Evaluation of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Forming Method for Liquid Rocket Combustion Chambers

The objective of this study was to investigate new fabrication methods for combustion chambers to potentially reduce fabrication time and cost. For this purpose, the SPS (Spark Plasma Sintering) forming method was applied for bonding the inner cylinder and the outer jacket of combustion chambers. With the SPS forming method, very complicated bonding can be easily achieved while sustaining sufficient bonding strength between the inner cylinder and the outer jacket and providing perfect sealing of coolant channels. The primary task of the present study was to investigate the applicability of SPS bonding to the inner cylinder and the outer jacket in combustion chambers. To confirm the applicability of SPS bonding to combustion chambers, tensile test specimens and simulated combustion chamber specimens were manufactured. For these types of specimens, pressure proof tests using water were conducted to confirm the bonding strength at coolant channel pressure of up to 50 MPa. Furthermore, ultrasonic inspections were conducted before and after the pressure proof tests using an ultrasonic imaging device. From the test results, the applicability of SPS bonding for the inner cylinder and the outer jacket in combustion chambers was confirmed.