Thermal gradient exchange materials processing method
OwnerPeter PAULINinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of thermal processing a work piece using another work piece which includes providing a chamber having a plurality of temperature zones, disposing a first work piece within a first temperature zone of the chamber, allowing a temperature of the first work piece to thermally equilibrate with the first temperature zone, moving the first work piece to a second temperature zone and disposing a second work piece within the second temperature zone of the chamber, in fluid communication with the first work piece, wherein a thermal exchange occurs between the first and second work pieces.
Claims19
A method of thermally processing work pieces comprising:
- providing a vertical chamber having an upper end, a lower end, and an interior;
- creating a thermal gradient in the interior of the chamber;
- disposing at least two work pieces within the interior of the chamber;
- providing a means for movement of the at least two work pieces wherein one work piece is lowered from the upper end of the chamber to the lower end of the chamber while a second work piece is moved countercurrently in the opposing direction;
- and
- providing a path for each work piece wherein each work piece is first lowered from the upper end of the chamber to the lower end of the chamber and returned to the upper end of the chamber for removal;
- and
The method of claim 3, wherein the thermal gradient is created by providing at least one of a convective heat source or compressor for cooling in thermal relation to said interior on at least one of the upper or lower ends of the vertical chamber.
A thermal processing apparatus for treating work pieces countercurrently through a gradient comprising:
- a vertical chamber;
- a gas or liquid disposed within said vertical chamber,
- at least one of a convective heat source or a compressor containing coolant for addition or subtraction of heat from one end of said vertical chamber establishing a vertical temperature gradient by thermal relation of at least one end of said convective heat source or compressor to said chamber means for lowering and proportionally raising at least two work pieces in a countercurrent relation by lowering a first work piece through said temperature gradient while raising a second work piece already lowered through said temperature gradient.
exchanging said work pieces for new work pieces after lowering and raising said work pieces through said temperature gradient.
A method of thermal processing a work piece using another work piece, the method comprising:
- providing a chamber having a plurality of temperature zones;
- disposing a first work piece within a first temperature zone of the chamber;
- allowing a temperature of the first work piece to thermally equilibrate with the first temperature zone;
- moving the first work piece to a second temperature zone;
- and
- disposing a second work piece within the second temperature zone of the chamber, in fluid communication with the first work piece, wherein a thermal exchange occurs between the first and second work pieces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.