Manufacturing method of thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with microstructure reinforced heterogeneous metal combination

Abstract

The invention provides a manufacturing method of a micro-structure enhanced heterogeneous metal combined thin-wall rocket thrust chamber. The micro-structure enhanced heterogeneous metal combined thin-wall rocket thrust chamber comprises a thin-wall thrust chamber liner and a heterogeneous metal sheath, a regeneration cooling flow channel is formed in the thin-wall thrust chamber lining, and the heterogeneous metal sheath is formed on the outer wall of the thin-wall thrust chamber lining in a cold spraying mode. Wherein a ball pit protruding microstructure is formed on the outer wall of the thin-wall thrust chamber lining, the ball pit protruding microstructure comprises a plurality of ball pits arranged in an array mode and protrusions formed among the ball pits, and the heterogeneous metal sheath is sprayed on the ball pit protruding microstructure in a cold spraying mode. And the plurality of ball pits are used for dispersing pressure generated when the spraying material is impacted. According to the technical scheme, the manufacturing method of the thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with the microstructure enhanced heterogeneous metal combination can be provided, and the operation reliability of the thrust chamber is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of engine manufacturing, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding. Background Art

[0002] The thrust chamber is a key component of a rocket engine and must withstand extreme high temperatures during operation. In order to ensure long-term stable operation of the engine, liquid rocket engines usually use regenerative cooling technology, which effectively extends the service life of the thrust chamber by setting up complex thin-walled cooling channels between the inner and outer walls of the thrust chamber. The arrangement of such cooling channels in the thrust chamber forms a complex thin-walled structure with high thermal efficiency, but it also places higher requirements on the manufacturing process.

[0003] Traditional metal 3D printing technologies such as powder bed fusion (PBF) can provide an effective solution for the processing and manufacturing of such thin-walled thrust chambers. However, the processing limitations of a single material type make it difficult for traditional manufacturing solutions to simultaneously meet the requirements of composite performance such as high thermal conductivity and high heat resistance. To address this problem, the industry has tried to use a variety of processes including laser cladding, explosive bonding, energy deposition and spraying to manufacture thrust chambers with heterogeneous metal structures. Nevertheless, high-energy output processes such as laser cladding and thermal spraying often cause damage to thin-walled linings during the manufacturing process, affecting the overall integrity and functionality of the components.

[0004] Given that high-energy output processes such as laser cladding and thermal spraying are prone to damage to thin-walled linings during manufacturing, the industry has gradually turned to cold spray technology. Cold spray technology uses high-speed particles to deposit on the surface of the substrate at room temperature to form a covering layer. This method can effectively avoid internal structural damage caused by high temperatures. However, although cold spray has less impact on the physical integrity of the lining, its inherent low particle deformation and weaker metallurgical bonding still limit the improvement of bonding strength. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the above-mentioned prior art and to provide a method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding to improve the operational reliability of the thrust chamber.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding, comprising a thin-walled thrust chamber lining and a heterogeneous metal sheath; a regenerative cooling flow channel is formed inside the thin-walled thrust chamber lining, and the heterogeneous metal sheath is formed on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining by cold spraying; wherein a ball-pit protrusion microstructure is formed on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining, and the ball-pit protrusion microstructure comprises a plurality of ball pits arranged in an array and protrusions formed between the plurality of ball pits, and the heterogeneous metal sheath is sprayed on the ball-pit protrusion microstructure by cold spraying, and the plurality of ball pits are used to disperse the pressure generated when the spraying material impacts.

[0007] In a more preferred embodiment, the plurality of ball pits and protrusions are formed by Boolean operation modeling between a plurality of spheres, and the radius of the spheres used for the Boolean operation is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

[0008] In a more preferred embodiment, the ratio of the horizontal distance between the centers of adjacent spheres to the diameter of the spheres is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

[0009] In a more preferred embodiment, the ratio of the vertical distance between the centers of adjacent spheres to the radius of the sphere is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

[0010] In a more preferred embodiment, the surface of the ball pit protrusion microstructure is processed by sandblasting to form a rough surface.

