Devices for Gas Cooling Plasma Arc Torches and Related Systems and Methods
AssigneeHypertherm, Inc.
InventorsYu Zhang, Zheng Duan, Lisa Nadeau
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some aspects, nozzles for a gas-cooled plasma torches can include a hollow generally cylindrical body having a first end and a second end that define a longitudinal axis, the second end of the body defining a nozzle exit orifice; a gas channel formed in the first end between an interior wall and an exterior wall of the cylindrical body, the gas channel directing a gas flow circumferentially about at least a portion of the body; an inlet passage formed substantially through a radial surface of the exterior wall and fluidly connected to the gas channel; and an outlet passage at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis and fluidly connected to the gas channel.
Claims26
A nozzle for a gas-cooled plasma arc torch comprising:
- a hollow generally cylindrical body having a first end and a second end that define a longitudinal axis, the second end of the body defining a nozzle exit orifice;
- a gas channel formed in the first end between an interior wall and an exterior wall of the cylindrical body, the gas channel directing a gas flow circumferentially about at least a portion of the body;
- an inlet passage formed substantially through a radial surface of the exterior wall and fluidly connected to the gas channel;
- and
- an outlet passage at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis and fluidly connected to the gas channel.
A nozzle for a gas-cooled plasma arc torch comprising:
- a hollow generally cylindrical body having a first end and a second end that define a longitudinal axis, the second end of the body defining a nozzle exit orifice;
- a plenum region defined within the body and directing a plasma gas;
- a cooling gas channel formed in the first end between an interior wall and an exterior wall of the cylindrical body, the cooling gas channel isolating a cooling gas from the plasma gas;
- a substantially radially oriented inlet passage fluidly connected to the gas channel;
- and
- a substantially longitudinally oriented outlet passage fluidly connected to the gas channel.
A method for cooling a nozzle for a plasma arc torch, comprising the steps of:
- providing the nozzle having a hollow body with a first end and a second end, the second end of the body defining a nozzle exit orifice, a gas channel formed in the first end of the body, a substantially radially oriented inlet passage fluidly connected to the gas channel, and a substantially longitudinally oriented outlet passage fluidly connected to the gas channel;
- flowing the cooling gas through the inlet passage into the gas channel;
- directing the cooling gas along the gas channel;
- and
- discharging the cooling gas from the gas channel to the outlet passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.