# US 12,000,046 B1 · Load assemblies for loading parts in a furnace > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,046 B1 - Document ID: US12000046B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/646,426 - Filed: 2021-12-29 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-12-29 - Assignees: Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites Inc. - Applicants: Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites, Inc. - Inventors: Jeffrey Crutchfield - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000046B1 ## CPC - C23C 16/045: {Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates} - C23C 16/45559: {Diffusion of reactive gas to substrate} - C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles} - C23C 16/4557: {Heated nozzles} - C23C 16/458: characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber - C23C 16/46: characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) - 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 In various aspects, a preheater, a directed flow chemical vapor infiltration/chemical vapor deposition (CVI/CVD) furnace, and/or an installation jig are described. In one example, a preheater includes a central inlet; a circuitous gas flow path downstream of the central inlet; a plenum section downstream of the circuitous gas flow path; and an outlet diffuser plate defining a plurality of apertures fluidly configured to couple the preheater to a furnace working zone, wherein the outlet diffuser plate is downstream of the plenum section, wherein the circuitous gas flow path is fluidly coupled to the plenum section by an outer circumferential slot opening. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A directed flow chemical vapor infiltration/chemical vapor deposition (CVI/CVD) furnace comprising: a furnace body containing a furnace working zone; a load assembly disposed within the furnace working zone, the load assembly comprising: a first diffuser plate; a second diffuser plate oriented substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first diffuser plate, wherein the first and second diffuser plates are positioned with respect to each other such that there is a space between the first and second diffuser plates; a plurality of fixtures, a first fixture of the plurality of fixtures configured to be positioned in the space and supported between the first and second diffuser plates, wherein the first fixture is configured to contain a part to be treated by gases flowing through the load assembly; a plurality of channel forming features configured to be positioned relative to the first fixture to guide the flow of gases into a plurality of ducts defined by the plurality of channel forming features and the first fixture, wherein the plurality of ducts are configured to at least partially contain gas flowing through the plurality of ducts and direct at least some of the gas to the part contained by the first fixture; wherein each diffuser plate defines a plurality of apertures located at desired areas of the diffuser plate relative to the plurality of ducts such that apertures of the plurality of apertures and ducts of the plurality of ducts are in fluid communication, and wherein more than one aperture of the plurality of apertures are configured to guide gases flowing through the first diffuser plate into the first fixture to route gases to the part contained by the first fixture such that the gases interact with the part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The directed flow CVI/CVD furnace of claim 1, wherein the first fixture defines perforations configured to allow gas to exit the plurality of ducts. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The directed flow CVI/CVD furnace of claim 1, wherein at least one of the furnace body, the first diffuser plate, the second diffuser plate, the first fixture, or the plurality of channel forming features comprise graphite. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The directed flow CVI/CVD furnace of claim 1, wherein the first diffuser plate and the second diffuser plate are substantially similar, such that the plurality of apertures defined by the first diffuser plate and the second diffuser plate are located at substantially similar positions of the first and second diffuser plates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The directed flow CVI/CVD furnace of claim 1, wherein each diffuser plate of the first and second diffuser plates has portions which define the plurality of apertures and other portions which are solid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The directed flow CVI/CVD furnace of claim 1, wherein each diffuser plate of the first and second diffuser plates defines a number of portions corresponding to the number of fixtures in the plurality of fixtures, and wherein each portion of the number of portions comprises a plurality of apertures. ### Claim 7 A load assembly comprising: a first diffuser plate; a second diffuser plate oriented substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first diffuser plate, wherein the first and second diffuser plates are positioned with respect to each other such that there is a space between the first and second diffuser plates; a plurality of fixtures, a first fixture of the plurality of fixtures configured to be positioned in the space and supported between the first and second diffuser plates, wherein the first fixture is configured to contain a part to be treated by gases flowing through the load assembly; a plurality of channel forming features configured to be positioned relative to the first fixture to guide the flow of gases into a plurality of ducts defined by the plurality of channel forming features and the first fixture, wherein the plurality of ducts are configured to at least partially contain gas flowing through the plurality of ducts and direct at least some of the gas to the part contained by the first fixture; wherein each diffuser plate defines a plurality of apertures located at desired areas of the diffuser plate relative to the plurality of ducts such that apertures of the plurality of apertures and ducts of the plurality of ducts are in fluid communication; and wherein more than one aperture of the plurality of apertures are configured to guide gases flowing through the first diffuser plate into the first fixture to route gases to the part contained by the first fixture such that the gases interact with the part. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The load assembly of claim 7, wherein the first fixture defines perforations configured to allow gas to exit the plurality of ducts. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The load assembly of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first diffuser plate, the second diffuser plate, the first fixture, or the plurality of channel forming features comprise graphite. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The load assembly of claim 7, wherein the first diffuser plate and the second diffuser plate are substantially similar, such that the plurality of apertures defined by the first diffuser plate and the second diffuser plate are located at substantially similar positions of the first and second diffuser plates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The load assembly of claim 7, wherein each diffuser plate of the first and second diffuser plates has portions which define the plurality of apertures and other portions which are solid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The load assembly of claim 7, wherein each diffuser plate of the first and second diffuser plates defines a number of portions corresponding to the number of fixtures in the plurality of fixtures, and wherein each portion of the number of portions comprises a plurality of apertures. ### Claim 13 A method of CVI/CVD processing comprising: receiving reactant gases in a load assembly, wherein the load assembly is disposed within a furnace working zone; directing the flow of the reactant gases through the load assembly, wherein the load assembly comprises a first diffuser plate, a second diffuser plate oriented substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first diffuser plate, wherein the first and second diffuser plates are positioned with respect to each other such that there is a space between the first and second diffuser plates; wherein directing the flow of reactant gases includes guiding reactant gases substantially between the first diffuser plate and the second diffuser plate through a plurality of ducts; wherein the plurality of ducts are defined by a plurality of channel forming features and a first fixture of a plurality of fixtures, wherein the plurality of ducts are configured to at least partially contain reactant gases flowing through the plurality of ducts and direct at least some of the gas to a part contained by the first fixture; wherein the first fixture is configured to be positioned in the space and supported between the first and second diffuser plates, wherein the first fixture is configured to contain the part to be treated by gases flowing through the load assembly, wherein the plurality of channel forming features are configured to be positioned relative to the first fixture to guide the flow of gases into a plurality of ducts defined by the plurality of channel forming features and the first fixture; wherein each diffuser plate defines a plurality of apertures located at desired areas of the diffuser plate relative to the plurality of ducts such that apertures of the plurality of apertures and ducts of the plurality of ducts are in fluid communication, wherein more than one aperture of the plurality of apertures are configured to guide gases flowing through the first diffuser plate into the first fixture to route gases to the part contained by the first fixture such that the gases interact with the part; and exhausting the reactant gases from the load assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first fixture defines perforations configured to allow gas to exit the plurality of ducts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first diffuser plate, the second diffuser plate, the first fixture, or the plurality of channel forming features comprise graphite. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first diffuser plate and the second diffuser plate are substantially similar, such that the plurality of apertures defined by the first diffuser plate and the second diffuser plate are located at substantially similar positions of the first and second diffuser plates. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each diffuser plate of the first and second diffuser plates has portions which define the plurality of apertures and other portions which are solid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each diffuser plate of the first and second diffuser plates defines a number of portions corresponding to the number of fixtures in the plurality of fixtures, and wherein each portion of the number of portions comprises a plurality of apertures. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein a velocity of gases flowing through the plurality of ducts is at least about 20 meters per second.