Why NASA’s New 3D Printed Rocket Engine Matters
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- Опубликовано: 15 май 2024
- Why NASA’s New 3D Printed Rocket Engine Matters. The first 100 people to use code UNDECIDED at the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: incogni.com/undecided. 3D printing rocket engines? It seems like these days you can 3D print just about anything. Just on this channel, we’ve talked about 3D printed next-gen perovskite solar panels, houses, and the development of advanced toroidal propellers for boats and drones. So you probably shouldn’t be surprised to learn that 3D printing is also making waves in rocket science. NASA has developed a revolutionary new rocket engine that’s 20-30% more efficient than anything else out there. Additive manufacturing techniques like 3D printing can make rockets quicker and cheaper, which could lead to better things for you and I down here on earth. But how?
Check out Real Engineering’s video for a deep dive on RDREs: • How NASA Reinvented th...
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What do you think of additive manufacturing? Any other exciting applications? The first 100 people to use code UNDECIDED at the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: incogni.com/undecided.
If you liked this, check out Why is this Propeller Getting So Much Attention? ruclips.net/video/UzYHO4tksTc/видео.html
It's so awesome how you dub in Casey Kasem's voice over yours. well done! 🤗
I have 4 3d printers, 3 FDM and one Resin and I am obsessed with the technology and how it makes nearly any other creative pursuit better. I'd happily live in a printed house on the moon and commute in a printed rocket if I could - quick question, what are the earbuds you are using in the interview sections
I am actively researching plastic and metal additive manufacturing, i have ~5 solid years experience with 3d printing thermoplastics and carbon fibre enhanced thermoplastics. The tech i'm exploring is metal particles in special support materials ( green to finite parts ) that can be "cured" in ( sintering ) special induction ovens.
@Matt In your talk with the NASA engineer, was any mention made to include additive manufacturing in the next steps for Nuclear engines? The option to remove oxygen as a catalyser and use (potentially) thorium as the fuel agent for lighter, more reactive engines. www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/nuclear-thermal-propulsion/index.html
3d printing is potentially only way to make stuff in space. If you on a starship and your engine die - taking ship back to earth on repair is not always option. But with some orbital manofactorums that able to make spare parts in zero gravity - we need those.
3D printing has an opportunity to replace complex casted parts. The issue is things like aluminum are still tough to get right.
in volume no, but complexity yes. Cast parts can be made at a volume much exceeding 3d printing. however the complexity of the parts 3d printing wins and allows much more complexity than regular cast. They both have their drawbacks, and 3d printing is just very slow in everything but large complex parts, or prototyping.
It’s the complex and often impossible to cast, form, forge, roll geometries that 3d printing will replace. There really is no alternative for these geometries. These thrusters have incredibly nuanced small but many channels to flow cooling and shape thrust in ways that just isn’t possible without 3d printing. 3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing. But for your ordinary things, not so much unless you’re printing themselves
I am a noob here, what are the issues with aluminum? I'm genuinely asking.
issues!?😂😂, what are you talking about, the Trueprint 2000/3000 can print out aluminum easy.
3D printed casting molds are just another facet to how the technology is evolving...it's fascinating to watch but it also makes me wonder why now? this stuff existed back in the 80s and 90s...just like drones, we've had drones for quite a long time but are only now seeing them become more ubiquitous...
I love how excited Paul was to talk about the developments. He looked like a kid telling you about his favorite type of candy. It was very wholesome.
He was awesome to talk to. His excitement about what he does was infectious.
@@UndecidedMF Great video, thanks.
I know that it has nothing to do with you, but that info about the UN wanting to make the internet a 'human right' is kind of crazy. TV would rightly not be categorized as a human right, and the internet is used mostly for entertainment. But unlike TV, the trappings of the internet include 'social' media, which makes people's lives worse, not better.
I worked on NASA programs that had the first additive manufacturing components. The first item was a blanking plate (very simple). By the time I left, They were getting more and more complex. 4 years later, they are really more complex.
