Additive manufacturing device with waste heat recovery system and method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and particularly discloses an additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system and a method. Comprises: an additive manufacturing module comprising a protective atmosphere for cooling a deposition layer; the first thermoelectric conversion module is used for exchanging heat with heat which is carried by the protective atmosphere and exchanges heat with the deposition layer; the second thermoelectric conversion module is used for exchanging heat with a substrate in the additive manufacturing module; the thermal control module is communicated with the first thermoelectric conversion module and the second thermoelectric conversion module through a cooling medium pipeline and is used for carrying out heat exchange with the first thermoelectric conversion module and the second thermoelectric conversion module through a cooling medium; and the power storage module is used for converting the heat energy collected by the first thermoelectric conversion module and the second thermoelectric conversion module into electric energy and providing the electric energy for the additive manufacturing module. Waste heat utilization in the additive manufacturing process is achieved, energy consumption of equipment is reduced, and waste heat generated by the equipment is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and more specifically, relates to an additive manufacturing device and method with a waste heat recovery system. Background Art

[0002] In the use scenario of space manufacturing, the power of electrical equipment is generally provided by solar panels absorbing solar energy. The larger the power load, the larger the corresponding solar sail area. Electrical devices release a lot of heat during operation. Due to the microgravity and thermal vacuum environment in space, natural convection cannot be formed. Heat is only released to the outside in a small amount through thermal radiation. Most of the heat will accumulate inside the equipment, causing instrument and equipment failure. In the space environment, the heat dissipation of electrical equipment is generally achieved through the skin facing away from the sun and the radiant heat sink. The heat is dissipated into the universe in the form of radiant heat dissipation. The radiant heat dissipation area directly affects the heat dissipation power. The increase in heat load means that the thermal control system needs a larger radiant heat dissipation area. The increase in the area of ​​solar panels and radiant heat sinks will directly lead to an increase in the manufacturing cost of space facilities such as satellites, spacecraft, space stations, and space base stations. At the same time, it will also increase their mass and further increase the launch cost.

[0003] To solve the above problems, in the field of nanosatellites, there is currently a fluid circuit control device suitable for nanosatellite thermal control systems. The fluid circuit control device combines microchannel heat exchange technology with heat-to-electric conversion technology to form forced convection heat exchange in the fluid circuit of the nanosatellite thermal control system. The fluid circuit control device installs microchannel heat exchangers on the onboard equipment on the existing nanosatellite, and then connects the two ends of each microchannel heat exchanger to the upper conduit to form a forced convection fluid circuit. The fluid circuit can reuse the heat generated by the onboard equipment when it is working, saving the energy of the nanosatellite and providing conditions for the long-term service of the nanosatellite. The active thermal control method of main circuit self-drive and bypass auxiliary control is adopted in the fluid circuit. The self-drive design converts the waste heat of the nanosatellite into electrical energy to drive the fluid circuit to dissipate heat, realizes the closed-loop control of the thermal control system, and reduces the power consumption of the nanosatellite. The bypass auxiliary control design can control the internal temperature of the nanosatellite by controlling the heat radiated by the nanosatellite to the outer space.

[0004] In the field of additive manufacturing technology, the application of additive manufacturing equipment in space environments also faces heat dissipation problems. Existing additive manufacturing equipment only considers improving the mechanical properties of deposited parts and technical improvements to adapt to microgravity in the use scenarios of space microgravity and thermal vacuum, and has not proposed a solution to the problem of waste heat in the additive process from an economic perspective. The above-mentioned fluid circuit control device suitable for nanosatellite thermal control systems proposes a method of utilizing waste heat, but it is only applicable to the field of nanosatellites. To solve the heat dissipation problem of additive manufacturing equipment, an adaptive solution is still needed. The multiple heat exchangers in the fluid circuit of the above-mentioned device are connected in series, which makes it difficult to flexibly control the heat exchange capacity of each heat exchanger. At the same time, the device does not have interfaces for the cooling medium circuit and the power circuit, and does not consider the replaceability of the payload and the scalability of the device. Summary of the invention

[0005] In response to the above defects or improvement needs of the prior art, the present invention provides an additive manufacturing device and method with a waste heat recovery system, wherein the additive manufacturing module has atmosphere protection, and the protective atmosphere is driven by a fan to cool the deposition layer, and the airflow exchanges heat with the thermal-electric conversion module through the fin heat sink. The thermal-electric conversion module exchanges heat with the substrate of the additive manufacturing module, and cools the deposition layer through the substrate. The low-temperature cooling medium flows out of the thermal control module and exchanges heat with the thermal-electric conversion module, and the electric energy generated by the thermal-electric conversion module is collected by the power storage module, thereby realizing the utilization of waste heat in the additive manufacturing process, reducing the energy consumption of the equipment, and effectively reducing the waste heat generated by the equipment.

