Nammo Space has developed, in conjunction with NANOspace AB, Sweden, an additively manufactured fluid storage device for use on CubeSat sized propulsion systems.

This 3D Printed tank has been developed for a very specific porting need, and houses an integrated plenum tank, which allows for much tighter control of the fuel state at the plenum outlet.  Ports are integrated within the compact 1U x 1U x 0.2U envelope, thus allowing for the tank to be placed at any location within the CubeSAT assembly stack.  Larger volume variants of the tank can also be generated with relative ease.

The tank is a fully closed, “no weld” volume, showing final cleanliness levels which are an order of magnitude better than requirements.  Due to the flexibility of the Additive Manufacturing process, further integration of components is already in development, including integrated thrusters, transducers, valves and other MEMS components with a view to generation of a complete propulsion system.  This improved functionality and reduction of part count leads to major savings on overall cost and assembly times.

Designing specifically for Additive Manufacturing means that much larger operating pressures can be sustained through the use of an internal structure within the tank which greatly reduces stresses, allowing for optimisation of wall and skin thicknesses and therefore production cost and mass.

The flexibility of the Additive Manufacturing process, has enabled Nammo to maximise the surface area of the filter inlets.  A range of tank materials are possible, including Titanium, Inconel, Aluminium and Stainless Steel.

Status

This propellant storage unit can be configured to meet your specific volumetric and envelope requirements.

NAMMO IRELAND

ENGINEERING

• Dedicated, skilled space engineering team
• Design and qualification of fluid control devices for spacecraft and launcher applications
• Structural hardware design for production
• Design for survivability in extreme launcher applications
• Design knowledge and techniques for Additive Manufactured hardware

PRODUCTION

• CNC machine tools, including 5-axis
• Electro Discharge Wire machine tools
• Spherical bearing production with Everlube 811 bearing lubrication
• Prototyping for development and production hardware
• Precision machining of specialist and exotic alloys for rocket engine applications

CLEANROOM and TESTING

• ISO Class 8 environment, with Class 5 laminar flow booths
• Water flow test
• Thermal vacuum cycling
• Vacuum testing
• Cleanliness measurement

QUALITY and INSPECTION

• Certified to AS9100
• Fully equipped metrology department
• CMM and optical measuring equipment
• Complete traceability of material and inspection records
• Trained DPRV personnel