Systems and methods for the controlling the temperature of powder hoppers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling the temperature in a powder funnel, thereby adjusting the temperature of a dry electrode precursor material. For example, a system may include at least one powder funnel, at least one heating element, and at least one calendering roll.

Description

System and method for controlling powder hopper temperature The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling the temperature in a powder hopper to adjust the temperature of a dry electrode precursor material. In the fields of forming products such as sheets, films, and webs, handling such products, and calendering, it is often necessary to precisely produce these products with minimal thickness variation. One method for maintaining minimal thickness variation and achieving uniform thermal expansion of the rolls used in forming these products is to heat the rolls to a uniform temperature. In the case of heated rolls, heat is often dissipated from the rolls and absorbed by the surrounding environment, including the powder hopper used to provide the raw materials for forming these products. Furthermore, when forming components for electrochemical cells, capacitors, or supercapacitors, proper temperature control of the raw materials is crucial. The raw materials used to form the electrodes of such electrochemical cells, capacitors, or supercapacitors must be processed at the correct temperature and pressure to form electrode layers that meet stringent thickness and uniformity specifications. The raw materials used to form the electrodes often include temperature-sensitive binders, so they must be maintained at a temperature lower than that of the rollers to prevent premature activation of the binder. Furthermore, the raw materials used to form the electrodes often need to be preheated before being introduced to the rollers. Therefore, there is a need to improve the powder funnel in terms of controlling the temperature of the powder funnel and the powder material contained in the powder funnel. In one embodiment, a system includes at least one powder hopper and at least one heating element; wherein the at least one heating element is configured to heat the powder hopper. In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing an electrode film includes: providing a dry electrode precursor material, at least one powder funnel, and at least one calendering roller, wherein the powder funnel includes at least one temperature control element, wherein the at least one temperature control element includes at least one heating element, at least one cooling element or a combination thereof; using the at least one temperature control element to adjust the temperature of the at least one powder funnel; and supplying the dry electrode precursor material to the at least one powder funnel; and causing the at least one calendering roller to contact the dry electrode precursor material. In one embodiment, a dry electrode is produced by the following steps: providing a dry electrode precursor material, at least one powder hopper, and at least one calendering roller, wherein the powder hopper includes at least one temperature control element; adjusting the temperature of the at least one powder hopper using the at least one temperature control element; supplying the dry electrode precursor material to the at least one powder hopper; and contacting the at least one calendering roller with the dry electrode precursor material. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a powder hopper includes: providing at least two powder hopper components; providing at least one heating element; coupling the at least one heating element to the at least two powder hopper components; and coupling the at least two powder hopper components. As used herein, unless the disclosed context indicates otherwise or is inconsistent with such an interpretation, the term "about" when used immediately before a numerical value means a range of plus or minus 10% of that value, e.g., "about 50" means 45 to 50, "about 25,000" means 22,500 to 27,500, and so forth. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in this application, which are intended to be illustrative of various aspects. A person skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. In addition to those listed herein, a person skilled in the art will readily appreciate functionally equivalent methods and apparatus within the scope of the present invention through the description. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims, together with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to specific methods, reagents, compounds, compositions, or biological systems, which may, of course, vary. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. As used in this document, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Nothing in this disclosure should be construed as an admission that the embodiments described herein are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. As used in this document, the term "comprising" means "including, but not limited to." Although various compositions, methods, and apparatus are described as “comprising” various components or steps (interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to”), the compositions, methods, and apparatus may also be “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of” (the various components and steps), and such terms should be interpreted to define essentially closed groups of components. For the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art may appropriately translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural, depending on the context and / or application. For clarity, various permutations and combinations of singular and plural may be explicitly set forth herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that, generally speaking, the terms used herein, and particularly the terms used in the accompanying claims (e.g., the body of the accompanying claims), are generally intended to be "open-ended" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," etc.). Those skilled in the art will further understand that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such intent will be expressly recited in the claim, and if such intent is absent, such intent is absent. For example, to aid understanding, the following accompanying claims may include the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that introducing claim recitations with the indefinite article "a" or "an," or even if the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" and "at least one," and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" or "an" should be construed to mean "at least one" or "one or more"), limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation; this also applies when