[0006] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, an additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system is provided, comprising:

[0007] An additive manufacturing module, the additive manufacturing module comprising an atmosphere protection unit and a driving unit for driving the protective atmosphere in the atmosphere protection unit to form convection;

[0008] A first thermoelectric conversion module is used to perform heat exchange with the heat carried by the protective atmosphere and heat exchanged with the deposited layer;

[0009] A second thermoelectric conversion module, used for heat exchange with the substrate in the additive manufacturing module;

[0010] a thermal control module, connected to the first thermoelectric conversion module and the second thermoelectric conversion module through a cooling medium pipeline, and used for performing heat exchange with the first thermoelectric conversion module and the second thermoelectric conversion module through the cooling medium;

[0011] The power storage module is used to convert the thermal energy collected by the first thermoelectric conversion module and the second thermoelectric conversion module into electrical energy, and provide electrical energy for the additive manufacturing module.

[0012] As further preferred, the additive manufacturing module includes a fin heat sink, and the protective atmosphere exchanges heat with the first thermoelectric conversion module through the fin heat sink;

[0013] The thermal control module comprises a liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate, in which a first disc-shaped flow channel for the flow of a cooling medium is provided. When the cooling medium flows through the disc-shaped flow channel, it exchanges heat with the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate.

[0014] As further preferred, the protective atmosphere includes any one or more mixtures of helium, neon, argon and xenon;

[0015] The fin heat sink is made of any one of copper, aluminum and iron, and its heat absorption power is 300-700W.

[0016] As a further preferred embodiment, the first thermoelectric conversion module includes a first semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet and a first heat exchange copper plate. The high temperature end of the first semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the liquid cooling copper plate, and the low temperature end is attached to the first heat exchange copper plate. The first heat exchange copper plate is attached and fixedly connected to the fin heat sink.

[0017] As a further preferred embodiment, the second thermoelectric conversion module includes a second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet and a second heat exchange copper plate. The low-temperature end of the second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate, and the high-temperature end of the second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the second heat exchange copper plate. The second heat exchange copper plate is attached and fixedly connected to the substrate.

[0018] As a further preference, thermal conductive silicone grease is coated between the second heat exchange copper plate and the substrate.

[0019] As a further preferred embodiment, the thermal control module includes a circulation pump, a first cooling medium pipeline and a third cooling medium pipeline, the circulation pump is connected to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate, the first cooling medium pipeline is used to connect the circulation pump and the first thermoelectric conversion module so that the cooling medium forms a first circulation loop; the third cooling medium pipeline is used to connect the circulation pump and the second thermoelectric conversion module so that the cooling medium forms a second circulation loop.

[0020] As further preferred, a first electric flow regulating valve is provided on the first cooling medium pipeline, and a second electric flow regulating valve is provided on the third cooling medium pipeline.

[0021] As further preferred, the power storage module includes a battery, and the battery is respectively connected to the first thermoelectric conversion module, the second thermoelectric conversion module and the additive manufacturing module through a cable assembly.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an additive manufacturing method with a waste heat recovery system, comprising the following steps:

[0023] Step 1: the additive manufacturing module performs printing according to the set printing parameters, and the driving unit drives the protective atmosphere in the atmosphere protection unit to form convection to perform heat exchange with the fin heat sink;

[0024] Step 2: The thermal control module identifies the temperature of the fin heat sink and controls the flow rate and flow velocity of the cooling medium according to the temperature, so that the first thermoelectric conversion module exchanges heat with the fin heat sink, and at the same time, the second thermoelectric conversion module exchanges heat with the substrate in the additive manufacturing module;

[0025] Step three, the power storage module is used to convert the thermal energy collected by the first thermoelectric conversion module and the second thermoelectric conversion module into electrical energy, and provide electrical energy for the additive manufacturing module.