Well your welcome my dude, I was the random dude that sent in the concept drawings and engineering breakdown for the prototype. I'm so happy to see I was right about damn near everything on those 3 drawings and 2 pages of explainer text lol
The cooling channels especially are the one thing I loved most hearing actually work in real life. I was going off of on paper calculations of Hydrogen's characteristics under vacuum and high pressure to resolve any doubts I had so luckily you guys tested that out thoroughly.
Thanks for whatever you managed to do in the mission, it's cool to see it coming to fruition.
Then you woke up?@@apIthletIcc
@@apIthletIcc If you were going to make Spiderman's web shooter, how would you go about it? And what material would you use for the shooter?
@@veralium29 Im not an expert in trigger/launcher mechanisms so I couldnt begin to answer that although it is something I had on my mind kinda recently. I could ask my dad, hes better with everything else other than the rocket lol
@@apIthletIcc Please do, thank you!
I'm currently building a 3D printer to play with a design, the only other thing is better electronics and web fluid. I suppose my plans of pursuing an engineering degree will be worth it, heh.
Another example as to why publicly run science is infinitely more important and impactful then private companies.
I'm surprised a discussion of 3D printed rocket engines does not mention RocketLab. I could be wrong, but I was under the impression they have been launching 3D printed engines for a few years now.
Yes and relatively nearly 3D prints the entire rocket
Rocket Lab has re-flown a 3D printed engine already….
This is incredibly inspiring stuff. It is good to see NASA innovation highlighted and its role in sparking terrestrial tech innovation for our benefit as well. Those rocket efficiency increases are mind-boggling!
Wouldn’t say it’s a NASA innovation as the technology is being worked on by countless teams from universities to branches of the military and not simply NASA.
@@jezza6575 good catch! Yes, NASA does work with and draw from many other groups and industry partners. Thank you!
Yep, they’re a piece of a larger puzzle … but an important one.
I didn't realize they were applying it to RDRE already. 3D printing the regenerative cooling was an amazing advancement, so seeing it be a part of the next fundamental design change in rocketry is wonderful. Relativity Space had said their real goal was to get their process in the door, and it's so cool to see that it worked.
It's weird to me how some people think it's still a niche or toy process. At this point hardly anything is prototyped without 3D printing of some sort.
Practically every rocket maker uses those Velo3D machines
Having been a 3D printer hobbyist for over 4 years - your comments about trial and error hit home, but what you can do with it is unbelievable
This is the kind of leading-edge work that NASA was created for, not helping to prop up the legacy rocket industry with $4B/launch SLS that was forced on them by Congress.
But it’s not even NASA that is leading the way in using additive manufacturing in rocket production or design, Relativity Space have the biggest printer and have used it already to print most of the rocket they recently sent to space.
@@nononono3421Relativity is mentioned in the video.
3D printing has incredible potential!
The Spacex Raptor 2 engine has a reported chamber pressure of 300 bar. (4351 PSI) If they can print an engine to withstand that pressure then we're onto something.
Haven't Rocket Lab been 3d printing rocket engines for a few years now?
not RDRE
Truly amazing what can be achieved with 3D printing! Thank you for putting this up.
Really should call it 3d welding
Additive manufacturing is so crazy! The amazing thing about getting an aerospike engine or rdre engine to work is that it is less dependant on altitude. With a traditional bell style exhaust you have to optimize for specific altitudes. This then gives the necessity for multiple stages to stay efficient. With these new styles you can have a single stage that has similar efficiency for most of the route. Of course, there are also advantages to shedding weight of empty containers, so it may not entirely remove the need for stages, but you can have fewer longer running stages.
But less fuel on board is less fuel to lift, which helps a lot with the tyranny of the lift equation.
Funny, I am about to write my Bachelor thesis on AM Processes in Repair of metallic Aircraft parts. Even with a smaller focus in manufacturing and the upcoming possibilities.
Awesome video as always. Would love to see a video on Relativity and NASA’s partnership. Keep up the great work and congrats on the new studio/house.
"More plentiful satellites" - this breaks my heart. Space is a beautiful natural resource that we're polluting at an alarming rate.
