Regenerative cooling optimisation in 3D-print rocket nozzles

Rocket nozzles must be cooled to ensure that they do not fail under the thermal load of the exhaust plume. This is usually done by passing fuel through a heat-exchanger under the nozzle surface, so that the nozzle is cooled while the enthalpy of the fuel in increased prior to combustion. Increasingly, rocket engines include 3D printed parts. Therefore, it is possible that more complex cooling geometries can now be embedded in the nozzle, ensuring efficient cooling while reducing the pressure head needed to pump the fuel through the system. This would, in turn, reduce the demands on the turbopumps and create a lighter engine. This project will examine if AI techniques can be used to optimise the nozzle for both the cooling and pressure head requirements, in a manner that is only just becoming possible.