Boeing and Rolls-Royce have invested £26.5 million (approx. $37.6 million) in反应引擎Limited, a UK-based aerospace company working on the3D打印启用了Saber Engineand future超声旅行。
能够以5.4马赫和25速度的速度，协同空气呼吸的火箭发动机（SABER）以5.4和25倍的声音速度行驶，使军事响应或长途飞行变得轻而易举。
波音投资部门Horizonx副总裁史蒂夫·诺德伦德（Steve Nordlund）评论说：“我们继续将全球能力与对反应引擎的投资联系起来，这是我们在英国一家公司中的第一家。”
“随着反应引擎解锁可能改变空中和太空旅行的未来的高级推进，我们希望利用其革命性技术来支持波音公司追求超音速飞行。”
一个1.42亿美元的项目
反应引擎was formed in 1989 “to design and develop the technologies needed for a new class of innovative hypersonic propulsion system,” i.e. the SABRE.
军刀engine development is supported by £60 million (approx. $85.1 million) in funding from the UK Government (the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency/ESA). The company has also previously received £20.6 million (approx. $29.2 million) from the world’s second biggest defense company and UK based enterprise BAE Systems.
With the latest fund from Boeing and Rolls-Royce, Reaction Engines has raised over £100 million ($142 million) in the past three years.
反应引擎首席执行官马克·托马斯（Mark Thomas）评论说：“除了提供我们最大的私人投资之外，这些新合作伙伴还带来了高度人格和发动机技术的宝贵专业知识，并可以大量访问目标市场，”
“This is not only a vote of confidence in our technology but also underlines belief in our ability to develop a thriving commercial business which will provide strong financial returns for our shareholders.”
3D printing in the SABRE
The SABRE is a hybrid engine capable of flying at both low and high altitudes, using hydrogen/oxygen mixing (low altitude), or storedliquid oxygen(LOX) when launched into space. Its versatility means that aircraft powered by the engine can fly from London to Australia (Around 15,160 km) in the space of four and half hours, or it can be integrated into a reusable spaceplane.
A poignant breakthrough in the development of this hybrid engine is Reaction Engines’ proprietary heat exchanger technology which is “the most powerful means of cooling air in the world.” This technology can remove 400 MW of heat from the air “the equivalent of a small power station.”
The propellant injector system, which防止冰形成在此热量交换期间，使用增材制造进行。
波音的追求超音速飞行
反应发动机投资者波音公司还在与美国国防高级研究项目局（DARPA）和加利福尼亚火箭开发商Aerojet Rocketdyne的合同中进行超音速飞行开发。
According to DARPA the hypersonic spaceplane concept will integrate “numerous state-of-the-art technologies” in its production. Boeing and Aerojet’s involvement with additive manufacturing is expected to play an important part in the process.
Aerojey Rocketdyne’sAR1引擎with 3D printed components is on track for certification in 2019. And Boeing recently signed and agreement with Swiss listed technology group Oerlikon to develop3D打印钛飞机组件的标准。
3D printing boldly goes…
In other aerospace news, Stratasys has announced that a variant on it’s recently-releasedAntero™ 800NAPEKK-based thermoplastic will be a key component in the production of NASA’s Orion deep-space spacecraft.
Russia’s next generation airline jet engine, theAviadvigatel PD-35, is also using additive manufacturing. And space exploration technology startup相对空间已获得3500万美元的资金为了增强星际之门的发展“世界上最大的金属3D打印机。
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Featured image shows SABRE Engine concept. Image via Reaction Engines
