AURORA LIQUID ENGINE

PEGASUS Student Conference 2019 (University of Glasgow)

Watch our presentation (in english!) that we gave during the annual conference of Pegasus network on the 11th april 2019 at the university of Glasgow.

Publication date : 2019-04-15

Facebook post - 13 april 2019

Last thursday, three members of the team went to the University of Glasgow to talk about the projet Aurora Liquid Engine during the annual conference organised by the PEGASUS network. Many schools were gathered to present student papers on aerospace subjects. The presentation of our engine was graded 850/1000. The ESTACA school did not leave this year with the first prize, but the experience was rewarding and motivating for everyone !

Publication date : 2019-04-13

Facebook post - 7 april 2019

Yesterday morning, 3 members of the team presented Aurora Liquid Engine during the conference-event ESO (ESTACA Space Odyssey). 11 other projects were also presented to the members of the association, alumnis, and parents who came for the occasion. The event ended with deep exchanges on the potentail of this project, and its future.

You can watch our presentation with the recording of the live transmission.

Publication date : 2019-04-07

Facebook post - 5 april 2019

Yesterday took place the meeting between 5 members of Aurora Liquid Engine and its partner AddUp based near Clermont-Ferrand. Our two contacts from Air Liquide were also there.
The visit started with a presentation of AddUp’s leading strategy, and their products and services. Then, Aurora’s team with Air Liquide’s engineers visited AddUp’s premises where they set up their metal additive manufacturing systems, like FormUp 350 and its integrated environment FlexCare.
In the afternoon, AddUp hand the engine (the version for communication use only) over to Aurora Liquid Engine, printed by their additive manufacturing solutions, with an exact replica made of resin to better show how the engine works (with its cooling system, injection, architecture…). Yesterday ended with the signature of the partnership between AddUp Solutions and ESO (Estaca Space Odyssey).

All members of Aurora’s team greatly thank AddUp for this meeting, and their supports during this project, more especially Mr AUBRUN, Additive Manufacturing Engineer and ESTACA Alumni, Mr LAVAL, Marketing Director, Mrs AVERYANOVA, Business Manager, and Nicolas LETY, Business Manager who welcomed us yesterday and advise us since the beginning.



AddUp offers its customers complete industrial metal 3D printing solutions:

  • Machine design and production, integration into a full production line, from powder management to the finished part.
  • Customer assistance on metal part production, to support additive manufacturing investment projects or additional production needs,
  • A cross-functional service activity, including re-design of parts and additional services associated with the machine offering, to help industrial companies find the right technological and financial solutions.

www.addupsolutions.com

Publication date : 2019-04-05

Facebook post - 30 March 2019

L’équipe Aurora Liquid Engine est fière d’avoir remporté le prix de la meilleure innovation 2019 par l’ESTACA. Ce prix a été remis par le directeur-délégué de l’ ESTACA, Pascal Bidan, lors du gala annuel de l’école qui s’est déroulé le 15 mars dernier. Très reconnu au sein de l’école, le travail fourni a également payé lors de l’évaluation de notre soutenance où l’équipe est sortie majore de promotion.

Dans la suite du calendrier, le mois d’avril s’annonce assez chargé avec :

  • Le jeudi 4 avril : une visite des locaux de notre partenaire AddUp basé près de Clermont-Ferrand. L’occasion pour les partenaires et les membres du projet de découvrir les équipements et les processus ayant contribués à l’impression 3D du moteur.
  • Le samedi 6 avril : une présentation du projet dans les locaux de l' ESTACA dans le cadre d'une conférence organisée par notre association ESO (Estaca Space Odyssey) devant ses partenaires et membres.
  • Le jeudi 11 avril : une présentation du projet lors de la conférence du réseau PEGASUS qui se déroule cette année à University of Glasgow. Ce réseau regroupe 27 universités européennes formant dans le domaine de l’aérospatial. Notre papier, intitulé Development and Test Firing of a One-Piece Additively Manufactured Liquid Rocket Engine, est dès à présent disponible sur notre site internet.

Publication date : 2019-03-30

Facebook post - 31 January 2019

Hello everybody!

The Aurora team has been inactive on the social networks these past few months, but it did not stop us from working on the project. This post will be a small update of our advancements since October 2018. Regarding sponsors, AirLiquide accepted to sponsor us, joining ArianeGroup and AddUp. In exchange, they want us to add a 3D-metal-printed (Inconel too) pipe fitting, to observe the effect of the liquid oxygen on a print. Enginewise, tests of the injection system have been done with small 3D-metal-printed pieces, offered by our sponsor AddUp. You can watch one of the tests by following the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwE5EG2oYVc&t=0s . The engine design had some modifications too, since October, to accommodate the pipes, to display our sponsors and to follow the specifications of a 3D-metal print with Inconel. It should be printed very soon. About the testing bench, its design was finalised, and its manufacturing has begun since December 2018. The last fastening pieces are being machined at the ESTACA’s Fablab and workshop, and the tanks will be machined by a professional, the workshop being too busy to deal with it.