[0026] In general, the above technical solution conceived by the present invention has the following technical advantages compared with the prior art:

[0027] 1. The additive manufacturing module of the present invention has atmosphere protection, and the protective atmosphere is driven by a fan to cool the deposited layer. The airflow exchanges heat with the heat-to-electric conversion module through the fin heat sink. The heat-to-electric conversion module exchanges heat with the substrate of the additive manufacturing module, and the deposited layer is cooled through the substrate. The low-temperature cooling medium flows out of the thermal control module and exchanges heat with the heat-to-electric conversion module. The electric energy generated by the heat-to-electric conversion module is collected by the power storage module, thereby realizing the waste heat utilization of the additive manufacturing process, reducing the energy consumption of the equipment, and effectively reducing the waste heat generated by the equipment.

[0028] 2. The present invention introduces a heat-to-electric conversion module to generate electricity using the heat generated during the additive process, thereby reducing waste heat generated by the device and improving the energy utilization rate of the device. The first heat-to-electric conversion module, the second heat-to-electric conversion module and the thermal control module are connected in parallel, and an electric flow control valve is used to control the flow of the cooling medium flowing through the first heat-to-electric conversion module and the second heat-to-electric conversion module, respectively, to achieve free regulation of the heat exchange amount of two different heat exchange forms, air cooling and substrate cooling, of the additive manufacturing device.

[0029] 3. The liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate of the thermal control module of the present invention is connected to the system by a quick connector, and heat conduction and heat exchange can be performed between the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate and the temperature control system of space facilities such as satellites, spacecraft, space stations, and space base stations. Alternatively, the liquid-cooled copper plate can be disassembled, and the pipelines of the thermal control module can be conveniently connected to the pipelines of the temperature control system of the space facility through the quick connector, and the cooling medium of the temperature control system of the space facility can be directly introduced to quickly connect the additive manufacturing equipment to the temperature control system of the space facility.

[0030] 4. The power storage module of the equipment of the present invention adopts a cable quick connector access system, which is convenient for subsequent module replacement or rapid integration of additive manufacturing equipment into the power system of space facilities such as satellites, spacecraft, space stations, and space base stations.

[0031] 5. The present invention innovatively improves the traditional PID control formula and introduces adaptive and predictive mechanisms to improve the efficiency and response speed of the thermal management system of the additive manufacturing device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] In all the drawings, the same figure marks represent the same technical features, specifically: 1-additive manufacturing module, 2-first heat-to-electric conversion module, 3-second heat-to-electric conversion module, 4-power storage module, 5-thermal control module, 6-liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate, 7-circulation pump, 8-first electric flow control valve, 9-second electric flow control valve, 10-heat collected by the fin radiator, 11-first cooling medium pipeline, 12-second cooling medium pipeline, 13-third cooling medium pipeline, 14-second cooling medium pipeline, 15-first cable, 16-second cable, 17-third cable, 18-heat collected by the substrate of the additive manufacturing module 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, an additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes: an additive manufacturing module 1, wherein the additive manufacturing module 1 includes an atmosphere protection unit and a driving unit for driving the protective atmosphere in the atmosphere protection unit to form convection; a first thermal-to-electric conversion module 2, used for heat exchange with the heat carried by the protective atmosphere and exchanged with the deposition layer; a second thermal-to-electric conversion module 3, used for heat exchange with the substrate in the additive manufacturing module 1; a thermal control module 5, which is connected to the first thermal-to-electric conversion module 2 and the second thermal-to-electric conversion module 3 through a cooling medium pipeline, and is used for heat exchange with the first thermal-to-electric conversion module 2 and the second thermal-to-electric conversion module 3 through a cooling medium; a power storage module 4, which is used to convert the thermal energy collected by the first thermal-to-electric conversion module 2 and the second thermal-to-electric conversion module 3 into electrical energy, and provide electrical energy for the additive manufacturing module 1.

