Additive Manufacturing Additively Manufacture Radiator From Shape Memory Alloys

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3D Systems, in collaboration with researchers from Penn State University, Arizona State University, and NASA Glenn Research Center, has developed additively manufactured passive heat pipes from titanium and nitinol for aerospace applications, offering a 50% weight reduction and more efficient thermal management.

Strong temperature fluctuations in space can damage sensitive components of spacecraft, leading to mission failure. In a project led by researchers from Penn State University, Arizona State University, and NASA Glenn Research Center, experts collaborated with the Application Innovation Group (AIG) from 3D Systems to develop processes where passive high-temperature heat pipes are embedded in radiators for heat dissipation, which are additively manufactured from titanium. These heat pipes are 50% lighter in terms of area and have higher operating temperatures compared to current heat pipes, enhancing their efficiency in radiating heat from high-performance systems.

Furthermore, the researchers developed a process for additively manufacturing functional parts from nickel-titanium (Nitinol) shape-memory alloys. These functional parts can be passively actuated and unfold when heated. This passive shape-memory alloy (SMA) radiator is expected to achieve a deployed-to-stowed area ratio that is six times greater than currently available solutions. This will enable future high-performance communication and science missions with limited CubeSat volume. When used in spacecraft, such as satellites, these radiators can enhance operational performance and reduce the thermal load on sensitive components, preventing failures and extending the lifespan of satellites.

Porous Network in the Walls of the Heat Pipes

Heat pipes are typically manufactured with complex processes to create porous internal tissue structures that allow fluid to circulate passively for efficient heat transfer. Using the 3DXpert software from Oqton, the project team from Penn State/Arizona State/NASA Glenn and 3D Systems embedded an integral porous network into the walls of the heat pipes. This avoided subsequent manufacturing steps and resulting variability. Monolithic heat pipe radiators were manufactured in titanium and Nitinol using 3D Systems' DMP technology. The prototypes of the water heat pipe radiators made from titanium were successfully operated at temperatures of 446°F and weigh 50% less (0.61 lb/ft² compared to more than 1.23 lb/ft²), meeting NASA's goals for heat transfer efficiency and reduced launch costs for space-based applications.

"Our long-standing partnership with 3D Systems in research and development has enabled groundbreaking advancements in 3D printing for aerospace," said Alex Rattner, associate professor at Pennsylvania State University. "Our combined expertise in aerospace engineering and additive manufacturing allows us to develop advanced design strategies that redefine the state of the art. By combining the software capabilities of 3DXpert with the low-oxygen DMP environment of 3D Systems, we can produce novel parts from exotic materials that offer significantly improved performance."

Passive Radiators From Shape Memory Alloy

The team from Penn State, NASA Glenn, and 3D Systems is expanding the possibilities of additive metal manufacturing by developing a process for 3D printing passive radiators from shape-memory alloys. The chemistry of these materials can be adjusted to change shape through heat exposure. SMAs can withstand repeated deformation cycles without fatigue and exhibit good stress recovery. The team again used 3DXpert to design the deployable spoke structure of the radiator. The structure was then additively manufactured using 3D Systems' DMP technology in Nitinol (NiTi), a nickel-titanium shape-memory alloy. Attached to a spacecraft like a satellite, the component passively unfolds by heating the embedded fluid —without a motor or conventional actuation in space. The passive shape-memory alloy radiator developed by the team offers transformative advances with a predicted unfolded-to-stowed area ratio that is 6× greater than what is currently considered state of the art (12× versus 2×) and is also 70% lighter (1.23 lb/ft² versus 3.89 lb/ft²).

"Thermal management in space is an ideal application for our DMP technology. These recent projects in collaboration with the teams from Penn State, Arizona State, and the NASA Glenn Research Center demonstrate how our DMP technology develops lightweight, functional parts that advance the state of the art in thermal management for spacecraft. Thermal management is a very common engineering challenge. Here, the DMP process can provide solutions that are effective for many industries such as aerospace, automotive, and high-performance computing/AI data centers," says Dr. Mike Shepard, Vice President, Aerospace & Defense, 3D Systems.

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