Commercial Company Tests 3D Printed Liquid Fuel Rocket Engine Designed by AI
LEAP 71, a Dubai-based engineering company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) for calculations, announced the successful test launch of a liquid rocket engine built entirely using Noyron, the company's large computational engineering model. The motor was designed autonomously, without human intervention, and then 3D printed from copper. The rocket propulsion was successfully fired hot at a rocket test facility in the UK.
The 5 kN (500 kg / 1,124 lb⋅ft) thrust engine produced an expected 20,000 horsepower and passed all tests, including long start-up.
Josefina Lissner, aerospace engineer and managing director of LEAP 71, said: “This is an important milestone not only for us, but also for the entire industry. We can now automatically create functional rocket engines and immediately move on to practical testing.” This engine took less than 2 weeks from final specification to production. With traditional design this would take many months or even years. Designing each subsequent iteration of the engine takes only a few minutes. Innovation in the field of space propulsion is difficult and expensive. Through our approach, we hope to make space more accessible to everyone.”
This engine uses cryogenic liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene as fuel. The copper combustion chamber is regeneratively cooled, and the injector head is equipped with a modern coaxial swirler for mixing the fuel.
Lin Kaiser, co-founder of LEAP 71, said: “Our company is at the forefront of a new field of computer engineering, where complex machines can now be designed without manual labor. This paradigm is significantly accelerating the pace of innovation for real-world objects. The fact that the engine is from Noyron worked properly on the first try, confirms that the approach works. “The method can be applied in any field of technology.”
LEAP 71 collaborated with leading German metal 3D printing company AMCM to produce the engine. The device was then processed at the University of Sheffield and prepared for testing. The launch was carried out by Airborne Engineering, Ltd. in Wescott, UK.
LEAP 71 will use the data obtained from the tests to further develop Noyron. The company cooperates with leading aerospace companies in the USA, Europe and Asia on the commercialization of the created rocket engines.
About LEAP 71
LEAP 71 is a company based in Dubai, UAE, founded by aerospace engineer Josephine Lissner and serial entrepreneur Lin Kaiser.
LEAP 71's mission is to radically advance engineering progress in the emerging field of computational engineering. The company uses complex software algorithms to create physical products. LEAP 71 developed a large computational engineering model, Noyron, which is considered the most advanced in existence.
LEAP 71 works with customers around the world, including the US, Korea, Europe and China, developing products in areas ranging from aerospace and electric vehicles to heat exchangers.
LEAP 71 released a significant portion of the technology stack into the public domain, including PicoGK (peacock), a compact and robust geometry kernel that allows the creation of very complex physics objects.
Most LEAP 71 parts are printed on advanced industrial additive manufacturing machines.
Rocket engine project
The development of the Noyron TKL-5 rocket engine, which had a successful hot launch in June 2024, is an internal LEAP 71 project designed to demonstrate the capabilities of Noyron's large computational engineering model.
The engine design phase took less than 2 weeks from final specification to production. Generating new design variations takes less than 15 minutes on a standard computer.
LEAP 71 is collaborating with the University of Sheffield (UK) and UK test site provider Airborne Engineering to carry out the testing. The University of Sheffield Race to Space team provided a wealth of practical advice and carried out all the processing and instrumentation steps required to move the engine onto the test stand. Technical consultant Sam Rogers, chief designer at Gravity Industries, provided critical guidance throughout the project.
Rocket engine
For the LEAP 71, a thrust level of 5 kN (equivalent to 500 kg / 1,120 lb lift weight or 20,000 horsepower) was selected. This is a relatively compact engine that would be suitable for the last stage of an orbital rocket.
The engine runs on cryogenic liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene, a combination used in many modern rocket systems, including the SpaceX Falcon 9 and the vintage Saturn V moon rocket. The LEAP 71 made this choice deliberately, despite the fuel being more complex to operate than others typically used for small engines.
The motor was printed from copper (CuCrZr) using an EOS M290 metal printer. Copper has a low melting point, but when actively cooled, it allows the creation of compact, high-performance engines.
The engine uses thin cooling channels that curl around the chamber jacket, with a variable cross-section of up to 0.8 mm. Kerosene is forced through the channels to cool the engine and prevent it from melting. Both fuels are then injected into the combustion chamber. The combustion temperature inside the engine is around 3000ºC, while the surface of the engine remains below 250ºC thanks to active cooling.
Fuel is injected into the engine using a coaxial swirl injector. This type of injector is considered the most advanced.
Additional film cooling is achieved by directing some of the fuel through tiny holes near the wall of the combustion chamber.
Multiple measurement ports for temperature and pressure data allow information to be entered into the Noyron computational model.
Trial
The hot launch took place in Wescott, UK, at Airborne Engineering's test facility on Friday 14 June 2024. During the first 3.5 seconds, the engine started with an oxidizer-to-fuel ratio of 1.8, below the nominal 2.3. By using less oxidizer, the engine burns slightly less hotly. After ensuring that the engine was running well and all temperatures were within the expected range, the engine was tested for a full 12 second long run at a nominal oxidizer to fuel ratio of 2.3.
The engine showed the expected results. It has reached a steady state, which means it can run for as long as needed. The burning time was limited only by the fuel supply at the test site.
Subsequent analysis
The next day the engine was dismantled at the University of Sheffield and a thorough examination confirmed that it was completely intact. The engine will remain in the UK for future testing. Initial data analysis showed that the pressure drop (resistance) in the cooling channels was higher than in the model, which is due to the actual roughness of the 3D printed surface. The team will undertake post-processing of the existing engine, while Noyron's cooling channel logic has already been updated to improve predictions and design of future engines.
