Innovative Design and Fast Iterative Manufacturing of Micro-Turbojet Engines at Low Cost

Abstract

The turbojet is the foundation of the gas turbine engine, which combines knowledge of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, mechanical design, manufacturing, and jet propulsion. This paper describes in detail the inspiration source, design process, fluid dynamics analysis, manufacturing steps, ignition test method and test process of small jet engines. 3D modeling software SolidWorks was used for the preliminary modeling and fluid simulation was performed to optimize the design. Part of the model was produced by 3D resin printing technology, and the turbine engine model was driven by compressed air for no-load testing to verify the feasibility and structural stability of the resin model. Subsequently, some parts were printed with metal materials, combined with traditional machining techniques to complete production and assembly, and finally successfully carried out static ignition tests. The micro turbojet engine designed in this paper has successfully achieved static ignition test and demonstrated the feasibility of efficient development with limited resources and low manufacturing cost. This exploration proves the feasibility of rapid iteration technology route. The market prospect and manufacturing cost of micro turbojet are also analyzed.