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US 9,511,345 B1Granted
Substrate fabrication
OwnerCharles E. Ramberg, Stephen A. Dynaninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for fabricating bodies (e.g., porous bodies) are described. Various aspects provide for reactors and the fabrication of reactors. Some reactors include surfaces that provide for heterogeneous reactions involving a fluid (and/or components thereof). A fluid may be a gas and/or a liquid. A contaminant in the fluid (e.g., a dissolved or suspended substance) may react in a reaction. A contaminant may be filtered from a fluid. Some reactors provide for independent control of heat transfer (between the fluid, the reactor, and the environment) with respect to mass transfer (e.g., fluid flow through the reactor).
Claims19
A system for fabricating a structure from a plurality of bonded layers, the system comprising:
- a container having a movable bottom configured to descend a distance from a top level of the container to a plurality of depths within the container;
- a carrier configured to contain a first particulate precursor material spatially separated from a second particulate precursor material, the carrier configured to dispense a layer of the particulate precursor materials onto the bottom of the container or a previously dispensed layer on the bottom;
- and
- a bonder configured to bond a portion of the dispensed layer to create a solidified portion of the precursor materials, wherein the bonder comprises an inkjet configured to dispense an activator onto a dispensed layer, and the activator includes an aqueous liquid;
- the carrier, bonder, and bottom configured to perform an iterative process comprising:
- dispensing a first layer;
- bonding a first portion of the first layer;
- descending the bottom;
- dispensing a second layer onto the first layer;
- and
- bonding a second portion of the second layer;
- to fabricate a structure comprising a plurality of solidified portions of layers of bonded precursor material such that the dispensed layers have a first region comprising the first particulate precursor material and a second region comprising the second particulate precursor material.
9 more elements
A system for fabricating a structure from a plurality of bonded layers, the system comprising:
- a container having a movable bottom configured to descend a distance from a top level of the container to a plurality of depths within the container;
- a carrier configured to configured to dispense a layer of one or more particulate precursor materials onto the bottom of the container or a previously dispensed layer on the bottom, the carrier further configured to:
- contain a first particulate precursor material;
- dispense a first layer comprising the first particulate precursor material, receive a second particulate precursor material;
- and
- dispense a second layer comprising the second particulate precursor material onto the first layer;
- and
- a bonder configured to bond a portion of a previously dispensed layer to create a solidified portion of the dispensed precursor material, wherein the bonder comprises an inkjet configured to dispense an activator onto a dispensed layer, and the activator includes an aqueous liquid;
- the carrier, bonder, and bottom configured to perform an iterative process comprising:
- dispensing a lower layer;
- bonding a first portion of the lower layer;
- descending the bottom;
- dispensing subsequent layer onto the lower layer;
- and
- bonding a second portion of the subsequent layer;
- to fabricate a structure comprising a plurality of solidified portions of layers of bonded precursor material,
- the structure further comprising a first region comprising the first precursor material bonded to a second region comprising the second precursor material.
14 more elements
A system for fabricating a structure from a plurality of bonded layers, the system comprising:
- a container having a movable bottom configured to descend a distance from a top level of the container to a plurality of depths within the container;
- a carrier configured to contain a first particulate precursor material spatially separated from a second particulate precursor material, the carrier configured to dispense a layer of the particulate precursor materials onto the bottom of the container or a previously dispensed layer on the bottom;
- and
- a bonder configured to bond a portion of the dispensed layer to create a solidified portion of the precursor materials;
- the carrier, bonder, and bottom configured to perform an iterative process comprising:
- dispensing a first layer;
- bonding a first portion of the first layer;
- descending the bottom;
- dispensing a second layer onto the first layer;
- and
- bonding a second portion of the second layer;
- to fabricate a structure comprising a plurality of solidified portions of layers of bonded precursor material such that the dispensed layers have a first region comprising the first particulate precursor material and a second region comprising the second particulate precursor material, the system further comprising at least one particulate precursor material that has a particle size distribution that is at least bimodal.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.