“Development by additive manufacturing of lightweight rotating components for electropumps used in space applications” – LAMSPACE
Project code: PN-IV-P7-7.1-PED-2024-2078
Contract no.: 34PED/2025
Titlu proiect: “Development by additive manufacturing of lightweight rotating components for electropumps used in space applications”
Acronim: LAMSPACE
Domeniu de specializare: Digitalization, industry and space (ASC); Digital economy and space technologies (DSIN); Advanced functional materials (DSIN); Advanced manufacturing (DSIN)
Autoritatea Contractanta: Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI)
Duration: 24 months (03/01/2025 – 03/01/2027)
Consortium: CO: National Research and Development Institute for Gas Turbines – COMOTI; P1: Auto Aro Group SRL
Project budget: Total budget: 751,750 RON; Public funding: 703,500 RON; Co-funding: 48,250 RON
Project Director (CO): Dr. Eng. Alexandru Paraschiv
Project Manager (P1): Eng. Claudiu Vișan
The LAMSPACE project aims to develop, by using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing technology, a closed centrifugal rotor and an inducer made of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, intended for integration into an electropump for space applications. By combining L-PBF manufacturing with advanced design and topology optimisation methods, the project targets a rotor–inducer assembly with reduced mass and improved functional performance, compatible with the operating requirements of propulsion systems for space applications.
Conventional manufacturing of these components involves complex and costly technological routes, limited access to the internal surfaces of the closed centrifugal rotor, assembly operations, as well as major constraints regarding mass optimisation and internal geometry. L-PBF technology significantly reduces these limitations, enabling the components to be manufactured as a single piece, with internal lattice structures integrated for mass reduction and application of topology optimisation, while maintaining or even improving the performance compared with conventionally manufactured components.
The main objective of the project is to increase the technological readiness level from TRL 3 to TRL 4 for the closed centrifugal rotor and the inducer, through a complete chain of activities: redesign for additive manufacturing, topology optimisation, integration of lattice structures, L-PBF manufacturing, testing and validation in laboratory conditions.
The research directions are aligned with two strategic objectives: (i) increasing propulsion system efficiency and accelerating development cycles; and (ii) using advanced manufacturing L-PBF and topology optimization to obtain lightweight, high-performance components dedicated to space applications.
By testing and validating the components under similitude conditions and comparing their performance with that of models manufactured by conventional technologies, the project aims to contribute to redefining the way critical rotating components for propulsion systems in space applications are designed and manufactured, promoting more efficient, reliable and sustainable solutions.
In Stage I of the LAMSPACE project, the functional requirements of the liquid methane (LCH₄) electropump were defined and the conceptual design of the closed centrifugal rotor and the inducer was carried out and validated by CFD analyses. At the same time, the feasibility of the L-PBF process was evaluated, the design and non-design regions for the integration of lightweight internal structures were identified, and a testing matrix was defined for the Ti-6Al-4V alloy.
Physical–mechanical tests and microstructural and micro-compositional investigations of the material allowed the identification of an optimal process parameter window, ensuring for the L-PBF processed material: (i) relative density up to 99.5%, (ii) porosity below 0.1%, and (iii) tensile strength approximately 25% higher than that of the conventionally processed alloy.
Preliminary numerical simulations and mechanical tests confirmed the potential of octet lattice structures. For the closed centrifugal rotor, removing non-functional material regions reduced the mass by about 51% compared with the baseline design. Adding an octet lattice in the core provided a further 21.5% mass reduction, while still meeting strength and stiffness requirements. For the inducer, the lattice-optimised design yields an estimated 65.5% mass reduction, with hydraulic and mechanical performance remaining within the target limits.
Figure 1. Additive manufacturing of specimens, lattice structures and experimental models.
The results obtained so far confirm the feasibility of the proposed concepts and provide the technical–scientific foundation for reaching TRL 4 in Stage II, which will include extended testing on lattice structures, manufacturing and post-processing of experimental closed centrifugal rotor and inducer models, and their testing and validation in laboratory conditions.
Dissemination activities have included the publication of one scientific paper, the submission of two journal articles (Q2 and Q3) for evaluation, as well as participation in one technology workshop, one national conference and one international conference, thus strengthening the visibility of the consortium in the field of additive manufacturing for space applications.
The international conference participation consisted of the presentation “COMOTI's Expertise in Metallic Additive Manufacturing for Space Applications”, delivered at the event organised by the European Space Agency (ESA-ESRIN) – New Capabilities and Countries in European Space Conference, Panel: Structures and Thermal, Materials and Manufacturing Processes, held on 14–15 May 2025 in Frascati, Italy (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Presentation of the LAMSPACE project and preliminary results at the ESA-ESRIN conference, Frascati, Italy.
These dissemination activities have contributed to increasing the visibility of the project and promoting COMOTI’s expertise in metallic additive manufacturing for space applications within a highly relevant international event.