What happens next for the project is the finalization of the manufacturing of the testing bench and the printing of the engine, with a static fire test expected in April 2019.

We leave today with the promotional video of the project, that you can watch on the next publication.

The Aurora Liquid Engine team





Publication date : 2019-01-31

Read about us on the ESTACA's website !

Publication date : 2019-01-29

Happy New Year

The whole team wishes you a Happy New Year 2019 and good health!

To celebrate these end-of-year celebrations, we present to you our film promoting the project. Have your loved ones and colleagues watch this presentation of Aurora Liquid Engine!

Publication date : 2019-01-01

Air Liquide is signing its partnership with us

We are pleased to announce that Air Liquide is now supporting the project. With a financial contribution of 5000 €, we can calmly approach the design and afford some additional sensors and cameras! In exchange, AddUp and us will print in 3D metal one of the cryogenic connections of the hydraulic circuit conveying the liquid oxygen to the combustion chamber. This fitting will test performance and validate 3D metal printing at cryogenic temperatures. A great step forward for science! Work with this new partner starts today.
Publication date : 2018-12-18

The conception of the fire test stand begins

The first orders for parts were received last week. Bosch profiles, square, aluminum tubes, those main components of the structure allowed us to start the conception of the test bench. The tanks will be manufactured by the team by machining the bottoms in a raw block of aluminum and welding them and then assembling them to the tube. Hydraulic components are also being shipped. The assembly of hydraulic and pneumatic circuits can therefore be done in the coming weeks.
Publication date : 2018-12-10

First reception !

3D metal printing gives a specific roughness depending on the chosen material. In order to size the engine injectors (which will transmit the propellant circuits to the combustion chamber), tests are necessary to measure the flow rate as a function of the diameter of each injector. A set of injectors of different diameters was thus printed for these tests. Following this reception, the assembly of the test bench for these plates will start and tests can be done.
Publication date : 2018-11-30

ArianeGroup finances our safety study

In order to carry out the engine tests, the ArianeGroup's site in Vernon was chosen. Many regulations require us to conduct a safety study of the engine and the test bench in order to qualify them for this site. These studies are done by a specialist, Tilda Conseil. ArianeGroup is financing the costs of this study which amount is about 5000 €. The entire team thanks them again for their technical and financial support without which the project could not see the day. EDIT: Discussions related to this study began in early December. The team provides Tilda with all the project data (components, specifications ...) in order to close this study as soon as possible.
Publication date : 2018-10-25

AddUp intensify its support

After accompany us during this project through tutoring and technical expertise, Addup has today offered to print the engine for free. 3D metal printing is expensive and the price can be valued between 5,000 and 10,000 €. Such commitment brings real credibility to the project, and motivates each member to provide more work. Through this partnership, Addup also expresses its willingness to engage in the aerospace sector, especially with ArianeGroup.
Publication date : 2018-10-08

ArianeGroup will follow us through a tutorship

In order to lead this project, a first tutor teacher-researcher at ESTACA is supporting us. After approaching ArianeGroup, an other tutor, from the industrial environment, agreed to joins this adventure. M. Vuillamy, engineer specialized in liquid propulsion within ArianeGroup, will guide us through the entire project. Some members of our team already worked with Mr. Vuillamy on a previous project last year, our relation is already well establish. His experience and his technical expertise will be precious to validate each dimensioning and to help us take the best design choice.

Publication date : 2018-09-24

Add-up joins us on this adventure

A partnership between Add-up and ESTACA was signed today. Two student's projet will be followed, one of which is Aurora Liquid Enginde. An engineer within Add-up will advise us and train us on the specifity of 30 metal printing. Add-up also express its wich of working together with AianeGroup on this project. We look forward to begin this unusual cooperation between industrials and students.

Publication date : 2018-09-20

Website launch

After few weeks of development, Aurora's team is proud to announce you its new website.

Vous will find a presentation of our projet and its studies, pictures of us (and a link to contact each of us), some pictures and videos which we will regularly update, a section introducing our sponsors.

Contact us using the dedidacted section for any need of complementary information! We will be glad to share our passion with you !

Publication date : 2018-09-15
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