In collaboration with NASA, I lead a team of undergraduate engineers to build a 3D printed metal rocket engine, Ignus II. The project was proof of concept to validate use of metal 3D printing in space grade hardware. 3D printing is now ubiquitous in modern space launch systems for cheaper access to space. Ignus II was designed in Solidworks and simulated with ANSYS for optimal performance before production
The engine has completed hot-fire validation tests with burn times of 17 seconds:
Design procedures for injector and combustion chambers can be found here
Thrust (Sea-Level) ___________ 830 lbf / 3.7 kN Design Chamber Pressure _____ 500 psi / 3.45 MPa Tested Isp (Sea-Level) ________ 200 s Dry Weight _________________17.2 lbs / 7.8 kg Chamber Diameter ___________4.66 in / 11.8 cm