Elon: “we’re gonna have self driving cars by 2016”
NASA: “check out our new revolutionary high efficiency rocket engine. It’s pretty cool I guess”
Oh my, the future of manufacturing is getting to be pretty space age - literally, thanks processes like this additive manufacturing, and also incremental forming. I'd love to see you touch up on that one, as it's been kicked around a lot over the years, but recently is really coming into it's own light with places like Machina Labs in LA really starting to crack the code - also literally (haha coding jokes are great.) on really starting to nail down the process, into an exact method that will very likely boost R&D speeds considerably in MANY different industries.
BIG positive of additive manufacturing is the lack of waste produced by machining ...
there's no waste produced by machining, only recyclable material.
that's not considered waste
@@Mr.JesseRsame with additive manufacturing, might need further machining but chips are chips and still useable recyclables
thanks for the real engineering video recommendation, really interesting video!
This puts me in mind of America's WW2 Liberty Ships. There was a huge problem of their ships being sunk by enemy submarines and in response the Liberty Ships were made. If I recall correctly, it was taking an average of 45 days for merchant ships to be manufactured in America, but because of modern mass production methods, it took just 10 days for a Liberty Ship and there was even an occasion where one was build in three days.
😪👉aircarier 👈😭
So Wise , Thank You. Ad is a Fine addition to the toolbox . A fine way to reduce waste and increase efficiency
Thanks for another great episode Matt.
A lot of my coworkers were huge fans of 3D printing, and many of them bought printers to use at home. I was not impressed with the little plastics things they made, but said that when they can 3D print metal - that will be a game changer.
Wondering if additive manufacturing might also make an aerospike engine more feasible.
RDE's typically have an aerospike nozzle
In a conversation between Elon Musk and the Everyday Astronaut, Elon said the tech risk and expense of aerospike engines did not seem to be worth the benefits. Adding RD benefits should tip the balance in its favor. Or if someone spends the money to derisk it. Heat at the tip of the spike is said to be a problem, integrated cooling channels from 3D printing may help with that.
Very cool, Matt. One thing, since you were speaking about cost savings and efficiency so much, is the subject of re-use, that SpaceX and Blue Horizon seem to have mastered. It's great that they've been able to shave the cost of one-time-use components. The next big step, I'd say, is the ability to not have to throw away all that well made tech after each launch.
Great call out on Space X and Blue Origin. I love seeing the different approaches to bring the space exploration cost down.
SpaceX is obviously the leader in reuse (a total of 229 landings of orbital-class boosters so far, and the number of flights and landings of an individual booster is now up to 17 and counting). But others are getting onboard, such as Rocket Lab (Electron recently started to reuse engines and Neutron is being designed for full reusability) and Stoke Space (new kid on the block, but they are doing innovative development of the second stage, which is by far the hardest part to reuse). Blue Origin has intentions, and sub-orbital hops are not nothing, but they haven't even tried to get to orbit yet... we're waiting.
@@L4JPBlue who?
is that 30% fuel savings or a 30% increase in specific impulse, because if it's the latter like even out of the context of the rocket industry that is huge, a 30% increase to specific impulse over the duration of a flight assuming the same trust and weight of the craft could like over half the amount of fuel you need, so it's probably the first.
Colin you are awesome, please keep doing what you do
Can't wait to download NASA's rocket
Getting "you wouldn't download a car" vibes. 😂
They already have some 3D models you can download! If you have some knowledge of Blender, slicers, and 3D printing you should be able to make some cool prints.
Put:
nasa models 3d resources
into your favorite search engine, they should be some of the first links.
🤪👉Me quierooo largar de éste planeta ya!!👈🤑😉
A startup named Agnikul Cosmos is also 3d printing rockets for space sector.
I have experimented with 3DP and I'm surprised at just how good a job I can do so I think additive manufacturing has a real place in the future. As you say there are some things that 3DP can do better and some that are still works in progress. I think a lot of todays tools are at the dot matrix printer stage so in a few years there are likely to be truly amazing results including speed and resolution. Thanks for the vid. Jim Bell (Australia)
Do we know yet if they have the thrust/weight for first stage engines?
