Case Studies Cobra Aero Reimagines the Air-Cooled Combustion Engine Cylinder using Field Driven Design

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	Cobra Aero Reimagines the Air-Cooled Combustion Engine Cylinder using Field Driven Design

Cobra Aero Reimagines the Air-Cooled Combustion Engine Cylinder using Field Driven Design

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Generative AI Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries	Aerospace Automotive Consumer Goods
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Additive Manufacturing Manufacturing System Automation
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	Cobra Aero, a US-based manufacturer of UAV drone engines, faced the challenge of staying competitive in the market. They invested in a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) system to redesign key parts of their engine for Additive Manufacturing. The team aimed to achieve multiple advantages, including improved efficiency, weight requirements, and minimal support during manufacturing. They sought alternatives to traditional fin designs for heat transfer and became intrigued by lattice structures used in heat exchanger design. The challenge was to optimize the lattice structure for heat transfer while meeting the performance and manufacturing requirements. Read More
About Customer	Cobra Aero is a US-based manufacturer specializing in UAV drone engines. The company invested in advanced manufacturing technologies to stay competitive in the market. They focused on redesigning key engine parts for Additive Manufacturing to achieve multiple advantages, including improved efficiency and performance. Cobra Aero's team utilized nTopology's field-driven design and simulation capabilities to develop a new product following DfAM best practices. The company aimed to create high-performing products that meet multiple requirements and adapt to market demands quickly. Cobra Aero's innovative approach and investment in advanced technologies have positioned them as a leader in the UAV drone engine manufacturing industry. Read More
Solution	Cobra Aero used nTopology's advanced modeling capabilities to generate different sizes of lattices with varying strut thickness. They filled the lattice inside their cylinder geometry and terminated it with smooth transitions and fillets between the struts. To optimize the lattice for heat transfer, they used nTopology's field-driven design capabilities to spatially control the properties of the lattice. They utilized multiphysics simulation results, including temperature, airflow velocity, pressure drop, and mechanical stresses, to generate a highly optimized structure. The lattice structure was tightened in areas where conduction was more important and loosened in areas where convection was more important. Once the design was finalized, they used nTopology's slicing capabilities to export a CLI file that was sent directly to the Renishaw AM500 system for manufacturing. Testing showed that the new lattice structure design was more efficient than the fin design, requiring less airflow to maintain proper engine temperature in every loading case and at every RPM. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Generative AI

Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Applicable Industries

Aerospace

Automotive

Consumer Goods

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Additive Manufacturing

Manufacturing System Automation

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

Cobra Aero, a US-based manufacturer of UAV drone engines, faced the challenge of staying competitive in the market. They invested in a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) system to redesign key parts of their engine for Additive Manufacturing. The team aimed to achieve multiple advantages, including improved efficiency, weight requirements, and minimal support during manufacturing. They sought alternatives to traditional fin designs for heat transfer and became intrigued by lattice structures used in heat exchanger design. The challenge was to optimize the lattice structure for heat transfer while meeting the performance and manufacturing requirements.

About Customer

Cobra Aero is a US-based manufacturer specializing in UAV drone engines. The company invested in advanced manufacturing technologies to stay competitive in the market. They focused on redesigning key engine parts for Additive Manufacturing to achieve multiple advantages, including improved efficiency and performance. Cobra Aero's team utilized nTopology's field-driven design and simulation capabilities to develop a new product following DfAM best practices. The company aimed to create high-performing products that meet multiple requirements and adapt to market demands quickly. Cobra Aero's innovative approach and investment in advanced technologies have positioned them as a leader in the UAV drone engine manufacturing industry.

Solution

Cobra Aero used nTopology's advanced modeling capabilities to generate different sizes of lattices with varying strut thickness. They filled the lattice inside their cylinder geometry and terminated it with smooth transitions and fillets between the struts. To optimize the lattice for heat transfer, they used nTopology's field-driven design capabilities to spatially control the properties of the lattice. They utilized multiphysics simulation results, including temperature, airflow velocity, pressure drop, and mechanical stresses, to generate a highly optimized structure. The lattice structure was tightened in areas where conduction was more important and loosened in areas where convection was more important. Once the design was finalized, they used nTopology's slicing capabilities to export a CLI file that was sent directly to the Renishaw AM500 system for manufacturing. Testing showed that the new lattice structure design was more efficient than the fin design, requiring less airflow to maintain proper engine temperature in every loading case and at every RPM.

Impact #1	Cobra Aero was able to utilize their manufacturing equipment more effectively by designing for Additive Manufacturing processes.
Impact #2	The company developed better products that meet multiple requirements, staying ahead of the competition.
Impact #3	They adopted flexible design processes, allowing them to expand their offerings and move quickly when new opportunities arise.

Impact #1

Cobra Aero was able to utilize their manufacturing equipment more effectively by designing for Additive Manufacturing processes.

Impact #2

The company developed better products that meet multiple requirements, staying ahead of the competition.

Impact #3

They adopted flexible design processes, allowing them to expand their offerings and move quickly when new opportunities arise.

Benefit #1	The new lattice structure design required less airflow to maintain proper engine temperature in every loading case and at every RPM.

Benefit #1

The new lattice structure design required less airflow to maintain proper engine temperature in every loading case and at every RPM.

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Overview

Cobra Aero Reimagines the Air-Cooled Combustion Engine Cylinder using Field Driven Design

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit