# US 2023/0264255 A1 · Directional solidification casting assembly and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0264255 A1 - Document ID: US20230264255A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/072,571 - Filed: 2022-11-30 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-26 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Anthony Mark THOMPSON; Derek MACDORMAND - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230264255A1 ## CPC - B22C 9/065: {Cooling or heating equipment for moulds} - B22C 7/02: Lost patterns - B22C 9/082: {Sprues, pouring cups} - B22D 27/045: {Directionally solidified castings} - C30B 11/002: {Crucibles or containers for supporting the melt} - C30B 29/52: Alloys - B22C: FOUNDRY MOULDING (moulding refractory materials in general B28B) - B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22) - C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR ## Abstract A directional solidification casting method includes fluidly coupling a feed line conduit with a source of molten metal and with a directional solidification mold at a gating. The mold has an interior chamber with a shape of an object to be cast using directional solidification in a growth direction. The feed line conduit is fluidly coupled with the gating in a downward direction oriented at an angle that is closer to the growth direction of the mold than to another direction that is perpendicular to the growth direction of the mold. The method also includes positioning a downstream portion of the feed line conduit below the gating, directing the molten metal into the mold via the feed line conduit, and casting the object in the mold using directional solidification. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A directional solidification casting method, the method comprising: fluidly coupling a first open end of a feed line conduit with a container source of a molten metal; fluidly coupling an opposite, second open end of the feed line conduit with a directional solidification mold at a gating of the mold, the mold having an interior chamber with a shape of an object to be cast using directional solidification of the molten metal in a growth direction of the mold, the feed line conduit fluidly coupled with the gating in a downward direction oriented at an angle that is closer to the growth direction of the mold than to another direction that is perpendicular to the growth direction of the mold; positioning at least a downstream portion of the feed line conduit below the gating of the mold along the growth direction, the downstream portion of the feed line conduit extending between the second open end of the feed line conduit and an intermediate location in the feed line conduit between the first and second open ends; directing the molten metal into the mold via the feed line conduit; and casting the object in the mold using directional solidification. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein casting the object includes directionally solidifying the object as one or more of a single crystal grain structure or a columnar crystal structure in the mold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the feed line conduit includes forming a bend in the feed line conduit such that the downstream portion of the feed line conduit and at least an upstream portion of the feed line conduit are both located above the bend in the feed line conduit along the growth direction, wherein the upstream portion of the feed line conduit is located between the first open end and the bend. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: coupling an anchor with the feed line conduit at the intermediate location, wherein the anchor holds the intermediate location of the feed line conduit below the first and second open ends of the feed line conduit along the growth direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the downstream portion of the feed line conduit is angled upward toward the gating along the growth direction of the mold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the feed line conduit connects with the gating at an angle that is within thirty degrees of the growth direction. ### Claim 7 A directional solidification casting assembly comprising: a directional solidification mold having an interior chamber with a shape of an object to be cast using directional solidification of molten metal in a growth direction of the mold; and a feed line conduit having a length that extends from a first open end to a second open end, the first open end of the feed line conduit fluidly coupled with a container source of the molten metal, the second open end of the feed line conduit fluidly coupled with the mold at a gating, the feed line conduit configured to convey the molten metal into the mold through the gating for directional solidification of the object to be cast in the mold, wherein the feed line conduit connects with the gating in a downward direction that is oriented at an angle that is closer to the growth direction than to another direction that is perpendicular to the growth direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 7, wherein the feed line conduit connects with the gating at an angle that is within thirty degrees of the growth direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 7, wherein at least a downstream portion of the feed line conduit that is between an intermediate location of the feed line conduit and the second open end of the feed line conduit is located below the gating along the growth direction of the mold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 7, wherein the mold is configured to receive the molten metal for directionally solidifying the object as a single crystal grain structure in the mold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 7, wherein the feed line conduit has a bend in the length of the feed line conduit such that a downstream segment of the feed line conduit and an upstream portion of the feed line conduit between the first open end and the bend are both located above the bend in the feed line conduit along the growth direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 7, further comprising: an anchor coupled with the feed line conduit at an intermediate location of the feed line conduit and configured to hold the intermediate location of the feed line conduit below the first and second open ends of the feed line conduit along the growth direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 7, wherein a downstream portion of the feed line conduit is angled upward toward the gating along the growth direction of the mold. ### Claim 14 A directional solidification casting assembly comprising: a directional solidification mold having an interior chamber with a shape of an object to be cast using directional solidification of molten metal along a growth direction of the mold; and a feed line conduit configured to be fluidly coupled with a container source of the molten metal and with the mold, the feed line conduit connected with the mold along a downward direction that is oriented closer to the growth direction of the mold than along another direction that is perpendicular to the growth direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 14, wherein the feed line conduit is coupled with the mold at a gating of the mold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 14, wherein the feed line conduit connects with the mold at an angle that is within thirty degrees of the growth direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 14, wherein the feed line conduit includes a downstream portion between an intermediate location of the feed line conduit and an open end of the feed line conduit that connects with the mold, the downstream portion of the feed line conduit is located below a location where the feed line conduit connects with the mold along the growth direction of the mold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 14, wherein the mold is configured to receive the molten metal for directionally solidifying the object as a single crystal grain structure in the mold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 14, wherein the feed line conduit has a bend such that (a) a downstream segment of the feed line conduit that is closer to the mold than the container source and (b) an upstream portion of the feed line conduit that is closer to the container source than the mold are both located above the bend in the feed line conduit along the growth direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The directional solidification casting assembly of claim 14, further comprising: an anchor coupled with the feed line conduit at an intermediate location of the feed line conduit, the anchor configured to hold the intermediate location of the feed line conduit below opposite open ends of the feed line conduit along the growth direction.