Matt, I hope you are having a great Tuesday. Thank you for your encouraging video. Have you made a video about the company SpinLaunch? Sheila Mink in New Mexico
One thing this video didn't really emphasize is WHY even a half percent efficiency improvement matters so much: part of the struggle in launching a rocket is you need enough thrust to not just carry the payload but also the fuel itself. So, you need more fuel for more weight, but because the fuel is heavy, you need more fuel to compensate for more fuel. This leads to an exponentially larger rocket than you would otherwise need, and it's also why every kilogram added makes a big difference. That's also why 95% of a rocket's weight is just fuel. That can add complexity and of course, there's just the cost to build and fuel it all. So, a 20% improvement in efficiency is absolutely mind blowing. I can't imagine how many hundreds of millions of dollars this will save for just a single launch. I'll be very curious to see how tiny one of these rockets will be in comparison to older models with the same payload capacity.
Fascinating breakthrough in technology. As a Sci Fi fan, it impresses me that most authors out there didn't think about this one.
About practical applications down here... Would these added pressure and heat not benefit steam power engines like the ones on ships? Or how about an M1 Tank with this instead of the Jet engine?
And then, the new materials that can take more heat and pressure? Can we have CPUs that can work with higher temperatures with this tech?
With more efficient burning, how about steel production with less CO2 and less energy needs?
Would it be safe to assume that rocket engines stand tremendous vibrations? If so, can we use the same technology to print a car engine that uses less cooling?
Endless wonder!
3D printing a 3D printer, that is the first step for the next evolution. But before that, we need to 3D print CPUs, APUs, GPUs, NPUs etc.
Thank you for video. 3D printing is whole new world of possibilities. I think you should attend to some 3D printing events to have a better picture about 3D printing and how 3D designs can be created. It is not a difficult process and you could share this information to your audience afterward.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Takumi Precision CNC in Limerick, Ireland 🇮🇪, they manufacture replacement hip and knee joints with 3D metal fusion printers to an extremely high quality. These joints are used in robotic assisted operations to ensure precise installation in the patients and giving a much better outcome in terms of patient recovery and lifespan of the replacement joint.
What is the nozzle temperature for additive printing metals and alloys? It must be extremely high for liquid flow. It’s very different from 3D printing plastics and house walls.
Has additive engineering solved the problem of melting powdered metals with lasers? When last I heard, the method still had the problem in which the laser would ‘blow out’-much like a puff of air on dust-the metal particles before they fused, leaving voids, defects, etc. Thank you for a great show!
Impressive tech. It seems like the progress of technological innovation grows exponentially.
Excellent video
This got me thinking optimistically about the possibilities of technology.
Hey Matt, long time viewer from NY State (Bills, Jets), I’m renovating up in NY State and have been using your recommendations ie Span boxes and WaterFurnace, Thing is having problems finding a WaterFurnace installer - can you recommend your installer? Another thing, how do I give you credit for your manufacturing choices?? Thanks asH
Perhaps Elysium's space Bugatti isn't that far off after all 😂
Very interesting, thank you.
3D printing has incredible potential!. Wondering if additive manufacturing might also make an aerospike engine more feasible..
You should do a video on aero spike engines
Hey, small tuber here who experiments with additive / microwave sintering. I think i have a pretty good process for metals (even reactive metals like aluminum / titanium) but its been challenging to find labs or other 3rd parties to help vet results. Ive tried going the grant route but most ive found were with the army / sba and required accreddited research institutions to even apply.
Do you have any recommendations for independent _researchers_ like myself (other than of course just making some youtube videos) to contribute and/or have results vetted?
8:20 - 30% more efficient at 650 psi - does power also scale with pressure - ie, is 900psi conventional the same thrust as 650 detonation?
Please also cover Skyroot Aerospoace and AgniKul Cosmos, two of India's space startups also using additive manufacturing in rocketry
Exciting stuff!
When you're talking to Paul, yoy genuinely look like you're about to burst out laughing at any moment 😂
Love your channel. 1 point, at 3:05 - Comparing "gas turbine engine" to a rocket is apples and oranges, NOT the same... wish it was compared to a different rocket.
