Bi-metallic induction heating blanket
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJohn R. Hull, Marc R. Matsen, Landon K. Henson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A smart susceptor assembly includes a plurality of susceptor elements and a plurality of conductor elements. Each susceptor element can be paired with one conductor element to form a susceptor tab. When exposed to a magnetic flux field, the plurality of susceptor elements heat to a leveling temperature. During the heating, the plurality of conductor elements alter both a thermal performance and an electrical operation of the smart susceptor assembly and, more particularly, the susceptor elements. Various configurations of the susceptor elements and conductor elements are described.
Claims20
A smart susceptor assembly, comprising:
- an electromagnetic flux field source configured to generate a magnetic flux field, wherein the electromagnetic flux field source comprises a conductor wire;
- a plurality of susceptor elements positioned adjacent to the conductor wire of the electromagnetic flux field source, wherein each susceptor element of the plurality of susceptor elements comprises a leveling temperature and a Curie temperature;
- and
- a plurality of conductor elements, wherein each conductor element of the plurality of conductor elements is electrically coupled to, in thermal communication with, and paired one-to-one with one of the susceptor elements of the plurality of susceptor elements,
- wherein the conductor wire extends adjacent to each susceptor element of the plurality of susceptor elements and each conductor element of the plurality of conductor elements.
A method for manufacturing a smart susceptor assembly, comprising:
- forming a plurality of susceptor tabs comprising a plurality of susceptor elements and a plurality of conductor elements, wherein each susceptor element is electrically coupled to, in thermal communication with, and paired one-to-one with one of the conductor elements, and each susceptor element comprises a leveling temperature and a Curie temperature;
- and
- positioning a conductor wire of an electromagnetic flux field source adjacent to the plurality of susceptor tabs.
A method for heating an article, comprising:
- placing the article adjacent to a smart susceptor assembly, wherein the smart susceptor assembly comprises:
- an electromagnetic flux field source configured to generate a magnetic flux field, wherein the electromagnetic flux field source comprises a conductor wire;
- a plurality of susceptor elements positioned adjacent to the conductor wire of the electromagnetic flux field source, wherein each susceptor element of the plurality of susceptor elements comprises a leveling temperature and a Curie temperature;
- and
- a plurality of conductor elements, wherein each conductor element of the plurality of conductor elements is electrically coupled to, in thermal communication with, and paired one-to-one with one of the susceptor elements of the plurality of susceptor elements;
- generating an electromagnetic flux field from the conductor wire of the electromagnetic flux field source;
- inductively heating the plurality of susceptor elements using the conductor wire of the electromagnetic flux field;
- and
- heating the article using heat from the plurality of susceptor elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.