Additive Manufacturing Development of Naval Platform Heat Exchangers

AlphaSTAR Corporation (ASC) proposes an improved thermally-monitored-controlled Selective Laser Melting (SLM) additive manufacturing process, with improved mechanical properties associated with Titanium and /or Steel. We will customize/upgrade our award winning GENOA 3D-print software capable of simulating the additive manufacturing to conformal heat exchanger, by predicting thermal history and manufactured properties and thereby providing a methodology to optimize the process and lead to certification. ASC will utilize GENOA software to predict bulk thermal response, solidification, deflection, residual stress, damage initiation, crack propagation, and post-fabrication mechanical performance of simple geometries fabricated via SLM. Real test data will be collected in order to accelerate material qualification and numerical model validation. ASC will exploit thermal monitoring and process control to determine relationship between SLM process parameters (laser power, laser beam diameter, scanning speed, hatch space, absorption rate, etc.) and thermal history in order to reduce the occurrence of porosity and residual stress formation during the additive process. Working with subject area experts. ASC will undertake component-level modeling and simulation optimized fabrication, based on multi-objective SLM parameter optimization. Utilizing gained relationships between process parameters, thermal history and microstructure, parameter inputs required for fabrication of components with tailored mechanical properties will be determined.