Matt seems like he knows what he is talking about. BUT he said "gas turbine engine" and the image was of a rocket engine. And at 4:45 he says "as the fuel mixes with air" again it is a rocket engine, there is no air in space. So did he mean as the fuel and oxygen mix?
well one of the innovations i see there that i hope gets implemented is the idea of combining 3D Printers with fully mobile robot arms instead of enclosures
Great presentation Matt. I watched a chat GPT presentation a while back, once a more advanced version of GPT-style software meets a range of materials in 3D printing the possibilities are endless.
....how?
Is Matt's T-Shirt one of Tim Dodd "Everyday Astronauts" or somebody else's?
I think aircraft engines are already using this to build part with better cooling passages to replace the hard to make drillings. We are getting more powerful and efficient with less polluting engines as we also can make better controls.
On fuel efficiency, it should be noted that the Merlin engines on the Falcon 9 are gas generator cycle engines which is simple (for a rocket engine) tech and is not very efficient. This is the same tech used by the first couple of stages of the Apollo rocket. The Raptor engines that are being developed for Starship are full-flow staged combustion engines that have a 97% plus efficiency, all be it with a much greater level of complexity.
The first 3D printer I seen was 08 and I was completely dumbfounded and kept telling the drafting teacher that that was going to change the world
Wow, Wow, Woooow! Thank you for the bottom of my heart, Matt. Fantastic video! ❤👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
From italy 👋
I think this is facinating, Additive manufacturing! whow.
When you say "gas turbine engine" ( 3:00 )and show a blue print sketch of rocket nozzel I got a bit confused. Could you clarify for me?
Woah that guy at 6:20 really sounding like an advanced AI voice model 😅
Great content as usual 👌
Watching this video as my 3D printer prints a case/stand for a hygrometer :). I think it's a great technology!
Can you increase by an order of magnitude when using percentage as a metric? only if the first number is a fraction of a fraction of a percent I guess as an order of magnitude is a 3 digits increase
I actually met one of the guys working on the cooling systems of these RDEs. Shits cool as hell.
At 3:06 min you called the rocket a "Gas Turbine engine" which is incorrect. Cheers ;-)
Thank you Matt. 👍🏻
Thanks, Ron!
60%????
We need an air breathing engine like this
Shout out to Integza, who afaik first covered this engine a little while ago and actually built one…
Phenomenal explanation of the technology on that channel really cool stuff!
I think it’s worth mentioning that those types of engine are only efficient in a atmosphere. Once they have blasted the rocket high enough the effects change as the vacuum of space gets stronger.
Do you know if they had considered multiple shockwaves like in one starts clockwise the other one starts counterclockwise, so Anton has that concept been considered?
Counter-rotating shockwaves would collide and die out, because the fuel has been burnt on both sides. Dual synchronous shockwave has been tested, but one tends to eventually catch up and merge with the other.
I can't wait to see jet fighters (ngad and faxx) and boeing passenger jets using RDRE's So cool!
Chemical reactions, nuclear fusion, biology... natures additive manufacturing. Interesting to learn and be able to do more.
I think we as a modern society forget that 3d, and bio-printing (a subject you should definitely cover. It's like literally sci-fi irl. Fucking wild) were dreams of scientists as far back as the 18th century.
Low series prototyping is the way for AM. High series production would be great as well, dare to dream! Great technology for designers.
Finally, NASA is doing something exciting again.
lol they have always been doing exciting things maybe read the tech briefs
One of the most important earthly applications for the RDE is in supersonic flight.
Currently there is a propulsion gap between the upper operational limit of turbofan jet engines, and the lower operational limit of ramjet engines.
The RDE could fill that gap, making supersonic flight for commercial transport much more feasible.
Great video!
I wonder how a scaled engine rotating detonating would compare to raptor 3. Also the cost comparison. They're definitely expensive, but space x uses engines that are 100x cheaper than the Rs25. Can there be any more cost reduction? They also produce slightly more than one a day, so it's not hard anymore. Although I do believe nasa should build a test engine that companies can use as a blueprint to build their own.
