Slag removal apparatus and method
AssigneeSiemens Energy, Inc.
InventorsGerald J. Bruck, Ahmed Kamel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus (20, 21) and method (80) operable to: feed (82) a granulated feedstock (26) into a chamber (22); apply (84) a melting or sintering energy (28) in programmable scans (30) producing a material deposit (32) overlaid with slag (34) in the chamber (22); position (86) a slag removal device (40, 52) such that its cutting surface (35) is coincident with a top surface (33) of the material deposit; cut or break the slag free (88) from the material deposit with the slag removal device; separate (92) the removed slag from a reusable portion of the granulated feedstock in a separator (42); and feed (94) the reusable portion of the granulated feedstock to the top surface of the material deposit for repeating (96) the above operations.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- forming a deposit of a material by heating a granulated feedstock wherein a slag layer is formed on a top surface of the deposit;
- removing the slag and a reusable portion of the feedstock with a slag removal device mounted on a drive mechanism that moves the slag removal device relative to the top surface of the deposit;
- collecting the removed slag and the reusable portion of the feedstock into a separating device;
- and
- separating the removed slag from the reusable feedstock with the separating device.
A method comprising:
- feeding a granular feedstock material into a chamber;
- scanning the feedstock with an energy source that selectively melts or sinters the feedstock, creating a material deposit with a layer of slag on a top surface thereof;
- positioning the top surface of the material deposit relative to a cutting surface of a slag removal device;
- driving the slag removal device relative to the top surface of the deposit, cutting or breaking the slag free from the top surface of the deposit.
An apparatus comprising:
- a slag removal device operable to cut or break slag free from a top surface of a deposit;
- and
- a drive mechanism operable to mechanically move the slag removal device relative to the top surface of the deposit;
- and
- a separation device configured to receive a slag material and a reusable portion of a feedstock material from the slag removal device, and operable to separate the slag material from the reusable feedstock material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.