The students of Queen's University Belfast have achieved a large milestone for the space sector of Northern Ireland with the development of Kelvin MK.1, the first liquid rocket engine in the region. The project under the direction of the Queen Propulsion Laboratory (QPL) underlines the effects of practical learning and advanced production on the design of the future of space technology.
As part of the collaboration, LPE (Laser Prototypes Europe) sponsored QPL by producing the critical components of the engine: a 3D combustion chamber of the metal and an injector head. Both were printed, heat-treated and completely processed in the LPE facility in Belfast. LPE based in Belfast is a leading provider of additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping services that specialize in high-precision 3D printed components for aerospace, medical and industrial sectors. The company is certified on ISO 13485-, ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards.
The chamber was produced using the direct metal laser interior (DMLS) in Alsi10mg aluminum, which was selected for its light and high thermal conductivity. The component has internal cooling channels and was printed as a piece, which eliminates stressful welds and associations. The post-processing included complete departing, heat treatment and surface processing to meet the standards of the air and space quality.
“Additive production was the right solution for this engine, not only for its complexity, but also because it enabled speed, precision and performance in a single process,” said Patrick Walls, engineering director at LPE. “We are proud to support such an ambitious and capable team and contribute to a project that represents the next generation of drive technologies from Northern Ireland.”
QPL was founded in 2023 and is Northern Ireland's largest student rocketry team and offers students experience in the design, manufacture and testing of drive systems. Driven with isopropyl alcohol and nitrous gas oxide, the engine Kelvin MK.1 is planned as part of the British Race2Space competition on July 10, 2025 in the West Cott Space Cluster for hot fire test.
The QPL team decided to use metal additive production for its design flexibility, speed and partial consolidation, which were critical factors that allowed more time for engine tests and integration. Cooperation with LPE also gave the students valuable experience in designing additive processes.
“Metal 3D printing gave us greater design freedom, faster production and fewer parts,” said a QPL spokesman. “The support of the LPE throughout the project was invaluable and the finished chamber exceeded our expectations.”
A complete Q&A with the QPL team that covers your design approach and lessons from the manufacturing process can be found on the LPE website.