Additive manufacturing method for SRF components of various geometries
AssigneeJefferson Science Associates, LLC
InventorsRobert Rimmer, Pedro E. Frigola, Alex Y. Murokh
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Abstract
An additive manufacturing method for forming nearly monolithic SRF niobium cavities and end group components of arbitrary shape with features such as optimized wall thickness and integral stiffeners, greatly reducing the cost and technical variability of conventional cavity construction. The additive manufacturing method for forming an SRF cavity, includes atomizing niobium to form a niobium powder, feeding the niobium powder into an electron beam melter under a vacuum, melting the niobium powder under a vacuum in the electron beam melter to form an SRF cavity; and polishing the inside surface of the SRF cavity.
Claims18
An additive manufacturing method for forming a superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavity, comprising:
- a) atomizing a thin niobium wire in a vacuum under an inert gas atmosphere to form a niobium powder;
- b) maintaining said niobium powder in a sealed container in a vacuum under a blanket of inert gas;
- c) feeding said niobium powder into the electron beam melter under vacuum;
- d) raking the niobium powder over the vertically adjustable surface to form a powder layer;
- e) melting the niobium powder under a vacuum in the electron beam melter to form a cross-section of the SRF cavity;
- f) lowering said vertically adjustable surface;
- g) repeating steps c through f to form additional cross-sections of the SRF cavity;
- and
- h) polishing the inside of the SRF cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.