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Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)
TRL Steps will be archived in 1 year by performing the first ignition testing in a relevant laboratory environment (high pressure, high temperature oxygen) of many possible factors affecting the ignitability of SLM Inconel 718. These results can then be applied to compatibility assessments of future and current components that helps designers and management to make informed decisions about risk.
Parts produced by Additive Manufacturing (AM), particularly Selective Laser Melting (SLM), have been shown to silt metal particulate even after undergoing stringent precision aerospace cleaning processes (Lowrey 2016). Required pressures, temperatures, and flow rates in oxygen systems are increasingly exacerbating the hazard of Particle Impact (PI), the most common direct ignition source of metals in oxygen enriched environments. As the use of AM parts in oxygen systems becomes more common their PI susceptibility must be evaluated. This type of ignition testing has never been performed on AM metals and WSTF maintains the only flowing PI test facility in existence. Evaluating ignition of these metals is a critical step for evaluating the safety of current and future low cost high performance engine technology and advanced environmental control and life support systems. This will be the first systematic study of the ignitability of additive manufactured metals in oxygen systems.
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