[0011] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding, the manufacturing method is used to manufacture the thin-walled rocket thrust chamber, and is characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

[0012] Step 1: providing a thin-walled thrust chamber lining having a ball pit protrusion microstructure;

[0013] Step 2: Deposit a heterogeneous metal sheath on the outer surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining with the ball pit protrusion microstructure described in step 1 by cold spraying.

[0014] In a more preferred embodiment, the step 1 comprises the following steps:

[0015] Step 11: Build a model of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner with regenerative cooling channels;

[0016] Step 12: Perform numerical simulations of the operating conditions of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining to determine the area and thickness of the heterogeneous metal jacket.

[0017] Step 13: Design the size characteristics and distribution form of the ball pit protrusion microstructure according to the area and thickness that the heterogeneous metal sheath should cover in step 12;

[0018] Step 14: Integrate the outer surface of the model of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining and construct the ball pit protrusion microstructure according to the size characteristics and distribution form of the ball pit protrusion microstructure in step 13;

[0019] Step 15: Construct the thin-walled thrust chamber lining based on the model of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining.

[0020] In a more preferred embodiment, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps:

[0021] Step 3: heat treating the heterogeneous metal sheath formed by cold spraying in step 2;

[0022] In a more preferred embodiment, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps:

[0023] Step 4: performing aging treatment on the sprayed thin-wall rocket thrust chamber lining having heterogeneous metal as described in step 3;

[0024] Step 5: Perform final surface finishing through precision turning and milling to improve the dimensional accuracy and surface roughness of the component.

[0025] In a more preferred embodiment, in step 11, a model of a thin-walled thrust chamber liner having a regenerative cooling channel is constructed by computer-aided design (CAD);

[0026] In step 15, a thin-walled thrust chamber lining is constructed by a three-dimensional additive and subtractive manufacturing process. Alternatively, in step 15, the wall thickness of the outer surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining is increased, the thin-walled thrust chamber lining is manufactured by a three-dimensional additive and subtractive manufacturing process, and then the ball pit protrusion microstructure is carved out on the surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] 1. In the present invention, a ball pit protrusion microstructure is formed on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining, and the ball pit protrusion microstructure includes a plurality of ball pits arranged in an array and protrusions formed between the plurality of ball pits. The heterogeneous metal sheath is sprayed on the ball pit protrusion microstructure by cold spraying, and the plurality of ball pits are used to disperse the pressure generated when the spraying material impacts. The design of the ball pit is mainly used to reduce the stress concentration during the cold spraying process, effectively disperse the pressure generated when the spraying material impacts, thereby significantly reducing the microcracks and other defects caused by local bonding failure. At the same time, the protrusion feature significantly enhances the mechanical anchoring effect, and by increasing the contact points between the particles and the substrate, the mechanical anchoring force of the covering layer is strengthened, and the bonding strength between the spray layer and the thin-walled thrust chamber lining is effectively improved. This unique ball pit protrusion microstructure not only increases the contact area and surface roughness of the heterogeneous metal, but also achieves heterogeneous metal bonding with low defects and high bonding strength by optimizing stress distribution and enhancing mechanical anchoring, thereby improving the performance and reliability of the overall component.

[0029] 2. The present invention proposes a method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber that enhances the bonding strength of heterogeneous metals, especially for thin-walled structures that require regenerative cooling channels. This method can achieve high-quality bimetallic bonding through liner 3D printing and jacket cold spraying without damaging the thin-walled structure of the liner. This method not only maintains the integrity of the liner and the accuracy of the microstructure, but also ensures the strong attachment of the jacket, thereby optimizing the overall manufacturing process and product quality.