[0036] Based on the above embodiment, the additive manufacturing module 1 includes a finned heat sink, and the protective atmosphere exchanges heat with the first heat-to-electric conversion module 2 through the finned heat sink; the thermal control module 5 includes a liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate 6, and the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate 6 is provided with a first disc-shaped flow channel for the flow of cooling medium. When the cooling medium flows through the disc-shaped flow channel, it exchanges heat with the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate 6. The first heat-to-electric conversion module 2 includes a first semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet and a first heat exchange copper plate, the high temperature end of the first semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate 6, and the low temperature end is attached to the first heat exchange copper plate, and the first heat exchange copper plate is attached and fixedly connected to the finned heat sink. The second heat-to-electric conversion module 3 includes a second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet and a second heat exchange copper plate, the low temperature end of the second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate 6, and the high temperature end is attached to the second heat exchange copper plate, and the second heat exchange copper plate is attached and fixedly connected to the substrate. The thermal control module 5 includes a circulation pump 7, a first cooling medium pipeline 11 and a third cooling medium pipeline 13. The circulation pump 7 is connected to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate 6. The first cooling medium pipeline 11 is used to connect the circulation pump 7 and the first heat-to-electric conversion module 2 so that the cooling medium forms a first circulation loop; the third cooling medium pipeline 13 is used to connect the circulation pump 7 and the second heat-to-electric conversion module 3 so that the cooling medium forms a second circulation loop. The first cooling medium pipeline 11 is provided with a first electric flow regulating valve 8, and the third cooling medium pipeline 13 is provided with a second electric flow regulating valve 9.

[0037] More specifically, the finned heat sink is used to collect the heat of the protective atmosphere, and the heat 10 collected by the finned heat sink is transferred to the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate 6 through the first heat exchange copper plate and the first semiconductor temperature difference power generation plate, that is, the high temperature end of the first semiconductor temperature difference power generation plate is attached to the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate 6, and its low temperature end is attached to the first heat exchange copper plate. The second heat-to-electric conversion module 3 is connected to the power storage module 4 through the first cable 15. The heat 18 collected by the substrate of the additive manufacturing module 1 is transferred to the second heat-to-electric conversion module 3, and the second heat-to-electric conversion module 3 is connected to the power storage module 4 through the second cable 16, and the power storage module 4 is connected to the additive manufacturing module 1 through the third cable 17. In addition, the first heat-to-electric conversion module 2 is connected to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate 6 through the second cooling medium pipeline 12, and the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate 6 is connected to the first heat-to-electric conversion module 2 through the first cooling medium pipeline 11 to form a circulation loop of the coolant. Correspondingly, the second heat-to-electric conversion module 3 is connected to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate 6 through the fourth cooling medium pipeline 14, and the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate 6 is connected to the second heat-to-electric conversion module 3 through the third cooling medium pipeline 13 to form a circulation loop of the coolant.

[0038] Based on any of the above embodiments or a combination of multiple embodiments, the protective atmosphere includes a mixture of any one or more of helium, neon, argon, and xenon; the fin heat sink is made of any one of copper, aluminum, and iron, and its heat absorption power is 300 to 700W.

[0039] In addition, based on any of the above embodiments or a combination of multiple embodiments, in this embodiment, the additive manufacturing module 1 also includes a thorn member for additive manufacturing, and the thorn member is provided with a micro-convex fin that uses capillary adsorption force to adsorb the liquid metal for additive to the body in a zero-gravity environment. The thorn member also includes a thorn rod, and a plurality of micro-convex fins are arranged in an array along the circumference of the thorn rod to form a ring-shaped micro-convex wing-shaped structure. The micro-convex fin is provided with a thorn wire, and the angle between the thorn wire and the central axis of the thorn rod is non-right angle. The angle between the thorn wire and the central axis of the thorn rod is an acute angle. The diameter of the thorn wire is not greater than the thickness of the single-layer metal droplet cladding to achieve a good capillary adsorption effect. In this way, it can be applied to the field of laser wire feeding additive manufacturing in a zero-gravity environment in space, and the capillary adsorption force between solid and liquid can be used to more effectively complete the adsorption molding of liquid materials. The use of a micro-convex fin design on the thorn wire can multiply the capillary adsorption force compared to the light rod. This is extremely effective for the laser wire feeding additive process in a zero-gravity environment in space. On the whole, it replaces the effect of gravity and exceeds the effect of gravity.

