Pressurized feed-injection spray-forming apparatus
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsRay A. Berry, James R. Fincke, Kevin M. McHugh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spray apparatus and method for injecting a heated, pressurized liquid in a first predetermined direction into a pressurized gas flow that is flowing in a second predetermined direction, to provide for atomizing and admixing the liquid with the gas to form a two-phase mixture. A valve is also disposed within the injected liquid conduit to provide for a pulsed injection of the liquid and timed deposit of the atomized gas phase. Preferred embodiments include multiple liquid feed ports and reservoirs to provide for multiphase mixtures of metals, ceramics, and polymers.
Claims18
Apparatus for injecting a pressurized liquid metal into a pressurized high subsonic through supersonic gas flow, comprising:
- a. heated nozzle having a longitudinal geometry with an inlet and an outlet;
- b. a source of first pressurized, heated gas at the heated nozzle inlet;
- c. means for directing the gas to flow in a first predetermined direction to provide a first predetermined gas flow within the nozzle;
- d. a heated liquid reservoir and a second pressurized gas to control the temperature and pressure respectively of the liquid metal to within predetermined values;
- e. conduit means in fluid communication with said liquid reservoir for injecting said pressurized liquid metal into said first predetermined gas flow at a predetermined liquid metal feed port in the nozzle and the conduit means being in a second predetermined direction in the range from an acute angle to said first predetermined direction through 90.degree. to said first predetermined direction to provide for atomizing said liquid metal with said first gas within the nozzle for deposit of said atomized liquid metal after exiting the nozzle;
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- f. thereby controlling metal droplet size, droplet velocity and droplet heat content to uniformly deposit said metal.
Apparatus for injecting a pressurized liquid polymer into a pressurized high subsonic through supersonic gas flow, comprising:
- a. a source of first pressurized, heated gas at a heated nozzle inlet;
- b. means for directing the gas to flow in a first predetermined direction to provide a first predetermined gas flow within the nozzle;
- c. a heated liquid reservoir and a second pressurized gas to control the temperature and pressure respectively of the liquid polymer to within predetermined values;
- and
- d. conduit means in fluid communication with said liquid reservoir for injecting said pressurized liquid polymer into said first predetermined gas flow at a predetermined point of entry in the nozzle and the conduit means being in a second predetermined direction in the range from an acute angle to said first predetermined direction through 90.degree. to said first predetermined direction to provide for atomizing said liquid polymer with said first gas within the nozzle for deposit of said atomized liquid polymer after exiting the nozzle.
An apparatus for forming a matrix composite, comprising:
- a. an elongated nozzle having a converging section, a diverging section and a restricted throat section coupled therebetween;
- b. means for providing a pressurized gas flow along the length of said nozzle connected to said converging section;
- c. a first reservoir means for storing and independently pressurizing a first component of the composite;
- d. a first conduit means coupled to said first reservoir means for laterally injecting the first component of said composite into said gas flow at a point within said converging section;
- e. a second reservoir means for storing and independently pressurizing a second component of the composite, wherein said second component is a liquid metal;
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- f. a second conduit means coupled to said second reservoir means for laterally injecting the second component into said gas flow at a point within said diverging section, whereby said first and second components are atomized, mixed in selected proportions in said pressurized gas flow and deposited as a composite.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.