a definite article is used to introduce a claim recitation. In addition, even if a specific number of claim recitations is explicitly stated, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that such recitation should be construed to mean at least the stated number (e.g., simply stating "two recitations" without other modifiers means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in instances where a convention such as "at least one of A, B, and C," is used, generally, this construction is intended to be understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" should include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). Those skilled in the art will further understand that, in practice, any transitional words and / or phrases indicating two or more alternative terms, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, should be understood to include the possibility of one, any, or both of these terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B." Furthermore, when features or aspects of the invention are described in terms of a Markush group, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is also thereby described in terms of any individual component or subgroup of components of the Markush group. Those skilled in the art will also understand that, for any and all purposes, such as providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges. Any listed range can be readily identified as fully descriptive and allows the same range to be broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, and so on. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, a middle third, an upper third, and so on. Those skilled in the art will also understand that all terms such as "at most," "at least," and the like include the recited number and refer to ranges that can subsequently be broken down into subranges as described above. Finally, those skilled in the art will understand that a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1 to 3 elements refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 elements. Similarly, a group having 1 to 5 elements refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 elements, and so on. The present invention is not limited to the specific systems, devices, and methods described, as these may vary. The terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of describing particular versions or embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. system The system can be assembled to assist in temperature control of a powder hopper. In some embodiments, the system comprises at least one powder hopper and at least one heating element configured to heat the powder hopper. In some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one heating element configured to cool the powder hopper. In some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one insulating layer configured to retain heat within the powder hopper and prevent heat from the surrounding environment from entering the rolling rollers. In some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one calendering roller. In some embodiments, the system is a calendering line. In some embodiments, the powder hopper may further comprise at least one powder material, such as a dry electrode powder precursor or other powder material. The powder hopper may further comprise one powder material or a mixture of two or more powder materials, such as two, three, four, five, six, or more different powder materials. Compared to the case without the method and materials, the temperature of the dry electrode powder precursor can be adjusted to a desired temperature using the method and materials. The temperature of the dry electrode powder precursor can generally be adjusted to a desired temperature range. For example, the temperature of the dry electrode powder precursor can generally be adjusted to a desired temperature with a tolerance of about 5°C, about 4°C, about 3°C, about 2°C, about 1°C, and ideally, about 0°C. FIG1 illustrates a system comprising at least one powder hopper 101 and at least one heating element 102 configured to heat the powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one powder hopper 101 comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, and the inner surface is configured to receive a dry electrode precursor material. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is disposed on the outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one calendering roller 105, and the calendering roller is configured to receive the dry electrode material from the at least one powder hopper 101. The at least one heating element 102 can generally be any heating element known to those skilled in the art that is effective in heating the at least one powder hopper 101. For example, the at least one heating element 102 can include at least one fluid heating channel, at least one resistive heating element, at least one inductive heating element, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is configured to cover the entire outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is configured to cover a portion of the entire outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. A gas distribution device 107 can be provided within the at least one powder hopper 101 to flush the powder hopper 101 with dry gas to prevent condensation. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is configured to heat the at least one powder hopper 101 to a known temperature and maintain the temperature of the at least one powder hopper 101 at the known temperature, wherein the known temperature corresponds to the known temperature of the dry electrode precursor material. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is configured to maintain the at least one powder hopper 101 at a temperature in the range of 0°C to 350°C, such as about 30°C, about 35°C, about 40°C, about 45°C, about 50°C, about 55°C, about 60°C, about 65°C, about 70°C, about 75°C, about 80°C, about 85°C, about 90°C, about 95°C, about 100°C, about 105°C, about 110°C, about 115°C, about 120°C, about C, about 125°C, about 130°C, about 135°C, about 140°C, about 145°C, about 150°C, about 160°C, about 170°C, about 180°C, about 190°C, about 200°C, about 210°C, about 220°C, about 230°C, about 240°C, about 250°C, about 260°C, about 270°C, about 280°C, about 290°C, about 300°C, about 325°C, about 350°C, or any value or range between any two of these values. FIG2 illustrates a system having at least one powder hopper 101 and at least one heating element 102 configured to heat the powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one powder hopper 101 includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and the inner surface is configured to receive a dry electrode precursor material. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is disposed on the outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one cooling element 103 configured to cool the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one calendering roller 105, and the calendering roller is configured to receive the dry electrode material from the at least one powder hopper 101. The at least one cooling element 103 can generally be any cooling element known to those skilled in the art that is effective in cooling the at least one powder hopper 101. For example, the at least one cooling element 103 can include at least one fluid heating channel, at least one thermoelectric cooler, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the at least one cooling element 103 is configured to cover the entire outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is configured to cover a portion of the entire outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. A gas distribution device 107 can be provided within the at least one powder hopper 101 to flush the powder hopper 101 with dry gas to prevent condensation. In some embodiments, the at least one cooling element 103 is configured to cool the at least one powder hopper 101 to a known temperature and maintain the temperature of the at least one powder hopper 101 at the known temperature, wherein the known temperature corresponds to the known temperature of the dry electrode precursor material. In some embodiments, the at least one cooling element 103 is configured to maintain the at least one powder hopper 101 at the following temperatures: about 20°C, about 25°C, about 30°C, about 35°C, about 40°C, about 45°C, about 50°C, about 55°C, about 60°C, about 65°C, about 70°C, about 75°C, about 80°C, about 85°C, about 90°C, about 95°C, about 100°C, about 105°C, about 110°C, about 115°C, about 120°C, about C, about 125°C, about 130°C, about 135°C, about 140°C, about 145°C, about 150°C, about 160°C, about 170°C, about 180°C, about 190°C, about 200°C, about 210°C, about 220°C, about 230°C, about 240°C, about 250°C, about 260°C, about 270°C, about 280°C, about 290°C, about 300°C, about 325°C, about 350°C, or any value or range therebetween. FIG3 illustrates a system having at least one powder hopper 101 and at least one heating element 102 configured to heat the powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one powder hopper 101 includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and the inner surface is configured to receive a dry electrode precursor material. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is disposed on the outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one cooling element 103 configured to cool the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one calendering roller 105, and the calendering roller is configured to receive the dry electrode material from the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one insulating layer 106. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer 106 is disposed on an outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer 106 is configured to cover the entire outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer 106 is configured to cover a portion of the entire outer surface of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element 102 is positioned between the at least one powder hopper 101 and the at least one insulating layer 106. In some embodiments, the at least one cooling element 103 is disposed between the at least one powder hopper 101 and the at least one insulating layer 106. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer 106 is configured to retain heat within the at least one powder hopper 101. Retaining heat within the at least one powder hopper 101 allows for more precise control of the temperature of the at least one powder hopper 101 and limits heat within the at least one powder hopper 101 from escaping into the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer 106 is configured to prevent heat from the surrounding environment of the at least one powder hopper 101 from entering the at least one powder hopper 101. A gas distribution device 107 may be provided within the at least one powder hopper 101 for flushing the powder hopper 101 with dry gas to prevent condensation. The at least one insulating layer 106 can be comprised of any material known to those skilled in the art as being effective as a thermal insulator. For example, the at least one insulating layer 106 can be comprised of carbon fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, mineral wool, PTFE, PEEK, nylon, polypropylene, vacuum insulation panels, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer 106 has a thickness of approximately 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 11 mm, 12 mm, 13 mm, 14 mm, 15 mm, 16 mm, 17 mm, 18 mm, 19 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, or 30 mm, or any value or range therebetween. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one temperature sensor is located inside the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the at least one temperature sensor is located outside the at least one powder hopper 101. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one processing device. In some embodiments, the at least one temperature sensor is configured to transmit the temperature measurement to the at least one processing device. Each of the at least one temperature sensor can be configured to transmit the temperature measurement to a display device via a wired or wireless connection (such as via the Internet, WiFi, or Bluetooth). How to use A method for manufacturing an electrode film by implementing the system for controlling the temperature of a powder hopper. FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing an electrode film. The method includes providing a dry electrode precursor material, at least one powder hopper, and at least one calendering roller, wherein the powder hopper includes at least one temperature control element (401). The method further includes using the at least one temperature control element to adjust the temperature of the at least one powder hopper (402); supplying the dry electrode precursor material to the at least one powder hopper (403); and contacting the at least one calendering roller with the dry electrode precursor material (404). In some embodiments, the at least one temperature control element comprises at least one heating element, and adjusting the temperature of the at least one powder hopper comprises heating the powder hopper (402). In some embodiments, the at least one heating element can heat the at least one powder hopper by any method known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the at least one heating element can heat the at least one powder hopper by passing a fluid through a fluid heating channel, using a resistive heating element, using an inductive heating element, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the