[0040] Based on any of the above embodiments or a combination of multiple embodiments, thermal conductive silicone grease is also coated between the second heat exchange copper plate and the base plate.

[0041] In addition, this embodiment also provides an additive manufacturing method with a waste heat recovery system, comprising the following steps:

[0042] Step 1: the additive manufacturing module 1 performs printing according to the set printing parameters, and the driving unit drives the protective atmosphere in the atmosphere protection unit to form convection to perform heat exchange with the fin heat sink;

[0043] Step 2: The thermal control module 5 identifies the temperature of the finned heat sink and controls the flow rate and flow velocity of the cooling medium according to the temperature, so that the first heat-to-electric conversion module 2 performs heat exchange with the finned heat sink, and at the same time, the second heat-to-electric conversion module 3 performs heat exchange with the substrate in the additive manufacturing module 1;

[0044] Step three, the power storage module 4 is used to convert the thermal energy collected by the first thermal-electric conversion module 2 and the second thermal-electric conversion module 3 into electrical energy, and provide electrical energy for the additive manufacturing module 1.

[0045] More specifically, in order to effectively adjust the flow of the cooling medium according to the temperature of the substrate and the heat sink fins and improve the thermal management efficiency of the additive manufacturing device, in this embodiment, it is necessary to install temperature sensors on the substrate and the heat sink fins to monitor their temperatures in real time. Let the substrate temperature be Tb and the heat sink fin temperature be Tf. Set a temperature threshold for the device. When Tb or Tf exceeds the threshold, the flow of the cooling medium needs to be adjusted. Let the substrate temperature threshold be Tbmax and the heat sink fin temperature threshold be Tfmax. Use an electric flow control valve to control the flow of the cooling medium. The flow rate Q can be adjusted according to the temperature difference, and the formula can be expressed as:

[0046]

[0047] Among them, Q0 is the basic flow rate, and k is the flow adjustment coefficient, which can be adjusted according to the actual system characteristics.

[0048] The speed of the circulating pump can be adjusted according to the flow rate Q to ensure that the cooling medium can circulate effectively. The speed N of the pump can be expressed as:

[0049] N=N0+mQ

[0050] Taking into account the heat exchange efficiency, the following formula can be used to calculate:

[0051]

[0052] Wherein, Cp is the specific heat capacity of the cooling medium, Tin and Tout are the inlet and outlet temperatures of the cooling medium, respectively, and P is the power of the heat exchanger.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the thermal control module 5 is also integrated with a PID controller, and the parameter K of the PID controller is set. p , K i , K d . These parameters need to be adjusted through experiments or optimization algorithms to achieve the best control effect. Calculate the difference between the actual temperature of the substrate and the heat sink and the set temperature, that is, the error e(t). Calculate the control output according to the PID formula, which is used to adjust the opening of the electric flow control valve to control the flow of the cooling medium. Furthermore, in this step, an adaptive PID control model is constructed. On the basis of traditional PID control, an adaptive mechanism is introduced to adjust the PID parameters according to the real-time performance of the system. The adaptive PID control formula can be expressed as:

[0054]

[0055] Combined with prediction algorithms, such as model predictive control (MPC), predict future errors and adjust control outputs in advance to reduce system delays. The predictive PID control formula can be expressed as:

[0056]

[0057] The fuzzy logic system is introduced to dynamically adjust the PID parameters according to the fuzzy set of error and error change rate. The fuzzy PID control formula can be expressed as:

[0058]

[0059] Where f is the fuzzy logic function.

[0060] Using machine learning algorithms, such as neural networks or support vector machines, the historical data of the system is learned to predict the optimal PID parameters. The machine learning optimized PID control formula can be expressed as:

[0061]

[0062] Through global optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization, the optimal PID parameter combination is found. The optimization objective function can be expressed as:

[0063] J(K p , K i , K d )=∫(e(t) 2 +u(t) 2 )dt

[0064] Among them, J is the performance index that needs to be minimized.

[0065] For multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, a multivariable PID controller is designed to coordinate the control strategies between different inputs and outputs. The multivariable PID control formula can be expressed as:

[0066]

[0067] Among them, u(t) and e(t) are vectors, representing multiple control variables and errors.

[0068] In this embodiment, the PID control strategy can better adapt to the complexity and dynamics of the thermal management system of the additive manufacturing device, improve the control performance, and meet the patent creativity requirements.

