Manufacturing Advanced Channel Wall Rocket Liners

This SBIR will adapt and demonstrate a low cost flexible method of manufacturing channel wall liquid rocket nozzles and combustors, while providing developers a means to manufacture more complex designs for improved engine performance. Current channel wall engine concepts are limited by capabilities of available manufacturing methods. This SBIR will provide a cold, non-chemical, low load alternative while supporting more complex liner designs. It will enable features such as cooling channels with complex patterns, bifurcations, flow trips, varying width and depth, thin hot walls, negative wall taper, more accurately placed channel walls and more complex liner contours. Ormond will work together with contacts at NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne during Phase I to provide demonstration coupons of current engine concepts and to identify additional design options that can be incorporated through use of the proposed technology. Cost and technical feasibility will be demonstrated. A Phase II program will result in a TRL-6 level means of machining channel combustor and nozzle liners. Scalability to SSME class of engines will be addressed. Government and commercial applications that may benefit from the proposed technology development include channel wall liquid rocket engines, ground based turbine generators, advanced turbine blades, scramjets, space optics, and down-hole oil well tooling.

NASA applications include channel wall liquid rocket combustors, ground based turbine generators, advanced turbine blades, scramjets, space optics. Applicable to SLS programs, primarily the RS-25 engines. Also engines such as J-2X, RL-10, and any large LOX/RP boost engine similar to F-1.

Non-NASA applications that may benefit from the proposed technology development include ground based turbine generators, advanced turbine blades, scramjets, and down-hole oil well tooling.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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