# US 2010/0166395 A1 · Water-Steam Cutting Process and Torch Therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0166395 A1 - Document ID: US20100166395A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/990,047 - Filed: 2006-08-30 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2005-09-09 - Assignees: Fronius International GmbH - Inventors: Alexander Eder; Heribert Pauser; Florian Silbermayr; Alexander Speigner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166395A1 ## CPC - H05H 1/34: Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles - H05H 1/3457: {Nozzle protection devices} - H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS ## Abstract The invention describes a method for transforming a liquid (8) into a gaseous state for a cutting process with a water-steam cutting device (1), consisting of a torch (6), an evaporator (25), an energy supply and a supply line (31) for a liquid (8), an appropriate temperature (27) being generated for evaporation of the liquid (8). To create a method of this type it is now provided that the temperature (27) is regulated during operation such that a sensor (28) senses the temperature (27) of the evaporator (25) and transmits it to a regulation unit which correspondingly supplies a heating element (24) with the energy necessary and by which a required pressure (34) of the liquid (8) supplied to the torch (6) is regulated so that an approximately constant temperature (27) of the evaporated liquid (8) is provided for a cutting process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for transforming a liquid (8) into a gaseous state for a cutting process with a water-steam cutting device (1), consisting of a torch (6), which includes a heating element (24), an evaporator (25), an energy supply and a supply line (31) for a liquid (8), wherein an appropriate temperature (27) is generated for evaporation of the liquid (8), wherein the temperature (27) is controlled during operation such that a sensor (28) senses the temperature (27) of the evaporator (25) and transmits it to a regulation unit which correspondingly supplies the heating element (24) with the energy required and by which a required pressure (34) of the liquid (8) supplied to the torch (6) is regulated so that an approximately constant temperature (27) of the evaporated liquid (8) is provided for a cutting process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, characterised in that wherein the energy required for the heating element (24) is variably regulated and the heating element (24) is thus permanently supplied with energy, i.e. with a variable base load (30), during operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein preferably a base load (30) of from between 10 and 90 percent is generated by the heating element (24) during operation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure (34) is regulated to a threshold value (26) as a function of the temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a stable evaporator zone (32), in which the liquid (8) changes into its gaseous state, is achieved by the variable base load (30) and/or heating load (29). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the regulation of the pressure (34) is used for balancing temperature changes quickly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the heating element (24), i.e. the base load (30), is used for long-term temperature changes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein sudden variations of the temperature (27) are detected and balanced via the regulation unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein sudden temperature variations are balanced by increasing the base load (30) to the maximum heating load (29). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a heating-up time is started after the water-steam cutting device (1) has been turned on and after the threshold value (26) of the temperature (27) has been reached. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the heating-up time is set as a function of the temperature (27) of the torch (6) and/or the evaporator (25). ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein an initial value is set for the base load (30) for a cutting process as a function of the heating-up time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the wear of one or several component(s) of the torch (6) is detected based on the temperature values and pressure values. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the wear of a nozzle (22) is detected. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the regulation is performed by the control unit (3) of the water-steam cutting device (1). ### Claim 16 A torch for transforming a liquid (8) into a gaseous state for a cutting process with a water-steam cutting device (1), with an evaporator (25), an energy supply and a supply line (31) for a liquid (8), wherein an appropriate temperature (27) is required for evaporation of the liquid (8), and a heating element (24) is integrated into the torch (6), wherein a sensor (28) is provided which senses the heat generated by the heating element (24) and which sensor (28) is connected with a regulation unit provided for the heating element (24). ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The torch according to claim 16, wherein the heating element (24) has a low power input. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The torch according to claim 17, wherein the low power input allows for a compact construction of the torch (6).