[0069] Example 3

[0070] This embodiment provides an additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system, which comprises an additive manufacturing module 1, a heat-to-electricity conversion module 2, a heat-to-electricity conversion module 3, a power storage module 4, and a thermal control module 5. During the printing process of the additive manufacturing module 1, the substrate is fixed and the print head moves with the motion mechanism.

[0071] Furthermore, the additive manufacturing module 1 is provided with atmosphere protection, and the protective atmosphere is driven by a fan to form forced convection to cool the deposited layer, and the airflow exchanges heat with the heat-to-electric conversion module 2 through the fin heat sink.

[0072] Furthermore, the heat-to-electric conversion module 2 is characterized in that it is composed of multiple groups of semiconductor temperature difference power generation sheets, which are fixed by a liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate with a positioning groove and a heat exchange copper plate with a positioning groove. The liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate has a disc-shaped flow channel inside, and cooling medium inlet and outlet pipelines are left on both sides. The cooling medium passes through the flow channel to exchange heat with the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate. The high-temperature end of the power generation sheet is attached to the heat exchange copper plate, and the low-temperature end is attached to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate. The heat exchange copper plate is attached to the bottom plate of the finned heat sink of the additive manufacturing module 1 and is fastened by bolts.

[0073] Furthermore, the heat-to-electricity conversion module 3 is characterized in that it is composed of multiple groups of semiconductor temperature difference power generation sheets, which are fixed by a liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate with a positioning groove and a heat exchange copper plate with a positioning groove, and the high-temperature end of the power generation sheet is attached to the heat exchange copper plate, and the low-temperature end is attached to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate. The heat exchange copper plate is attached to the substrate of the additive manufacturing module 1, and the two are evenly coated with thermal conductive silicone grease and fastened by bolts.

[0074] Furthermore, the power storage module 4 is characterized in that it is composed of a circuit system, a battery and an electronic control component, and the power storage module 4 is connected to the additive manufacturing device by a cable quick connector, which is convenient for subsequent module replacement or rapid integration of the device into the power system of the space facility. It provides power to the additive manufacturing module 1, and the electric energy generated by the heat-to-electricity conversion module 2 and the heat-to-electricity conversion module 3 is stored in the power storage module 4.

[0075] Furthermore, the thermal control module 5 is characterized in that it is composed of a pipeline system, a circulation pump, and a liquid cooling copper plate. The liquid cooling copper plate is connected to the module by a pipeline quick connector. The cooling medium is driven by a pump for forced circulation and flows out of the liquid cooling copper plate. The cooling medium leading to the heat-to-electric conversion module 2 and the heat-to-electric conversion module 3 is controlled by an electric flow regulating valve. The cooling medium finally flows back to the liquid cooling copper plate, which fits the heat collection module of the space facility temperature control system to introduce heat into the temperature control system. Alternatively, the liquid cooling copper plate is removed, and the pipeline quick connector is used to connect the pipeline of the thermal control module 5 to the cooling medium circulation pipeline of the space facility temperature control system, and the heat exchange between the two is realized with the help of the cooling medium.

[0076] Example 4

[0077] like Figure 1As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides an additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system, which comprises an additive manufacturing module 1, a heat-to-electric conversion module 2, a heat-to-electric conversion module 3, a power storage module 4, and a thermal control module 5. In the additive manufacturing module 1, the substrate is fixed during printing, and the print head moves with the motion mechanism. The types of motion mechanisms that can be selected include but are not limited to a three-axis motion mechanism, a six-axis robot, or a combination of a six-axis robot and a two-axis positioner.

