Manufacturing of a high-temperature resistojet heat exchanger by selective laser melting

The paper presents the design, manufacturing and postproduction analysis of a novel high-temperature spacecraft resistojet heat exchanger manufactured through selective laser melting to validate the manufacturing approach. The work includes the analysis of critical features of a heat exchanger with integrated converging-diverging nozzle as a single piece element. The metrology of the component is investigated using optical analysis and profilometry to verify the integrity of components. High-resolution micro-Computed Tomography (CT) is applied as a tool for volumetric non-destructive inspection and conformity since the complex geometry of the thruster does not allow internal examination. The CT volume data is utilised to determine a surface mesh on which a novel perform coordinate measurement technique is applied for nominal/actual comparison and wall thickness analysis. A thin-wall concentric tubular heat exchanger design is determined to meet dimensional accuracy requirements. The work indicates the production of fine structures with feature sizes below 200 μm in 316L stainless via selective laser melting is feasible and opens up new possibilities for the future developments in multiple industries. •A novel heat exchanger for a spacecraft electrothermal propulsion is proposed.•Selective laser melting is used for production of a complex thin-wall geometry.•Surface quality of representative specimens is verified by optical inspection tools.•Quantitative nominal-to-actual comparison is performed with computed tomography.•Fine complex structures with features up to 200 μm are successfully demonstrated.