Been away for a while (not of my free will), had to replace computer components for my desktop....any way here's some really exciting news in the past 3+ weeks:
Real exciting news about heat-resistant aluminum (and nickel) supper alloys, as well as 3D printing of aircraft parts, sepheronx and Viktor whats your guys thoughts on this?
1.) 3D printing, using laser-fusion of heat-resistant aluminum and nickel super alloy powders, allows combustion chamber walls to be as thin as
0.3 mm in width.
2.) The 3D printing process allows parts to be produced
30 times faster than normal means.
3.) The 3D printed super alloy engine (aluminum and nickel) prototype UAV engine weighs 900 grams, but produces
75 kg's of force, and the final product will double the force to 150 kg's of force! That's crazy, and could you imagine the possibilities if that's successfully up-scaled?
4.) According to Alexei Leonkova, a former employee of the 30th Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence, the possibility of the use of
drones and space-based systems, this technology is applicable in the manufacture of engines for missiles of air defense, anti-tank and MLRS.
5.) It is possible appearance in the rocket and space technology components and assemblies of fuel systems, shunting engines produced by the novel process, - says Alexey Leonkov. -
In aviation, it can serve as a basis to create hypersonic vehicles that can withstand high velocity and surface heating. With mass production of military and civilian equipment with extensive use of robotics it will give a tangible reduction in the economic cost and the lack of rejection of finished products. Powder metallurgy and laser provide highly accurate manufacturing of all components and assemblies, airframe and engine. For this technology unquestionable future, it already raised the Russian metal processing and materials science to a new level of technological development.
The technology worked at the Russian Institute of Aviation Materials
All-Russian Institute of Aviation Materials (VIAM) and the Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI) began research and development to create the country's first unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a miniature gas turbine engine, fully printed the 3D-printer. How do I find "News", in 2018 the Ministry of Defense plans to equip them immediately two aircraft: unmanned aircraft target "Dan-M" and unmanned reconnaissance "Zenica".
- The engine is made entirely on the basis of additive manufacturing VIAM the new technology of laser fusion layered with metal-powder composition and heat-resistant aluminum alloy, which also created the Institute experts, - told "Izvestiya" CEO VIAM academician Yevgeny Kablov. - Through the use of additive technologies managed print engine parts with unique parameters, is not possible with conventional casting. For example, the thickness of the wall of the combustion chamber is 0.3 mm. Such parameters can be achieved only by using 3D-press.
Kablov notes that the first successful experience of introduction of additive technologies (layered synthesis technology) in VIAM was implemented in 2015. For the first time in the country of experts from the institute have made a promising swirl of the front of the engine combustion chamber device PD-14, designed for medium-haul passenger airliner - "Russian aircraft of the XXI century," the MC-21. Presentation of the car took place on June 8 this year. The aircraft is intended to be replaced by Russian, European Airways A320 and the B737 US, which account for 40% of air transportations. Currently, more than 200 printed swirlers.
- Work to establish, together with DRF small-sized gas turbine engine - is primarily a demonstration of our technological capabilities, - said Eugene Kablov. - The technology allows you to receive the item in 30 times faster than traditional methods. For their production have been used fully domestic materials by the institute: powder superalloys based on nickel and aluminum. Based on them were printed structural elements: a turbine, a compressor, a diffuser, a shaft, a combustion chamber and the enclosure. It is clear that without the manual assembly of these elements can not do, but it is important that the "print" allowed us to make these parts with inaccessible to conventional casting accuracy, eliminating further manual processing engine components. We were able to create their powder compositions 28 brands.
The Institute pointed out that the entire process of creating a computer model, its seals and the start of production took four months. The uniqueness of the engine and that, as in "large" counterparts, it is set to automatic digital control system. She goes alone to automatic control mode, adjusting the supply of fuel to maintain a working RPM. At the moment the prototype weighing 900 g produces thrust of 75 kg, in the long term without a significant increase in weight should provide not less than 150 kg, it can be used in the construction of tactical and operational-tactical UAVs.
- Additive technology - is the foundation of a new industrial revolution, - told "Izvestiya" zamgeneralnogo DRF director Alexander Panfilov. - At the end of the experiment, we will start working together to develop in our country additive technology in the direction of expanding the range of collateral materials, as well as create your own, do not have analogues in the world 3D-printing systems. They allow you to increase productivity, to increase the coefficient of material usage to unity, at times to reduce energy consumption.
Made by 3D-printing technology of jet engines with low weight will be in demand in the production of missiles "Air-air", which will increase their opportunities.
According to Alexei Leonkova, a former employee of the 30th Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence, the possibility of the use of drones and space-based systems, this technology is applicable in the manufacture of engines for missiles of air defense, anti-tank and MLRS.
- It is possible appearance in the rocket and space technology components and assemblies of fuel systems, shunting engines produced by the novel process, - says Alexey Leonkov. - In aviation, it can serve as a basis to create hypersonic vehicles that can withstand high velocity and surface heating. With mass production of military and civilian equipment with extensive use of robotics it will give a tangible reduction in the economic cost and the lack of rejection of finished products. Powder metallurgy and laser provide highly accurate manufacturing of all components and assemblies, airframe and engine. For this technology unquestionable future, it already raised the Russian metal processing and materials science to a new level of technological development.
Russian drones printed equip engines
Some may ask how heat-resistant is the aluminum super alloy? So excellent that it's capable of withstanding the temperature extremes experienced by spacecraft/satellites:
Weight radiator with a thermo-coated, which provide a stable temperature regime of spacecraft equipment, reduced by 25% through the use of aluminum alloys instead superthermal CFRP.
Development CVTs "Technology" will reduce the weight and increase the resource spacecraft
EDIT: To answer the question after the 3rd point apparently the only thing limiting the up-scaling of the technology is how capable the 3D printer is.
Adaptive technology makes it easy to scale the product is actually limiting their size only by the capabilities used by 3D printers.
UAVs will print the 3D-printer to the battlefield