US 12,678,859 B2Granted

Powder satellite-reduction apparatus and method for gas atomization process

AssigneeIowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.

InventorsIver E. Anderson, Jordan A. Tiarks, Timothy E. Prost, Bo Kong, Emma H. White, Trevor M. Riedemann, Eric J. Deaton, Ross Anderson, David Byrd, Franz Hugolino Hernandez Gaitan

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Abstract

The broad applicability of at least certain aspects of the present invention derives from the ability to determine the critical location where secondary satellite formation occurs for any atomization system or design and allows for the rapid assessment of the effectiveness of various satellite reduction strategies, including but not limited to several embodiments detailed herein. Aspects of this invention can be utilized during initial atomization system design in order to evaluate effective chamber geometries and enabling strategies which reduce/eliminate satelliting, or can be retrofit to existing systems and allows for economic evaluation of effectiveness based off of initial capital expenditures versus increased operating requirements/expenses.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of operating a high-pressure gas atomization (GA) system to suppress satelliting in the production of particles of metal powders from droplets of an atomized spray of a feedstock in a flow path in a GA spray chamber comprising:

(a) for a given feedstock comprising a metal to be powderized into metal powder particles, proposing a first physical system set-up and a first set of operating parameters of the GA system to be used;
(b) identifying critical location(s) for potential satelliting in the GA spray chamber of the GA system by a computer simulation based on modelling of droplet cooling, particle movement, and process conditions for the first physical system set-up and the first set of operating parameters of step (a);
(c) evaluating the computer simulation and proposing a second physical system set-up and a second set of operating parameters of the GA system;
(d) operating the GA system using the second physical system set-up and the second set of operating parameters for yield of non-, low-, or reduced-satellited metal powder particles of the produced metal powder from the droplets of the atomized spray.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/465,392Filed 12 Sep 2023 · continuation
Priority: 23 Jun 2020
Published: US 2024/0058864 A122 Feb 2024
Granted: 14 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B22F 9/082
By casting, e.g. through sieves or in water, by atomising or spraying: atomising using a fluid
B22F 1/052
Metallic powder characterised by the size or surface area of the particles: characterised by a mixture of particles of different sizes or by the…
B22F 2009/0824
Atomising using a fluid: with a specific atomising fluid
B22F 2009/0832
Atomising using a fluid: handling of atomising fluid, e.g. heating, cooling, cleaning, recirculating

Family

Application62/705,347Us provisional application · filed 23 Jun 2020
Application17/304,586Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jun 2021
US 2024/0058864 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Feb 2024
US 11,780,012 B1Parent of this continuation
US 12,678,859 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.