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- It will be revealed in detail: for the first time in the Russian Federation, aircraft engines will be printed entirely on a printer
It will be revealed in detail: for the first time in the Russian Federation, aircraft engines will be printed entirely on a printer
Russia has developed a technology that makes it possible to manufacture aircraft electric motors using a 3D printer. The development significantly reduces labor costs and production time, while the engine remains powerful and compact. It is suitable for drones, small planes, and electric vehicles. The prototype of the unit is planned to be printed this year. However, additive technologies are expensive, so it is important to take into account economic feasibility when implementing them, experts noted.
How to print complex parts on a printer
For the first time in Russia, scientists and engineers from the Moscow Aviation Institute have proposed a technology for manufacturing most electric motor parts for small aircraft using 3D printing. The development will reduce the cost of labor and time for manufacturing parts and at the same time maintain the quality of products comparable to traditional production methods.
According to the developers, due to its high power and relatively compact size, the printed power units can be used on heavy drones, small aircraft, electric vehicles and other similar equipment. At the moment, the specialists have fully prepared the design documentation for the development. The sample will be assembled and tested at the end of the year.
— It is assumed that a synchronous electric motor will be manufactured using 3D printing technology, in which the magnetic flux is directed along the axis of rotation, and the rotor and stator are shaped like disks. Due to this, the length of the unit will be shorter than in standard versions with similar parameters to radial magnetic flux. Due to its small size, the new engine is suitable for aircraft with limited internal volume. It is convenient to integrate it with other systems," Ilya Kachanov, one of the developers, a graduate student at the Department of Electric Power, Electromechanical and Biotechnical Systems at MAI, told Izvestia.
According to the project, rare-earth permanent magnets are used as sources of the magnetic field on the rotor. According to calculations, the rated power of the engine will be 50 kW at a rotation speed of 3000 rpm, and the peak short—term power will be up to 80 kW.
According to the expert, with the help of additive technologies, in particular, the body elements of the power unit and the magnetic core of the stator will be manufactured. This is one of the main elements of the system, which is involved in the conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy. An alloy with a high silicon content is used for its manufacture.
— The part is usually cut from mixed steel. This is the name given to a set of many thin sheets that are glued together but electrically isolated from each other. This is necessary to avoid overheating of the magnetic circuit during engine operation. MAI technology makes it possible to print a part in layers, simulating a charge. Abroad, the sheets are first printed, then they are glued together, after which the parts are cut down. The new method makes it possible to produce the entire magnetic circuit at once," explained Ilya Kachanov.
Which planes will lift a printed engine into the sky?
The product, made by 3D printing, is an experimental sample for testing technologies, the developer said. According to him, the weight of the aircraft that he will be able to lift is 250-300 kg, and if necessary, several power units can be used to increase the load capacity. Axial flow motors in this configuration are conveniently positioned sequentially.
— The magnetic properties of the samples obtained by 3D printing are somewhat inferior to rolled steel. This is due to the presence of residual porosity, microstructural heterogeneity and other defects. In this regard, it is of scientific and practical interest to find optimal parameters and post—processing modes in order to achieve performance equal to traditional steels," said Ilya Kachanov.
3D printing is attractive because it allows you to produce parts of any shape and internal structure and combine several structures into a single unit, which reduces the number of assembly operations. The method also makes it possible to dispense with expensive tooling, which reduces the cost and time of manufacturing parts, he added.
— Additive technologies are expensive due to piece production and high cost of materials and equipment. However, they are preferred in the manufacture of parts of complex configuration. 3D printing has its own niche in the aircraft engine industry. It is expanding as technology develops," Oleg Panteleev, Executive Director of the Aviport agency, told Izvestia.
The parts of an electric motor experience lower loads than, for example, the elements of the hot part of a gas turbine engine, therefore, for such products, achieving acceptable strength characteristics using 3D printing is quite realistic. At the same time, the key limitation remains the economics of the process: it is most effective in pilot plants, where it is important to quickly manufacture and test a part, as well as in the production of small batches of products, he said.
— Among the successful examples of the application of additive technologies is the combustion chamber swirl on the PD-14 serial engine for the MS-21. This is the first certified part of the hot part of the power plant in Russia, printed on a 3D printer, and it flies. More than 2,000 parts were manufactured in the same way for the promising PD-35. Complex elements of the new NK-3 rocket engine will also be printed," said Sergey Nikiforov, an engineer at the Department of Laser and Additive Technologies at Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev—KAI.
Among the difficulties in using 3D printing, he mentioned the quality control of powders and their reuse. Another problem is overheating of the magnetic circuits and general thermal stability. An additional barrier remains the lack of uniform standards for components, but these restrictions are gradually being lifted: for example, from July 1, 2026, three new GOST standards governing the requirements for metal powders and wires for the aviation and space industries should enter into force.
— MAI technology has a high applicability for industries where the requirements for weight and complexity of geometry are critical. The possibility of layer—by-layer printing of a magnetic circuit is associated with solving the key problem of additive manufacturing of electric motors - high eddy current losses, which are characteristic of a printed metal array. Imitation of the mixed structure allows using the advantages of the method when creating complex shapes without loss of electromagnetic efficiency," said Evgeny Vishnevsky, NTI expert on new materials and technologies.
According to him, this opens the way to fundamentally new designs and will allow flexible and fast production of small batches of specialized engines for drones, air taxis and electric vehicles.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