[0030] 2. The present invention allows the surface properties of the liner to be customized by adjusting the characteristics of the microstructure (such as the size and distribution of the spherical pits) to adapt to different application requirements and specific working conditions. This design flexibility not only enhances the functional adaptability of the material, but also provides designers with design freedom to optimize the thermal performance and structural response of the thrust chamber, ensuring that it can be applied in the manufacture of thrust chambers of various sizes and shapes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a ball pit protrusion microstructure integrated into the outer wall of a thin-wall thrust chamber liner in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer wall of the thin-wall thrust chamber liner is integrated with ball pit protrusion microstructures of different characteristic sizes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] The present invention provides a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding, comprising a thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 and a heterogeneous metal jacket; a regenerative cooling flow channel is formed inside the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1, and the heterogeneous metal jacket is formed on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 by cold spraying; wherein, a ball-pit-protrusion microstructure 2 is formed on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1, and the ball-pit-protrusion microstructure 2 comprises a plurality of ball-pits 21 arranged in an array and protrusions 22 formed between the plurality of ball-pits 21, and the heterogeneous metal jacket is sprayed on the ball-pit-protrusion microstructure 2 by cold spraying, and the plurality of ball-pits 21 are used to disperse the pressure generated when the spraying material impacts. The design of the ball-pit 21 is mainly used to reduce the stress concentration during the cold spraying process, effectively disperse the pressure generated when the spraying material impacts, thereby significantly reducing the microcracks and other defects caused by local bonding failure. At the same time, the features of the protrusions 22 significantly enhance the mechanical anchoring effect, and by increasing the contact points between the particles and the substrate, the mechanical anchoring force of the covering layer is strengthened, and the bonding strength between the spray layer and the lining is effectively improved. This unique microstructure of spherical pits and protrusions 2 not only increases the contact area and surface roughness of heterogeneous metals, but also achieves heterogeneous metal bonding with low defects and high bonding strength by optimizing stress distribution and enhancing mechanical anchoring, thereby improving the performance and reliability of the overall component.

[0035] The multiple ball pits 21 and protrusions 22 are formed by Boolean operation modeling between multiple spheres, and the sphere radius used for Boolean operation is between 0.1mm-1mm. The ratio of the horizontal distance between the centers of adjacent spheres to the sphere diameter is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1. The ratio of the vertical distance between the centers of adjacent spheres to the sphere radius is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1. These ball pit and protrusion microstructures 2 are carefully designed by Boolean operations between spheres, and the sphere size and its relative position are optimized to meet the specific requirements of the bonding surface. The detailed parameters of the ball pit and protrusion microstructure 2, such as the sphere radius between 0.1mm and 1mm, the horizontal and vertical distances between the centers of adjacent spheres can be adjusted from 0 to the diameter and radius of the ball pit 21 to ensure the best mechanical anchoring effect and bonding strength.

[0036] The surface of the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 is processed by sandblasting to form a rough surface, so as to clean and increase the surface roughness, thereby providing a better material adhesion basis for the subsequent cold spraying process.

[0037] The cold spraying method mainly uses high-pressure cold spraying equipment to evenly deposit the material of the sheath onto the treated lining, and the heterogeneous metal selected is a high-temperature resistant nickel-based alloy.

[0038] In this embodiment, a specially designed spherical pit protrusion microstructure 2 is integrated on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 with a wall thickness of 2 mm. These spherical pit protrusion microstructures 2 are formed by Boolean operation, in which the radius of the sphere used for the operation is set to 0.5 mm, and the distance between the sphere centers is set to the square root of 2 times the sphere radius. The sphere radius is determined according to the deposition thickness of the heterogeneous metal sheath.

