The 3D-printed catalysts that are ultra-efficient and efficient could be used to solve the problem of hypersonic aircraft overheating. They also offer a revolutionary solution for thermal management in countless industries.
RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, developed versatile catalysts. They are easy to scale and cost-effective.
Lab demonstrations by the team show that 3D printed catalysts can be used to produce hypersonic flight and simultaneously cool the system.
The research was published in the Royal Society of Chemistry Chemical Communications journal.
Dr Selvakannan Periasamy, the lead researcher, said that their research dealt with one of the most difficult challenges in developing hypersonic aircraft. It controls the heat generated when planes fly at five times the speed of sound.
“Our lab tests have shown that the 3D printed catalysts that we’ve created are very promising for fuelling hypersonic flight in the future,” Periasamy stated.
They are powerful and efficient and offer a great potential solution to thermal management in aviation and beyond.
“With further development, this new generation 3D printed catalysts will be used to transform any industrial process in which overheating is a constant challenge.
Speed
Only a handful of experimental planes have ever reached hypersonic speed, defined as speeds above Mach 5, over 3800 mph (or 1,100 km/h), or one mile (1.7km/s).
Although a hypersonic plane could theoretically travel between London and New York in under 90 minutes, there are many obstacles to overcome, including extreme heat levels.
Roxanne Hubesch, PhD researcher and first author, stated that fuel was one of the best practical solutions to the overheating issue.
Hubesch stated that scientists are looking for fuels that can absorb heat and power aircraft. However, this idea requires highly efficient catalysts for heat-consuming chemical reactions.”
“Additionally the heat exchangers in which the fuel comes into contact with the catalysts should be as small and efficient as possible because hypersonic aircraft has tight volume-weight constraints.”
The team 3D printed miniature heat exchangers from metal alloys and then coated them with synthetic minerals called zeolites to make the new catalysts.
To test their design’s functionality, the researchers reproduced the extreme pressures and temperatures experienced by the fuel at hypersonic speeds on a laboratory scale.
Miniature chemical reactions
The 3D-printed structures heat up, and some of the metal melts into the zeolite framework. This is crucial for the incredible efficiency of the catalysts.
Hubesch stated that 3D-printed catalysts could be compared to miniature chemical reactors. The key to their effectiveness is the combination of metal and synthetic minerals.
“It’s an exciting direction for catalysis. But we need to do more research to understand the process and determine the best combination for metal alloys for maximum impact.” The next steps for RMIT’s Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry are to optimize the 3D printed catalysts through X-ray synchrotron analysis and other detailed analysis methods.
Researchers also plan to expand the use of their work to air pollution control for cars and mini-devices to improve indoor air quality. This is especially important when managing COVID-19, an airborne respiratory virus.
Professor Suresh Bhargava (CAMIC Director) stated that the trillion-dollar chemical industry was heavily based on outdated catalytic technology.
Bhargava stated that “this third generation of catalysis could be linked with 3D printers to create new complex designs, which were previously impossible.”
“Our 3D printed catalysts are a revolutionary new approach that has the potential to transform catalysis around world.”