LEAP 71, a company specializing in computational engineering, has successfully tested an aerospike engine with 5000 newtons of thrust. This engine, powered by cryogenic liquid oxygen and kerosene, is considered technologically sophisticated and was designed using the AI-supported platform Noyron. Development took just a few weeks, with the component being manufactured in one piece from a copper alloy using industrial 3D printing.
Aerospike engines offer advantages over conventional jet engines due to their higher efficiency at different atmospheric pressure conditions. Instead of a conventional bell nozzle, aerospikes use a central mandrel around which hot exhaust gases flow. This places considerable demands on the cooling system. With LEAP 71, the mandrel is cooled by cryogenic oxygen, while the outside of the combustion chamber is tempered with kerosene.
Josefine Lissner, CEO and Co-Founder of LEAP 71, stated: “We were able to extend Noyron’s physics to deal with the unique complexity of this engine type. The spike is cooled by intricate cooling channels flooded by cryogenic oxygen, whereas the outside of the chamber is cooled by the kerosene fuel. I am very encouraged by the results of this test, as virtually everything on the engine was novel and untested. It’s a great validation of our physics-driven approach to computational AI.”
The engine was manufactured using Laser Powder Bed Fusion at Aconity3D, a technology that delivers particularly precise results. Post-processing and heat treatment were carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology. The final test on December 18, 2024 was supported by the University of Sheffield team at the Airborne Engineering site in the UK.
Lin Kayser, Co-Founder of LEAP 71, added: “Despite their clear advantages, Aerospikes are not used in space access today. We want to change that. Noyron allows us to radically cut the time we need to re-engineer and iterate after a test and enables us to converge rapidly on an optimal design.”
The test results will be incorporated into the further development of the Noyron platform to improve future generations of engines. LEAP 71 is planning further tests for 2025 with the aim of establishing aerospike engines as a viable solution for modern space systems.
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