Rocket propulsion • additive manufacturing
Additively Manufactured Regeneratively Cooled Rocket Nozzle
I designed and manufactured a Ti64 rocket nozzle in nTop / nTopology with internal BCC lattice cooling geometry and a field-driven external isogrid reinforcement structure.
Interactive 3D model — drag to rotate
Quick summary
What the project was about.
This project focused on the design, analysis, and metal additive manufacturing of a regeneratively cooled rocket nozzle. The geometry was modeled in nTop / nTopology to support the internal cooling channels and the external reinforcement features that would have been difficult to create in traditional CAD.
The goal was to explore how additive manufacturing can enable a lightweight rocket nozzle with integrated thermal management and structural reinforcement. The final part was printed in Ti64 on a GE M2 Series metal 3D printer.
Basic facts
Core design and manufacturing details.
Design approach
Field-driven geometry and lightweight reinforcement.
The nozzle included an internal lattice-based regenerative cooling region built around a BCC lattice. That approach increased surface area and helped support coolant interaction with the nozzle wall.
On the outside, an isogrid reinforcement structure improved stiffness and strength without forcing the wall to become uniformly thick. Parametric fields in nTop let the rib thickness and width vary across the nozzle, so the reinforcement could be tailored to the geometry and expected loading conditions.
Manufacturing
Built as a single integrated metal part.
Ti64 was selected because it is commonly used in aerospace applications and offers a strong strength-to-weight balance, corrosion resistance, and useful high-temperature performance.
Additive manufacturing made it possible to produce the internal lattice cooling geometry and the external variable isogrid as one part, which would be extremely difficult to machine conventionally.
Skills
What this project demonstrates.
nTop / nTopology, metal additive manufacturing, design for additive manufacturing, regenerative cooling, lattice structures, isogrid structures, parametric modeling, and propulsion hardware design.
This project combines aerodynamic/thermal thinking with lightweight structural design and practical manufacturing constraints.
3D viewer
Ready for a rotating CAD model later.
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