SpaceX progress on Dragon abort test and Raptor engine

[Jason1701]

Elon tweeted a picture of the SuperDraco, which has now switched to a printed Inconel chamber.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY_X4TPCUAASsuv.jpg:orig

[llanitedave]

That chamber looks larger than I expected.  Are they going to give it a standard dimension nozzle?

[clongton]

Elon tweeted a picture of the SuperDraco, which has now switched to a printed Inconel chamber.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY_X4TPCUAASsuv.jpg:orig

3D Printed?

[Joffan]

Elon tweeted a picture of the SuperDraco, which has now switched to a printed Inconel chamber.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY_X4TPCUAASsuv.jpg:orig

Looks a bit experimental still, for something that's supposed to be up to flight quality for the pad abort test.

[billh]

And it looks like it is taped together!

just kidding...

[arachnitect]

Elon tweeted a picture of the SuperDraco, which has now switched to a printed Inconel chamber.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY_X4TPCUAASsuv.jpg:orig

3D Printed?

Selective Laser Sintering

[Jason1701]

That chamber looks larger than I expected.  Are they going to give it a standard dimension nozzle?

No, it will most likely stay with that small nozzle for packaging reasons.

[docmordrid]

Elon tweeted a picture of the SuperDraco, which has now switched to a printed Inconel chamber.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY_X4TPCUAASsuv.jpg:orig

3D Printed?

Back when Musk put out the video about a VR design system one of the images posted was labeled as an SD coming out of the 3D printer. IIRC one of these-

[guckyfan]

That chamber looks larger than I expected.  Are they going to give it a standard dimension nozzle?

No, it will most likely stay with that small nozzle for packaging reasons.

There are connection points at that chamber body bottom. Would an asymmetric nozzle work? Something that extends much longer on the side directed to the Dragon body?

[Lars_J]

That chamber looks larger than I expected.  Are they going to give it a standard dimension nozzle?

No, it will most likely stay with that small nozzle for packaging reasons.

There are connection points at that chamber body bottom. Would an asymmetric nozzle work? Something that extends much longer on the side directed to the Dragon body?

One would assume that they will use an asymmetric nozzle of some kind to protect the Dragon sidewalls, plus more protective materials below it. The plume is pretty wide.

BTW here is a comparison of an earlier and the most recent SD burn images (see below)

EDIT: I just noticed - In the latest image they do appear to be testing how the plume affects materials. (and vice versa)

[Joffan]

EDIT: I just noticed - In the latest image they do appear to be testing how the plume affects materials. (and vice versa)

Good catch. They seem to be testing that plate at the back and possibly the block on the side.

[mlindner]

EDIT: I just noticed - In the latest image they do appear to be testing how the plume affects materials. (and vice versa)

Good catch. They seem to be testing that plate at the back and possibly the block on the side.

I saw that, but I initially thought of it as RUD shielding. They are using a 3d printed combustion chamber after all.

[woods170]

EDIT: I just noticed - In the latest image they do appear to be testing how the plume affects materials. (and vice versa)

Good catch. They seem to be testing that plate at the back and possibly the block on the side.

I saw that, but I initially thought of it as RUD shielding. They are using a 3d printed combustion chamber after all.

The fact that the combustion chamber is 3d printed says exactly nothing about it's chances of doing a RUD.

[dcporter]

EDIT: I just noticed - In the latest image they do appear to be testing how the plume affects materials. (and vice versa)

Good catch. They seem to be testing that plate at the back and possibly the block on the side.

I saw that, but I initially thought of it as RUD shielding. They are using a 3d printed combustion chamber after all.

The block and plate rig is missing from the first image, I assume same engine?

[Falcon H]

Elon tweeted a picture of the SuperDraco, which has now switched to a printed Inconel chamber.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY_X4TPCUAASsuv.jpg:orig

Is that Duct-Tape I see on the chamber

[rklaehn]

Elon tweeted a picture of the SuperDraco, which has now switched to a printed Inconel chamber.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY_X4TPCUAASsuv.jpg:orig

3D Printed?

Yes. The printer they use is from EOS, a german company with facilities in krailing, near munich. There is a lot of hype about 3D printing in the US, so it is nice to see that german manufacturing is still competitive.

[Lars_J]

The block and plate rig is missing from the first image, I assume same engine?

The engine looks a bit different - at least externally, but that could be just packaging. We only know that the combustion chamber in *this* new image is 3d-printed.

[Lars_J]

I adjusted the colors and of the new image to create a better comparison of the two SD test pictures:

[corrodedNut]

So it's regeneratively cooled then?

[Lars_J]

So it's regeneratively cooled then?

The combustion chamber certainly is, and the very short nozzle appears to have some cooling as well. (A first for a pressure fed rocket engine?)

Here is what Elon tweeted a while back: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/375737311641628672

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk
SpaceX SuperDraco inconel rocket chamber w regen cooling jacket emerges from EOS 3D metal printer pic.twitter.com/Tj284OuAk1