# US 11,998,976 B2 · Systems and methods for enhanced cooling during directional solidification of a casting component

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- Number: US 11,998,976 B2
- Document ID: US11998976B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/939,347
- Filed: 2022-09-07
- Published: 2024-03-07
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-09-07
- Assignees: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Jared Micheal Iverson; Christopher Raymond Hanslits; Shenyan Huang; Canan Uslu Hardwicke
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998976B2

## CPC

- B22D 27/045: {Directionally solidified castings}
- B22C 9/04: Use of lost patterns
- B22C 9/24: for hollow articles
- B22D 27/04: Influencing the temperature of the metal, e.g. by heating or cooling the mould
- C30B 11/003: {Heating or cooling of the melt or the crystallised material}
- C30B 29/52: Alloys
- B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22)
- B22C: FOUNDRY MOULDING (moulding refractory materials in general B28B)
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR

## Abstract

A casting system for forming a directionally-solidified casting component is provided. The casting system defines an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction. The casting system includes a chamber and a baffle plate disposed within the chamber. The chamber and the baffle plate collectively define a heating zone and a cooling zone. The heating zone and the cooling zone are separated by the baffle plate. The casting system further includes a shaft and a cooling plate disposed on the shaft. The cooling plate is movable between the heating zone and the cooling zone. A mold shell is disposed on the cooling plate. The casting system further includes a cooling system for directing a coolant fluid towards the mold shell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A casting system for forming a directionally-solidified casting component, the casting system defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the casting system comprising:
a chamber including a top and a bottom;
a baffle plate disposed within the chamber between the top and the bottom, the chamber and the baffle plate collectively defining a heating zone and a cooling zone, the heating zone and the cooling zone separated by the baffle plate;
a shaft, wherein the axial direction extends along the shaft from the cooling zone towards the heating zone;
a cooling plate disposed on the shaft and movable between the heating zone and the cooling zone;
a mold shell disposed on the cooling plate; and
a cooling system for directing a coolant fluid towards the mold shell, wherein the cooling system comprises a plurality of ejection devices axially spaced apart from one another, the plurality of ejection devices comprising a first ejection device and a second ejection device, the first ejection device disposed axially closer to the baffle plate than the bottom, the second ejection device disposed axially closer to the bottom than the baffle plate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The casting system as in claim 1, wherein each ejection device of the plurality of ejection devices comprises a plurality of nozzles extending towards the mold shell.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The casting system as in claim 2, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is movable in the radial direction to adjust a radial gap between an outlet of the nozzle and an exterior surface of the mold shell.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The casting system as in claim 2, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles includes an actuator and a valve in operable communication with a controller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The casting system as in claim 1, wherein each ejection device of the plurality of ejection devices comprises a ring that surrounds the mold shell and defines a plurality of outlets.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The casting system as in claim 5, wherein the ring of each ejection device is movable in the axial direction within the cooling zone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The casting system as in claim 5, wherein the ring of a first ejection device of the plurality of ejection devices defines a first diameter, wherein the ring of a second ejection device of the plurality of ejection devices defines a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter and the second diameter are different.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The casting system as in claim 1, wherein the mold shell defines a cooling circuit, the cooling circuit in fluid communication with the cooling system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The casting system as in claim 8, wherein the cooling system includes a passage defined in the shaft and the cooling plate, the passage being fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit of the mold shell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The casting system as in claim 1, wherein the cooling system further comprises a coolant supply and a coolant fluid supply line.

### Claim 11

A casting system for forming a directionally-solidified casting component, the casting system defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the casting system comprising:
a chamber;
a baffle plate disposed within the chamber, the chamber and the baffle plate collectively defining a heating zone and a cooling zone, the heating zone and the cooling zone separated by the baffle plate;
a shaft;
a cooling plate disposed on the shaft and movable between the heating zone and the cooling zone;
a mold shell disposed on the cooling plate; and
a cooling system for directing a coolant fluid towards the mold shell, wherein the cooling system comprises a plurality of ejection devices axially spaced apart from one another, wherein each ejection device of the plurality of ejection devices comprises a ring that surrounds the mold shell and defines a plurality of outlets, and wherein the ring of a first ejection device of the plurality of ejection devices defines a first diameter, wherein the ring of a second ejection device of the plurality of ejection devices defines a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter and the second diameter are different.

### Claim 12

A casting system for forming a directionally-solidified casting component, the casting system defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the casting system comprising:
a chamber;
a baffle plate disposed within the chamber, the chamber and the baffle plate collectively defining a heating zone and a cooling zone, the heating zone and the cooling zone separated by the baffle plate;
a shaft;
a cooling plate disposed on the shaft and movable between the heating zone and the cooling zone;
a mold shell disposed on the cooling plate, wherein the mold shell defines a cooling circuit; and
a cooling system for directing a coolant fluid towards the mold shell, wherein the cooling circuit is in fluid communication with the cooling system, and wherein the cooling system includes a passage defined in the shaft and the cooling plate, the passage being fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit of the mold shell.