Skyroot Aerospace and Dhawan-II’s More Powerful 3D-Printed Cryogenic Engine
In 2020, the world was introduced to Dhawan-I, a 3D printed cryogenic engine made by Skyroot Aerospace. Three years later, the Indian company has been working on a more powerful model, unveiling to the public the new and improved Dhawan-II, which is said to have successfully completed testing. Like its predecessor, this engine is also 3D printed. Skyroot’s cryogenic rocket engine uses two rocket propellants: liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LoX), which require temperatures below -150 °C for storage and operation. The tests were conducted at Solar Industries’ propulsion test facility in Nagpur, India.
Over the past several months, numerous 3D printing projects in the aerospace sector have been unveiled. These include the first launch of Relativity Space’s almost entirely 3D-printed rocket, the Terran 1. NASA also showcased the RDRE, its 3D-printed rocket engine for deep space missions. In fact, the space agency has even opened a new center to promote the adoption of metal 3D printing in aerospace applications. This initiative is expected to increase the number of 3D-printed parts for use in the sector.
A More Powerful 3D-Printed Cryogenic Engine-The manufacture of the 3D-printed engine follows the launch of the Vikram-S rocket last November, which according to Skyroot Aerospace was not fast enough to orbit the Earth. Meanwhile, the Dhawan-II will be used for the upper part of the Vikram-II, the Indian company’s heaviest spacecraft. The decision to place a cryogenic engine is to improve the rocket’s payload capacity. In terms of power, the Dhawan-II builds on the thrust of the Dhawan-I. However, the new engine registers a maximum thrust of 3.5 kN, while the former is 1 kN. The propulsion lasted 200 seconds during endurance tests, or about 3.5 minutes. According to Skyroot Aerospace, these results are impressive.
Image: The Indian company has been working on a more powerful model, unveiling to the public the new and improved Dhawan-II, which is said to have successfully completed testing. Credit: Skyroot Aerospace
Source: 3D Natives
