for a long timeaviationaerospaceKey high-temperature jet engine components in the field, such as rocket nozzles, exhaust nozzles and afterburner gaskets.

The next goal of the University of Virginia leadership project is to seek to use previously unused niobium alloys to3D printingHigh temperature parts, which can save a lot of time and cost for more complex geometries.The researchers expect these proposed3D printingThe ability can finally be applied to scramjets (a kind of hypersonic jet engine), which can meet the demanding requirements of combustion in supersonic airflow.

Bussey said: “If we are to make progress in breaking technology and cultivating talents, collaboration between different participants in the interdisciplinary and hypersonic world is crucial. This is one of the key reasons we established the university alliance last year. The proposal we received contains a strong, multi-organized and interdisciplinary team, which is the result we are looking forward to seeing.”

△The second stage nozzle of Falcon 9 is made of niobium alloy. Picture from SpaceX

In addition, this is not the first example of additive manufacturing being applied to hypersonic flight technology.Just last month, researchers at RMIT University in Australia developed a new generation of high-speed aircraft3D printingCooling device.This so-called3D printingThe catalyst is essentially a metal heat exchanger coated with a synthetic mineral called zeolite. The team believes that they can be used to solve the problem of overheating, which is said to be one of the biggest obstacles to hypersonic flight.

Elsewhere, ASTRO has previously completed a study commissioned by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to accelerate the production of hypersonic missiles.This study details the design plan for the Hypersonic Production Accelerator Facility (HPAF), which will3D printingCombined with other advanced manufacturing technologies.

(Editor in charge: admin)

The US Department of Defense spends US$25.5 million to develop niobium alloy additive manufacturing engine components to accelerate research on hypersonic technology

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