at least one temperature control element comprises at least one cooling element, and adjusting the temperature of the at least one powder hopper comprises cooling the powder hopper (402). In some embodiments, the at least one cooling element can heat the at least one powder hopper by any method known to one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the at least one cooling element can cool the at least one powder hopper by passing a cooling fluid through a fluid cooling channel, using a thermoelectric cooler, or a combination thereof. The temperature of the at least one powder hopper can generally be adjusted to any temperature known to one of ordinary skill in the art (402). In some embodiments, the temperature of the at least one powder hopper is maintained at a level within the range of 0°C to 350°C, such as about 20°C, about 25°C, 30°C, about 35°C, about 40°C, about 45°C, about 50°C, about 55°C, about 60°C, about 65°C, about 70°C, about 75°C, about 80°C, about 85°C, about 90°C, about 95°C, about 100°C, about 105°C, about 110°C, about 115°C, about 120°C, about 125°C, about 130°C, about 135°C, about 140°C, about 150°C, about 160°C, about 170°C, about 180°C, about 190°C, about 200°C, about 210°C, about 220°C, about 230°C, about 240°C, about 250°C, about 260°C, about 270°C, about 280°C, about 290°C, about 300°C, about 310°C, about 320°C, about 330°C, about 340°C, about 350°C °C, about 130°C, about 135°C, about 140°C, about 145°C, about 150°C, about 160°C, about 170°C, about 180°C, about 190°C, about 200°C, about 210°C, about 220°C, about 230°C, about 240°C, about 250°C, about 260°C, about 270°C, about 280°C, about 290°C, about 300°C, about 325°C, about 350°C, or any value or range therebetween. In some embodiments, the temperature of the powder hopper is maintained at about 20°C to about 350°C, about 20°C to about 200°C, about 20°C to about 40°C, about 60°C to about 150°C, about 90°C to about 120°C, or any value or range between any two of these values. Manufacturing method A method can be assembled to manufacture a powder hopper comprising at least one heating element. The method comprises: providing at least two powder hopper components; providing at least one temperature control element; joining the at least one temperature control element to the at least two powder hopper components; and joining the at least two powder hopper components. The at least two powder hopper components can be manufactured using any method known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the at least two powder hopper components are manufactured using CNC machining, forging, investment casting, injection molding, pressure die casting, additive manufacturing, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the at least one temperature control element comprises at least one heating element. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element can be manufactured by any manufacturing process known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the at least one heating element is manufactured by mechanical alloying, combustion synthesis, shock synthesis, hot isostatic pressing, gas metal arc welding, arc welding, tungsten inert gas welding, flux core arc welding, sputtering deposition, extrusion, CNC machining, forging, investment casting, injection molding, pressure die casting, additive manufacturing, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the at least one temperature control element comprises at least one cooling element. In some embodiments, the at least one cooling element can be manufactured by any manufacturing process known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the at least one cooling element is manufactured by mechanical alloying, gas metal arc welding, arc welding, tungsten inert gas welding, flux-cored arc welding, directional crystallization, pressed powder metallurgy, extrusion, CNC machining, forging, investment casting, injection molding, pressure die casting, additive manufacturing, or a combination thereof. The at least one temperature control element may be joined to the at least two powder hopper components by any method known to those skilled in the art. For example, the at least one temperature control element and the at least two powder hopper components may be joined by gas metal arc welding, arc welding, tungsten inert gas welding, flux-cored arc welding, soldering, blending, adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the at least two powder hopper components can be joined by any process known to those skilled in the art that is effective for joining metal parts. For example, the at least two powder hopper components can be joined by gas metal arc welding, arc welding, tungsten inert gas welding, flux-cored arc welding, welding, hybrid welding, adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method further includes manufacturing at least one insulating layer. The at least one insulating layer can be manufactured by any manufacturing process known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer is manufactured by transfer molding, injection molding, melt molding, compression molding, vacuum forming, pultrusion, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the at least one insulating layer is bonded to the at least two powder hopper components. The at least one insulating layer can be bonded to the at least two powder hopper components by any method known to those skilled in the art. For example, the at least one insulating layer can be bonded to the at least two powder hopper components by adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, or a combination thereof. Various of the above-described and other features and functions, or alternatives thereto, may be combined into many other different systems, methods, or applications. Various presently unthought-of or unanticipated substitutions, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be encompassed by the disclosed embodiments. 101: Powder hopper 102: Heating element 103: Cooling element 105: Calendering roller 106: Insulation layer 107: Gas distribution device 401, 402, 403, 404: Steps The aspects, features, benefits, and advantages of the embodiments described herein will be readily understood after reference to the following detailed description, accompanying claims, and accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 depicts a schematic system of a powder hopper with temperature control according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 depicts a schematic system of a powder hopper with temperature control, according to one embodiment. FIG3 depicts a schematic system with a temperature-controlled powder hopper according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an electrode according to an embodiment. 101: Powder Funnel 102: Heating element 105: calendering roller 107: Gas distribution device

