This photo provided by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology shows a fuel tank for a space launch vehicle using its 3D metal printing technology.
SEOUL, June 25 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean research team has started to produce a prototype of a fuel tank for a space launch vehicle using 3D metal printing technology.
The new tank made by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology is designed to have a bulkhead structure in which a tank is placed on top of the wall of another tank, thereby improving space efficiency and reducing the weight of components.
To realize the complicated shape of the tank, the research team used the directed energy deposition (DED) method, a metal 3D printing technique that involves the melting and rapid solidification of metal powder with a laser beam.
The new tank passed the 30-bar pressure resistance performance test of the Future Launcher R&D Program Office, which operates under the umbrella of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.
“We succeeded in using 3D printing technology even for aerospace applications, which have a high barrier to entry,” said Son Yong, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