Currently they don't compare at all. You can't get into the same magnitude when it comes to thrust or thrust to weight. You can't even get into the magnitude below the magnitude. It is very hard to see a path from this that leads to cheaper or better launch rockets anytime soon. There are so many things that need to fit into the bigger system of the entire rocket, the ability to throttle, restart, lifespan, but particularly *_thrust to weight_* , in order to build a cheap launch system.
Now, when it comes to vacuum engines, space engines, otoh, particularly third stage rocket engines, i.e. post orbit, when thrust is not a big deal, only specific impulse, I think we might see these rotating detonation engines pretty soon, if they can crank up lifespan. They will provide a higher specific impulse for chemical rockets, which are far simpler and cheaper than Ion, plasma, nuclear engines. They're not as good, but they can be in a completely different ball park when it comes simplicity and costs. And they don't need a radioactive isotope power source or solar panels, only fuel.
There is the link?
During intro, it's "...could lead to better things for you and ME down here on Earth." I is used before the verb, and me is used after. To test, just take out the other person. You wouldn't say, "... could lead to better things for I down here on Earth."
103 tons ! that's probably enough for a whole automated manufacturing module
Even in centuries past, the innovation required to build large, impressive structures like cathedrals, palaces, or grand ships was a side benefit of having those shiny buildings in the first place. Massive, complex projects such as these are perhaps one of the few drivers of innovation that can compete with the kind of innovation that is typically associated with war or defense, except we can at least feel good about these innovations. Fittingly, it was said of the space programs that these are our cathedrals because of how many other industries benefited from its construction and operation and impact on our culture.
I would like to see the technology used for aftermarket car parts
Integza's gonna blow a gasket over this XD
This sounds like the most dramatic rocket breakthrough since reusable rockets.
You have no IDEA what nasa is about to release early mid September. Mars baby here we come
hello Matt, how does this type of engine stack up against a full-flow stage combustion engine like raptor?
Not very well. While they do have the benefit of being simpler, currently they can't manage anywhere near the scale or TWR of Raptor, and they're unlikely to ever exceed Raptor's efficiency. The '25% better isp' claim assumes a best case scenario and that the engine it's being compared against operates at normal pressures, not the insane levels Raptor operates at. The detonation wave peaks at about 200 bar, which means they're an easy way to improve over the ~100 bar of typical rocket engines, and massively better than the ~10 bar found in a jet engine. Raptor, however, is already operating at 300 bar and is aiming for 350 in the near future, not to mention it is doing so with ~99% combustion efficiency.
@@lazarus2691 thats what i thought. but thnx!
3d printing to match the 3d ar, vr green screens and cgi, good work lol
I can't wait to see Warped Perception put one of these on a car
Incogni doesn't have Australia listed when signing up.
Additive manufacturing is a marvelous idea that will revolunize many industries.
Sounds like we need to solve our space junk problem sooner rather than later
Uh, Velo3D's system has minimal learning curve. No tweaking settings because it's a closed and patented system.
It's how they make the best parts in the market but also across any machine with the same print file.
I think eventually additive is going to be the predominant method, but it’s still gonna be a while before it’s so easy anyone can make anything [like a Star Trek replicator]
We're a very long ways from Star Trek replicators - we would need much more than additive manufacturing for such a thing to be possible, since it really needs to be able to work on an atomic and molecular level to do some of the things shown in the shows.
@@logicalfundy indeed. I meant more figuratively - like, being able to tell your 3D printer “make me a set of drawers”, give it some dimensions, and have it spit out a set of drawers without having to adjust settings and all
Nice change Matt. Very interesting topic. This new rocket engine tech is amazing. Not sure how long NASA has been using 3D printing for rocket engines and components for a few years now. As advanced as NASA has become, SpaceX is burying NASA when it come to overall cost. I like you highlighting just how far 3D printing has come now. Simply amazing. Thanks again Matt.
Another application for 3D printing that could absolutely be used in space is manufacturing of spare parts on demand. Want to save weight? Bring a 3D printer instead of spare parts for everything that could break. This could be used both on long space voyages or for in orbit satellite repairs.