Claims

1. A system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel, comprising a powder funnel (101) including two sidewalls; a plurality of cooling elements (103) configured to cool the powder funnel (101); a plurality of heating elements (102) configured to heat the powder funnel (101); wherein the cooling elements (103) and the heating elements (102) are sandwiched between a first sidewall of one of the two sidewalls and a first insulating layer (106); and a gas distribution device (107) configured to flush the powder funnel (101) with a dry gas.

2. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the heating elements (102) comprises: at least one fluid cooling channel and / or heating channel, at least one inductive heating element, at least one resistive heating element, or a combination thereof.

3. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the cooling elements (103) comprises: at least one fluid cooling channel, at least one thermoelectric cooler, or a combination thereof.

4. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer (106) comprises: glass fiber, mineral wool, PTFE, PEEK, nylon, polypropylene, vacuum insulation board or a combination thereof.

5. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising at least one temperature sensor and at least one processing device, wherein: The at least one temperature sensor is disposed inside the powder funnel (101); and the at least one temperature sensor is configured to transmit temperature measurements to the at least one processing device.

6. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as described in claim 5, further comprising at least one temperature sensor and at least one processing device, wherein: The at least one temperature sensor is disposed on the outside of the powder funnel (101); and the at least one temperature sensor is configured to transmit temperature measurements to the at least one processing device.

7. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as described in claim 1, wherein the gas distribution device (107) is configured to prevent condensation.

8. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder funnel (101) is maintained at a temperature of about 0°C to about 350°C.

9. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder funnel (101) is maintained at a temperature of about 20°C to about 300°C.

10. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder funnel (101) is maintained at a temperature of about 40°C to about 200°C.

11. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder funnel (101) is maintained at a temperature of about 60°C to about 150°C.

12. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder funnel (101) is maintained at a temperature of about 90°C to about 120°C.

13. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder funnel (101) component is manufactured by CNC machining, forging, die casting, injection molding, pressure casting, laminated manufacturing, or a combination thereof.

14. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling elements (103) and the heating elements (102) are manufactured by mechanical alloying, combustion synthesis, impact synthesis, hot isostatic pressing, arc welding sputtering deposition, extrusion, CNC machining, forging, die casting, injection molding, pressure die casting, layering, directional crystallization, pressed powder metallurgy, or a combination thereof.

15. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling elements (103) and the heating elements (102) are joined to the first sidewall of the powder funnel by means of: gas metal arc welding, arc welding, tungsten inert gas welding, flux-cored arc welding, welding, mixing, adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, or a combination thereof.

16. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two sidewalls of the powder funnel (101) are joined by means of: gas metal arc welding, arc welding, tungsten inert gas welding, flux-cored arc welding, welding, mixing, adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, or a combination thereof.

17. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling elements (103) and the heating elements (102) are positioned alternately between the first sidewall and the first insulating layer (106).

18. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second cooling element (103) and a second heating element (102) sandwiched between a second sidewall and a second insulating layer (106).

19. The system for controlling the temperature of a powder funnel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the cooling elements (103) and the heating elements (102) are positioned alternately between the second sidewall and the second insulating layer (106).

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