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US 11,305,485 B2Granted
System, method and apparatus for fluidized bed additive manufacturing
OwnerJan Willem Van Egmondinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, method and apparatus for additive manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes fluidizing particles with a medium to form a fluidized bed and additively manufacturing an article formed from the particles. The article has an open porous structure defining a plurality of pores and a plurality of fluid paths through the article. The method further includes flowing the particles and the medium through the fluid paths while the fluid paths are being formed. The article may be additively manufactured by selectively sintering the particles at target areas on the article which are near the surface of the fluidized bed.
Claims19
A system for fabricating an article, the system comprising:
- a primary vessel that is impermeable to fluids and insulated, the primary vessel having a vertical axis, a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to the vertical axis, a top and a bottom that is vertically spaced apart from the top,
- the primary vessel comprises a window at the top,
- the primary vessel defines a chamber and has a hatch that can be opened to provide access to the chamber,
- a distributor plate disposed in the primary vessel and extending horizontally substantially entirely across the primary vessel, the distributor plate having a plurality of holes, and
- the system configured to dispose a fluidized bed in the chamber and having a fluidized bed surface above the distributor plate, the fluidized bed is expandable and comprises particles, the particles have an average outer dimension dp that is at least about 10 microns and not greater than about 1 mm, and the fluidized bed comprises a medium with a superficial velocity u that is greater than a minimum fluidizing superficial velocity umf of the particles
- a substrate in the chamber, the substrate has channels that vary in size, the channels are larger than the average outer dimension dp of the particles such that the particles can flow through the channels and holes.
3 more elements
A system for fabricating an article, the system comprising:
- a primary vessel that is impermeable to fluids and insulated, the primary vessel having a vertical axis, a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to the vertical axis, a top and a bottom that is vertically spaced apart from the top,
- the primary vessel comprises a window at the top,
- the primary vessel defines a chamber and has a hatch that can be opened to provide access to the chamber,
- a distributor plate disposed in the primary vessel and extending horizontally across the chamber, the distributor plate having a plurality of holes, and
- the system configured to dispose a fluidized bed in the chamber and having a fluidized bed surface above the distributor plate, the fluidized bed is expandable and comprises particles, the particles have an average outer dimension dp that is at least about 10 microns and not greater than about 1 mm, and the fluidized bed comprises a medium with a superficial velocity u that is greater than a minimum fluidizing superficial velocity umf of the particles;
- a first camera mounted adjacent the primary vessel and directed toward the fluidized bed surface for visually monitoring fabrication of the article;
- a salvage vessel configured to contain some of the particles and the medium and be fluidly connected to the chamber such that particles and the medium and can be conveyed from the salvage vessel to the chamber,
- a heat exchanger coupled to and extending into the salvage vessel,
- a temperature monitoring device coupled to and extending into the salvage vessel,
- a storage vessel containing some of the particles and being fluidly connected to the chamber such that the particles and the medium can flow from the storage vessel to the chamber,
- a storage heat exchanger coupled to and extending into the storage vessel, and
- another temperature monitoring device coupled to and extending into the storage vessel.
9 more elements
A system for fabricating an article, the system comprising:
- a primary vessel that is impermeable to fluids and insulated, the primary vessel having a vertical axis, a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to the vertical axis, a top and a bottom that is vertically spaced apart from the top;
- the primary vessel comprises a window at the top;
- the primary vessel defines a chamber and has a hatch that can be opened to provide access to the chamber;
- a distributor plate disposed in the primary vessel and extending horizontally entirely across the primary vessel, the distributor plate having a plurality of holes;
- the system being configured to dispose a fluidized in the chamber and having a fluidized bed surface above the distributor plate, the fluidized bed is expandable and comprises particles, the particles have an average outer dimension dp that is at least about 10 microns and not greater than about 1 mm, and the fluidized bed comprises a medium with a superficial velocity u that is greater than a minimum fluidizing superficial velocity umf of the particles;
- wherein
- the fluidized bed has a transparent zone that is at least partially transparent and which extends a distance D below the fluidized bed surface and the article is configured to be formed in the transparent zone;
- and the system further comprises:
- a substrate in the chamber, the substrate has channels that vary in size, the channels are larger than the average outer dimension dp of the particles such that the particles can flow through the channels and holes.
6 more elements
A system for fabricating an article, the system comprising:
- a primary vessel that is impermeable to fluids and insulated, the primary vessel having a vertical axis, a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to the vertical axis, a top and a bottom that is vertically spaced apart from the top,
- the primary vessel comprises a window at the top,
- the primary vessel defines a chamber and has a hatch that can be opened to provide access to the chamber,
- a distributor plate disposed in the primary vessel and extending horizontally across the chamber, the distributor plate having a plurality of holes,
- the system configured to dispose a fluidized bed in the chamber and having a fluidized bed surface above the distributor plate, the fluidized bed is expandable and comprises particles, and the fluidized bed comprises a medium with a superficial velocity u that is greater than a minimum fluidizing superficial velocity umf of the particles;
- a salvage vessel configured to contain some of the particles and the medium and be fluidly connected to the chamber such that particles and the medium and can be conveyed from the salvage vessel to the chamber,
- a heat exchanger coupled to and extending into the salvage vessel,
- a temperature monitoring device coupled to and extending into the salvage vessel,
- a storage vessel containing some of the particles and being fluidly connected to the chamber such that the particles and the medium can flow from the storage vessel to the chamber,
- a storage heat exchanger coupled to and extending into the storage vessel, and
- another temperature monitoring device coupled to and extending into the storage vessel.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.