System and method for facilitating pulsed spray quench of extruded objects
AssigneeTesla, Inc.
InventorJared E. Ottmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for quenching an extrudate using an atomized spray of liquid are described. A system includes a billet die at a proximal end configured to accept a billet and form an extrudate, a quench chamber located adjacent to the billet die for receiving the extrudate and comprising at least one pulsed width modulation (PWM) atomizing spray nozzle and a control module in communication with the at least one PWM atomizing spray nozzle and configured to independently control a liquid pressure, a gas pressure, a spray frequency, a duty cycle and flow rate of each at least one PWM atomizing spray nozzle.
Claims21
(canceled)
A metal quenching process comprising:
- extruding an extrudate from a die at a first temperature;
- measuring a first profile of the extrudate;
- spraying the extrudate with atomized spray of a liquid;
- measuring a second profile of the extrudate after spraying the extrudate;
- obtaining a quenched extrudate at a second temperature;
- comparing the first profile to the second profile to determine an extrudate distortion;
- and
- adjusting a parameter of the atomized spray to reduce a subsequent extrudate distortion of a subsequent extrudate relative to the extrudate distortion.
A metal quenching system comprising:
- a billet die configured to accept a billet and form an extrudate;
- a quench chamber located adjacent to the billet die for receiving the extrudate and comprising at least one atomizing spray nozzle;
- a first profile scanner positioned to measure a first profile of the extrudate;
- a second profile scanner positioned to measure a second profile of the extrudate after quenching;
- and
- a control module in communication with the at least one atomizing spray nozzle and the first and second profile scanners, the control module configured to compare the first profile to the second profile to determine an extrudate distortion and adjust a parameter of the at least one atomizing spray nozzle to reduce a subsequent extrudate distortion.
A method for reducing distortion in a quenched metal extrudate comprising:
- extruding a metal extrudate from a die;
- obtaining profile measurements of the extrudate before and after quenching;
- calculating an extrudate distortion from the profile measurements;
- and
- adjusting at least one spray parameter of an atomizing spray system based on the calculated extrudate distortion to reduce distortion in a subsequent extrudate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.