Turn up the volume! We just hot fired a 20,000 horsepower #AI generated rocket engine.
Yesterday, we tested a 5 kN Kerolox thruster generated through Noyron RP, our Large Computational Engineering Model. This engine was designed without the use of CAD software, generated completely autonomously, and output on PicoGK, our open-source geometry kernel. It was then #3dprinted in #copper at AMCM GmbH.
The engine uses #Kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen (#LOX) as propellants. It is regeneratively cooled through cooling channels that angle around the outside of the combustion chamber. The fuel and oxidizer are mixed using an injector head with coaxial swirler elements.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a functioning rocket thruster was generated entirely automatically, without human intervention. From the final decision about propellant types, and other fundamental specs to manufacturing took less than 2 weeks. The generation of a new engine, using different parameters takes only a few minutes, ready to print again and iterate.
We are extremely pleased with the outcome. The engine worked flawlessly on the first go, including a long-duration run, that validated steady-state. The burn time was only limited by the amount of fuel available, and lasted for 12 seconds. The team at Airborne Engineering Ltd in the UK executed the test campaign brilliantly.
We will publish more information in the coming days. We have a wealth of data that will feed back into Noyron and allow us to train and adjust our model. The engine survived yesterdays test campaign without a scratch and will be fired again.
A big shoutout to Sam Rogers for helping bring about the test campaign and giving valuable and practical advice. Without his enthusiasm and valuable connections, most notably to the UK Race to Space team at the The University of Sheffield. The Sheffield rocketeers gave us a wealth of practical feedback, and were instrumental in machining a #3dprinted piece of copper geometry into a functioning engine.
A huge thank you to the Race to Space team in Sheffield: Alistair John, Max Crawford-Collins, Henry Saunders, Oliver Dew. You guys are steely-eyed rocket men.
#AdditiveManufacturing #ComputationalEngineering Noyron