An Additively Manufactured CNG/GOX Aerospike Rocket Engine: Test Results, Performance and Analysis

摘要

An aerospike rocket engine was additively manufactured using selective laser melting of a commercial nickel-based superalloy. Design features enabled by additive manufacturing include multi-chamber combustion, internal lattice jacket cooling, and aerospike support. The design and manufacture of the engine is the subject of another paper for IAC2017. The rocket engine was tested on the 15~(th) and 29~(th) of August 2017. This paper reviews the engine testing, instrumentation, and performance. Dynamic measurements of engine thrust, coolant temperature, combustion chamber pressure, and radiated sound were recorded during testing. The test results are presented in this paper with the analysis of these data, which allows for a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of additive manufacturing with the nickel-based superalloy as a technique for the construction of gaseous-fuelled rocket engines.