[0039] The model of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 with the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 was imported into the slicing software and printed using a powder bed fusion 3D printer. The material used was chromium zirconium copper. After printing, the component was separated from the printed substrate using wire cutting technology. Furthermore, the component was de-powdered and sandblasted to remove the residual powder on the surface of the component, improve the surface roughness of the workpiece, and provide better adhesion conditions for the subsequent cold spraying process. The thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 was sprayed with a heterogeneous metal sheath using a high-pressure cold spraying device, and the selected material was high-temperature resistant Inconel 625. During the spraying process, the propulsion gas pressure and temperature were set to 7MPa and 1000℃, respectively, to ensure that the nickel-based alloy material could be evenly and tightly deposited on the surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1. The spraying thickness was set to 2mm. After spraying, the heterogeneous metal thin-walled thrust chamber was aged in a nitrogen-protected environment. This step helps to optimize the metallurgical bonding between metals and improve the microstructural stability of the material. Finally, the component shape is finalized through a precision machining process to ensure that each part meets the design specifications. This step not only improves the dimensional accuracy of the component, but also optimizes the surface roughness, which guarantees the performance and reliability of the final product.

[0040] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding. The manufacturing method is used to manufacture the thin-walled rocket thrust chamber, and includes the following steps: Step 1: Provide a thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 with a spherical pit protrusion microstructure 2; Step 2: Deposit a heterogeneous metal sheath on the outer surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 with a spherical pit protrusion microstructure 2 described in Step 1 by cold spraying.

[0041] The step 1 comprises the following steps: step 11: constructing a model of a thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 having a regenerative cooling channel; step 12: performing numerical simulation of the working conditions of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 to determine the area and thickness that the heterogeneous metal sheath should cover; step 13: designing the size characteristics and distribution form of the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 according to the area and thickness that the heterogeneous metal sheath should cover in step 12; step 14: integrating the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 on the outer surface of the model of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 and constructing the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 according to the size characteristics and distribution form of the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 in step 13; step 15: constructing the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 according to the model of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1.

[0042] The manufacturing method also includes the following steps: Step 3: heat treating the heterogeneous metal sheath formed by cold spraying in Step 2; Step 4: aging the thin-walled rocket thrust chamber lining with heterogeneous metal after spraying as described in Step 3; Step 5: final surface finishing by precision turning and milling to improve the dimensional accuracy and surface roughness of the component.

[0043] In step 11, a model of a thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 having a regenerative cooling channel is constructed by computer-aided design (CAD); in step 15, the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 is constructed by a three-dimensional additive and subtractive manufacturing process, or, in step 15, the wall thickness of the outer surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1 is increased, manufactured by a three-dimensional additive and subtractive manufacturing process, and then the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 is carved on the surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner 1.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, the three-dimensional data processing software in step 11 is one of the commercial modeling software such as UG, solidworks, Rhino, Cero, Proe, and catia.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, the numerical simulation software in step 12 is one of the commercial simulation analysis software such as ANSYS, COMSOL, etc.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, the microstructure 2 described in step 14 is integrated into the outer surface of the thrust chamber lining before the jacket is deposited, so as to achieve higher bonding efficiency during the jacket deposition by using the cold spray process. Further, the schemes for integrating the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 with the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 described in step 15 include but are not limited to the following: (1) The ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 is integrated with the CAD model of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1, and the thin-walled thrust chamber lining 1 with the ball pit protrusion microstructure 2 is printed using the powder bed fusion (PBF) technology. (2) When designing the CAD model of the thrust chamber lining, the wall thickness of the outer surface of the thrust chamber lining is increased, and it is manufactured using the metal 3D printing technology, and then the preset microstructure 2 features are engraved on the surface of the lining model using the five-axis CNC process. The metal 3D printing technology includes selective laser melting (SLM), powder bed fusion (PBF), metal binder jetting (MBJ), and direct energy deposition (DED). Select suitable high thermal conductivity copper alloy materials for printing, including but not limited to chrome zirconium copper (C18150), GRcop-42 or tin bronze.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, the size characteristics of the microstructure 2 in step 12 can be adjusted according to the uneven variation of the sheath deposition thickness to ensure that the bonding strength at the bonding interface remains consistent under the variation of the sheath thickness at different locations.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cold spraying in step 2 is to use a high-pressure cold spraying device to uniformly deposit the jacket material onto the treated liner, and a high-temperature resistant nickel-based alloy such as Inconel 718 or Inconel 625 is selected. In this process, nitrogen, argon or helium can be selected as the propelling gas, and the pressure (3, 5 or 7 MPa) and temperature (600° C. to 1000° C.) of the gas can be adjusted as needed.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sprayed heterogeneous metal thin-wall thrust chamber component is subjected to aging treatment in step 4 to further improve the structural stability and overall mechanical properties of the material. During the aging process, nitrogen or argon is used as a protective gas to prevent oxidation reaction at high temperature. The sprayed jacket part is finely trimmed by turning and milling to ensure that the dimensional accuracy and surface roughness of the thrust chamber component meet the design specifications.

