# US 10,119,195 B2 · Multichannel cold spray apparatus

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- Number: US 10,119,195 B2
- Document ID: US10119195B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/295,050
- Filed: 2016-10-17
- Published: 2017-06-15
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-04
- Assignees: The Regents of the University of Michigan
- Applicants: The Regents of the University of Michigan
- Inventors: Pravansu S. Mohanty; Vikram Varadaraajan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119195B2

## CPC

- C23C 24/04: Impact or kinetic deposition of particles
- B05B 7/0075: {Nozzle arrangements in gas streams}
- B05B 7/1404: {Arrangements for supplying particulate material}
- B05B 7/1481: {Spray pistols or apparatus for discharging particulate material}
- B05B 7/1486: {for spraying particulate material in dry state}
- B05B 7/16: incorporating means for heating {or cooling} the material to be sprayed {(spraying by means of explosions B05B7/0006)}
- B05B 7/228: {using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser}
- B05D 1/12: Applying particulate materials (B05D1/06, B05D1/10 take precedence)
- B05D 3/06: by exposure to radiation (B05D3/02 takes precedence {; plasma treatment B05D3/141})
- B23K 26/144: the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder
- B23K 26/1476: {Features inside the nozzle for feeding the fluid stream through the nozzle}
- C23C 24/08: by application of heat or pressure and heat (C23C24/04 takes precedence)
- C23C 24/082: {without intermediate formation of a liquid in the layer}
- C23C 24/085: {Coating with metallic material, i.e. metals or metal alloys, optionally comprising hard particles, e.g. oxides, carbides or nitrides}
- B05C 19/008: {Accessories or implements for use in connection with applying particulate materials to surfaces; not provided elsewhere in B05C19/00}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08)

## Abstract

A cold spray apparatus for applying a coating of particles to a substrate includes a nozzle assembly having a plurality of inner passages terminating at a common exit. The nozzle assembly includes a particle supply members in communication with the inner passages. The particle supply members supply the particles to flow and accelerate through the inner passages and out of the nozzle assembly via the common exit toward the substrate to be coated thereon. Furthermore, each inner passage includes a laser that emits a laser beam that is transmitted through the inner passage. The laser heats at least one of the particles and the substrate to promote coating of the substrate with the particles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cold spray apparatus for applying a coating of particles to a substrate comprising:
a nozzle assembly having a plurality of inner passages, each of the inner passages including a nozzle entrance, a nozzle exit, a convergent section, a divergent section, and a throat between the convergent section and the divergent section, each of the plurality of inner passages extending in a flow direction from the convergent section adjacent the nozzle entrance through a throat to the divergent section adjacent the nozzle exit, the plurality of inner passages sharing a common exit out of the nozzle assembly, the nozzle assembly including walls between each of the plurality of inner passages with each of said walls extending in a longitudinal direction toward the common exit, each of said walls extending from the throat of each of the inner passages to a termination point of each of the inner passages;
a gas supply member providing a supplied gas to the plurality of inner passages of the nozzle assembly to flow through the plurality of inner passages of the nozzle assembly and accelerate through the plurality of inner passages by passage through the convergent section, the throat, and the divergent section of each of the plurality of inner passages;
a particle supply member in direct communication with the plurality of inner passages, the particle supply member supplying the particles directly to the divergent sections to flow the particles in the gas supplied by the gas supply member and out of the nozzle assembly via the common exit toward the substrate to coat the substrate, each of the plurality of inner passages defining an ML distance as a distance between the throat of the inner passage and the termination point of the inner passage, the nozzle assembly defining an DL distance as a distance between the throat of the inner passage and the common exit, the distance the termination point of each of the plurality of inner passages is away from the common exit defining an overlap; and
a laser that emits a laser beam that is transmitted through each of the plurality of inner passages containing the supplied gas, the laser heats the particles below the particles' melting point and heats the substrate to promote cold spray coating of the substrate with the particles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the convergent sections, the throats, and the divergent sections of the plurality of inner passages is substantially rectangular in cross sectional planes that intersect perpendicularly and transversely to a longitudinal axis of the inner passage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the convergent sections of the plurality of inner passages is substantially rectangular in cross sectional planes that intersect perpendicularly and transversely to a longitudinal axis of the inner passage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the throats of the plurality of inner passages is substantially square in cross sectional planes that intersect perpendicularly and transversely to a longitudinal axis of the inner passage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the divergent sections of the plurality of inner passages is substantially rectangular in cross sectional planes that intersect perpendicularly and transversely to a longitudinal axis of the inner passage.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the convergent sections and divergent sections of the plurality of inner passages is substantially rectangular in cross sectional planes that intersect perpendicularly and transversely to a longitudinal axis of the inner passage, the convergent sections being substantially rectangular in a first direction and the divergent sections being substantially rectangular in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the divergent sections of the plurality of inner passages terminates at a position upstream of the common exit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 7 wherein a width of the common exit is substantially equal to or greater than a sum of a width of all nozzle exits of the plurality of all the inner passages.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein the overlap is greater than about 10%.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein the overlap is greater than about 20%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particle supply member supplying the particles directly to the divergent sections to flow the particles in the gas supplied by the gas supply member, accelerate the particles within the divergent sections, and exit the particles out of the nozzle assembly via the common exit toward the substrate to coat the substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser heats the particles below the particles' melting point comprises the laser heating the particles below the particles' melting point only in and downstream of the divergent sections.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner passage has a substantially straight longitudinal axis, and wherein the laser beam is directed substantially parallel and coaxial to the longitudinal axis, out of the common exit, and toward the substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 13, wherein the inner passage includes a nozzle entrance, wherein the longitudinal axis extends through both the nozzle entrance and the nozzle exit, and wherein the laser is operably coupled to the nozzle assembly such that the laser beam is transmitted into the nozzle assembly via the nozzle entrance.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pressure tube that is disposed between the laser and the nozzle assembly, the pressure tube being in fluid communication with the plurality of inner passages, the gas supply member supplies a gas to the pressure tube to flow through the plurality of inner passages of the nozzle assembly and out of the common exit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particle supply member introduces the particles into the plurality of inner passages at an acute angle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: one or more optical assemblies transmitting a single laser beam from the laser into the plurality of inner passages of the nozzle assembly.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The cold spray apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas supply member supplying the gas to the plurality of inner passages of the nozzle assembly comprises the gas supply member selectively supplying the gas to the plurality of inner passages.