ISRO achieves major milestone with 3D printed rocket engine test

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced a major achievement, stating it has successfully conducted a hot test of a liquid rocket engine manufactured using additive manufacturing (AM) technology, or 3D printing. This engine is intended for use in the PS4, the upper stage of ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Design Innovation and Benefits
ISRO redesigned the conventionally manufactured PS4 engine to make it compatible with additive manufacturing techniques, a process known as Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM). According to The Times of India, this innovative approach has yielded remarkable advantages.


"The Laser Powder Bed Fusion technique used in the manufacturing process reduced the number of engine components from 14 to a single piece, eliminating 19 weld joints," ISRO stated. This streamlined design not only significantly reduced raw material usage per engine from 565kg to a mere 13.7 kg of metal powder but also cut overall production time by 60%.

Development and Testing
The PS4 engine, which uses a bipropellant combination of nitrogen tetroxide as the oxidizer and monomethyl hydrazine as the fuel, was developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). The manufacturing of the additively manufactured engine was carried out by the Indian industry partner, Wipro 3D. The hot testing was conducted at ISRO's Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri.

Rigorous Testing Validates Performance
Before the successful 665-second hot test, ISRO conducted a comprehensive development program. This included detailed flow and thermal modeling, structural simulations, cold flow characterization of the proto hardware, and four successful developmental hot tests of the integrated engine for a cumulative duration of 74 seconds. These rigorous tests validated the engine's performance parameters, The Times of India reported.

Future Implications
The successful hot testing of the 3D printed PS4 engine is a significant step in leveraging additive manufacturing technology for rocket engines in the future. "This paves the way for the induction of the additively manufactured PS4 engine into the regular PSLV program, ushering in a new era of advanced manufacturing techniques for India's space endeavors," ISRO added, according to The Times of India.

(With inputs from TOI)