[0050] The above is only a preferred specific implementation of the present invention, but the design concept of the present invention is not limited to this. Any technician familiar with the technical field who uses this concept to make non-substantial changes to the present invention within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention shall be deemed to infringe the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding, characterized in that: It comprises a thin-walled thrust chamber lining and a heterogeneous metal sheath; a regenerative cooling channel is formed inside the thin-walled thrust chamber lining, and the heterogeneous metal sheath is formed on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining by cold spraying; wherein a ball-pit protrusion microstructure is formed on the outer wall of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining, and the ball-pit protrusion microstructure comprises a plurality of ball-pits arranged in an array and protrusions formed between the plurality of ball-pits, and the heterogeneous metal sheath is sprayed on the ball-pit protrusion microstructure by cold spraying, and the plurality of ball-pits are used to disperse the pressure generated when the spraying material impacts.

2. A thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of spherical pits and protrusions are formed by Boolean operation modeling between a plurality of spheres, and the radius of the spheres used for the Boolean operation is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

3. A thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The ratio of the horizontal distance between the centers of adjacent spheres to the diameter of the spheres is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

4. A thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The ratio of the vertical distance between adjacent sphere centers to the sphere radius is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

5. A thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the ball pit protrusion microstructure is processed by sandblasting to form a rough surface.

6. A method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding, the method being used to manufacture a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: providing a thin-walled thrust chamber lining having a ball pit protrusion microstructure; Step 2: Deposit a heterogeneous metal sheath on the outer surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining with the ball pit protrusion microstructure described in step 1 by cold spraying.

7. The method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The step 1 comprises the following steps: Step 11: Build a model of the thin-walled thrust chamber liner with regenerative cooling channels; Step 12: Perform numerical simulations of the operating conditions of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining to determine the area and thickness of the heterogeneous metal jacket. Step 13: Design the size characteristics and distribution form of the ball pit protrusion microstructure according to the area and thickness that the heterogeneous metal sheath should cover in step 12; Step 14: Integrate the outer surface of the model of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining and construct the ball pit protrusion microstructure according to the size characteristics and distribution form of the ball pit protrusion microstructure in step 13; Step 15: Construct the thin-walled thrust chamber lining based on the model of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining.

8. The method for manufacturing a thin-wall rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The manufacturing method further comprises the following steps: Step 3: heat treating the heterogeneous metal sheath formed by cold spraying in step 2.

9. The method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The manufacturing method further comprises the following steps: Step 4: performing aging treatment on the thin-wall rocket thrust chamber lining having heterogeneous metal after spraying in step 3; Step 5: Perform final surface finishing through precision turning and milling to improve the dimensional accuracy and surface roughness of the component.

10. The method for manufacturing a thin-walled rocket thrust chamber with microstructure-enhanced heterogeneous metal bonding as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: In step 11, a model of a thin-walled thrust chamber liner with a regenerative cooling channel is constructed by computer-aided design (CAD); In step 15, a thin-walled thrust chamber lining is constructed by a three-dimensional additive and subtractive manufacturing process. Alternatively, in step 15, the wall thickness of the outer surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining is increased, the thin-walled thrust chamber lining is manufactured by a three-dimensional additive and subtractive manufacturing process, and then the ball pit protrusion microstructure is carved out on the surface of the thin-walled thrust chamber lining.

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