# US 10,441,962 B2 · Cold spray device and system

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- Number: US 10,441,962 B2
- Document ID: US10441962B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/066,346
- Filed: 2013-10-29
- Published: 2014-05-01
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-29
- Assignees: South Dakota Board of Regents; Government of the United States of America, AS Represented By the Secretary of the Army
- Applicants: South Dakota Board of Regents
- Inventors: Christian Widener; Victor Champagne; Matthew Trexler; Dennis Helfritch; Rob Hrabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441962B2

## CPC

- B05B 7/1693: {with means for heating the material to be sprayed or an atomizing fluid in a supply hose or the like}
- B05B 7/1486: {for spraying particulate material in dry state}
- B05B 7/1613: {comprising means for heating the atomising fluid before mixing with the material to be sprayed}
- C23C 24/04: Impact or kinetic deposition of particles
- 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)
- 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)

## Abstract

Cold spray devices and systems are disclosed. They include a flowpath having an inlet adapted for receiving communication with two or more inputs and an outlet adapted to discharge the two or more inputs. A discharge nozzle may be included in the flowpath of the outlet and a confluence may be included in the flowpath at the inlet for combining the two or more inputs. A nozzle body houses the discharge nozzle separate and downstream from the confluence of the two inputs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A spray coating system comprising:
a gas source having a gas and a gas pressure, the gas source connected in operable communication with a first gas flowpath having a gas flowpath pressure controlled by a gas controller;
an enclosed powder source with powder pressurized above atmospheric pressure by the gas source, the enclosed powder source having a gas source input connected in operable communication with the first gas flowpath for receiving the gas from the gas source and a gas-powder mixture outlet connected in operable communication for receiving a gas-powder mixture from within the enclosed powder source, wherein the gas-powder mixture outlet is connected to both the enclosed powder source and gas source input;
a first gas-powder mixture flowpath connected in operable communication to the powder source and the gas source for receiving the gas-powder mixture;
an second gas flowpath having a gas pressure, the second gas flowpath connected in operable communication with the gas source for receiving the gas;
a confluence of the gas-powder mixture flowpath and the second gas flowpath located upstream from an input side of a spray nozzle, wherein increasing the gas pressure increases pressure at the confluence; and
a second gas-powder mixture flowpath between the confluence and the input side of the spray nozzle for housing the gas-powder mixture; wherein the second gas-powder mixture is between 600-900° C.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The spray coating system of claim 1 wherein the gas source has at least one outlet connected in operable communication with an inlet of the second gas flowpath.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The spray coating system of claim 1 wherein the gas-powder mixture outlet is connected in operable communication with the gas-powder mixture flowpath.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The spray coating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a mixing manifold having a gas inlet and a gas-powder inlet, the mixing manifold housing the confluence.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The spray coating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a hand-held spray gun housing the spray nozzle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The spray coating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a gas-powder mixture line housing the first gas-powder mixture flowpath, the gas-powder mixture line having an inlet connected in operable communication with the gas source and the powder source and an outlet connected in communication with the confluence.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The spray coating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a heater disposed inline upstream of the spray nozzle for heating the gas in the second gas flowpath.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The spray coating system of claim 1 wherein a gas-powder mixture temperature is generally at a gas temperature at a discharge side of the spray nozzle.

### Claim 9

A spray coating device comprising:
a gas source having a gas and a gas pressure, the gas source connected in operable communication with a gas flowpath having a gas flowpath pressure controlled by a gas controller;
a dry powder source housed within an enclosed powder vessel, the enclosed powder vessel having a gas source inlet and a gas-powder mixture outlet, wherein the gas-powder mixture outlet is connected in operable communication with a gas-powder mixture flowpath for receiving a gas-powder mixture from within the enclosed powder vessel;
a nozzle body for discharging a gas-powder mixture;
a gas-powder mixture input side on the nozzle body in downstream communication with a gas-powder mixing manifold, wherein the gas introduced into the gas-powder mixing manifold increases pressure within the gas-power mixing manifold;
wherein the gas-powder mixture flowpath is connected to the gas-powder mixing manifold;
a gas-powder mixture output side on the nozzle body;
a gas-powder flowpath in communication with the gas-powder mixture input side of the nozzle body and the gas-powder mixing manifold; and
wherein the gas-powder mixture comprises a gas temperature and powder temperature, both temperatures between 600-900° C., wherein the powder temperature is generally at the gas temperature at the gas-powder mixture input side of the nozzle body, and wherein increasing a gas pressure increases velocity of the gas-powder-mixture.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The spray coating device of claim 9 further comprising:
a gas-powder line housing the gas-powder flowpath, the gas-powder line connected between the gas-powder mixture input side on the nozzle body and the gas-powder mixing manifold.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The spray coating device of claim 9 further comprising:
a heater located upstream of the nozzle body.

### Claim 12

A spray coating system, comprising:
a gas source having a gas;
a first gas line connected to the gas source, the first gas line having a first gas line pressure controlled by a first gas controller;
a second gas line connected to the gas source, the second gas line having a second gas line pressure controlled by second gas controller;
a powder vessel housing a dry powder, the powder vessel comprises:
an inlet connected to the first gas line for housing the gas within the powder vessel with the dry powder at the first gas line pressure;
an outlet connected to the powder vessel for receiving a gas-powder mixture at the first gas line pressure;
a gas-powder mixture line connected to the outlet of the powder vessel for receiving the gas-powder mixture from within the powder vessel at the first gas line pressure;
a mixing manifold having:
a first inlet connected to the gas-powder mixture line for receiving the gas-powder mixture from within the powder vessel at the first gas line pressure;
a second inlet connected to the second gas line for receiving the gas at the second gas line pressure;
an outlet for discharging a gas-powder;
a manifold body having the first inlet, second inlet and the outlet, the manifold body housing the gas-powder mixture at a temperature of between 600-900° C.;
a gas-powder line having:
a first end connected to the outlet of the mixing manifold for receiving the gas-powder mixture from the mixing manifold at the second gas line pressure;
a second end for receiving the gas-powder mixture from the first end;
a spray nozzle body housing a discharge nozzle, the spray nozzle body having an input side and a discharge side, wherein the input side is connected to the second end of the gas-powder line for discharging the gas-powder from the discharge nozzle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The spray coating system of claim 12, wherein the spray nozzle body houses the gas-powder at the second gas line pressure.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The spray coating system of claim 12, further comprising:
a heater connected to the second gas line for heating the gas for providing a heated gas.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The spray coating system of claim 14, wherein the heated gas travels through the second gas line, the mixing manifold, the gas-powder, and the spray nozzle body for heating the dry powder to the heated gas temperature before discharging from the discharge nozzle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The spray coating system of claim 12 wherein the gas comprises nitrogen, helium or compressed air.