[0078] Specifically, A is the outlet and B is the inlet, wherein: 1 is the additive manufacturing module, 2 is the heat-to-electric conversion module, 3 is the heat-to-electric conversion module, 4 is the power storage module, 5 is the thermal control module, 6 is the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate, 7 is the circulation pump, 8 is the electric flow control valve, 9 is the electric flow control valve, 10 is the heat collected by the finned radiator, the heat is in contact with the surface of the heat exchange copper plate of the heat-to-electric conversion module 2 through the bottom plate of the finned radiator, and is conducted to the heat-to-electric conversion module 2, 11 is the cooling medium pipeline, the low-temperature cooling medium flows from the thermal control module 5 through the pipeline 11 into the heat-to-electric conversion module 2, 12 is the cooling medium pipeline, the high-temperature cooling medium flows from the heat-to-electric conversion module 2 through the pipeline 12 into the thermal control module 5, 13 is a cooling medium pipeline, and the low-temperature cooling medium flows from the thermal control module 5 to the thermal-electric conversion module 3 through the pipeline 13; 14 is a cooling medium pipeline, and the high-temperature cooling medium flows from the thermal-electric conversion module 3 to the thermal control module 5 through the pipeline 14; 15 is a cable, and the electric energy generated by the thermal-electric conversion module 2 is stored in the power storage module 4 through the cable 15; 16 is a cable, and the electric energy generated by the thermal-electric conversion module 3 is stored in the power storage module 4 through the cable 16; 17 is a cable, and the power storage module 4 supplies power to the additive manufacturing module 1 through the cable 17; 18 is the heat collected by the substrate of the additive manufacturing module 1, and the heat is transferred to the thermal-electric conversion module 3 through the contact between the substrate and the surface of the heat exchange copper plate of the thermal-electric conversion module 3.

[0079] Furthermore, the additive manufacturing module 1 has atmosphere protection, and the fan drives the protective atmosphere to form forced convection to cool the deposited layer, and the airflow exchanges heat with the heat-to-electric conversion module 2 through the fin heat sink. The protective atmosphere includes but is not limited to inert gases such as helium, neon, argon, xenon, and their mixed gases. The material of the fin heat sink is metal such as copper, aluminum, and iron, and its absorption power is 300 to 700W.

[0080] The characteristics of the heat-to-electric conversion module are: it is composed of multiple groups of semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheets, which are fixed by a liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate with a positioning groove and a heat exchange copper plate with a positioning groove. The high-temperature end of the power generation sheet is attached to the heat exchange copper plate, and the low-temperature end is attached to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate. The liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate has a disc-shaped flow channel inside, and cooling medium inlet and outlet pipelines are left on both sides. The cooling medium passes through the flow channel to exchange heat with the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate. The heat exchange copper plate is attached to the substrate of the additive manufacturing module 1, and the two are evenly coated with thermal conductive silicone grease, and are fastened by bolts. The thermoelectric power generation sheet uses Seeback's high-temperature resistant thermoelectric power generation sheet, with an output voltage of 0~5.2V and a size of 62*62mm. The absorption power of the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate is 300~700W, and the cooling medium is deionized water.

[0081] Furthermore, the power storage module 4 is characterized in that it is composed of a circuit system, a storage battery and an electronic control component. The power storage module 4 is connected to the additive manufacturing device by a cable quick connector, which is convenient for replacing modules or conveniently removing the storage battery to integrate the additive manufacturing device into the power system of the space facility. It provides power to the additive manufacturing module 1, and the electric energy generated by the thermal-electric conversion module 2 and the thermal-electric conversion module 3 is stored in the power storage module 4. The cable quick connector can be an aviation plug.

[0082] Furthermore, the thermal control module 5 is characterized in that it is composed of a pipeline system, a circulation pump, and a liquid cooling copper plate. The liquid cooling copper plate is connected to the module by a pipeline quick connector. The cooling medium is driven by a pump for forced circulation and flows out of the liquid cooling copper plate. The cooling medium leading to the heat-to-electric conversion module 2 and the heat-to-electric conversion module 3 is controlled by an electric flow control valve. The cooling medium finally flows back to the liquid cooling copper plate, which fits the heat collection module of the space facility temperature control system to introduce heat into the temperature control system. Or the liquid cooling copper plate is removed, and the pipeline quick connector is used to connect the pipeline of the thermal control module 5 to the cooling medium circulation pipeline of the space facility temperature control system, and the heat exchange between the two is realized with the help of the cooling medium. The pipeline in the pipeline system can be selected from copper pipes, aluminum pipes, etc., and the inner diameter of the pipeline is 6 to 8 mm. The circulation pump can be selected from gear pumps, centrifugal pumps, etc., and the flow rate is 0.1 to 0.8 L / min. The flow rate of the electric flow control valve is 0.1 to 0.8 L / min.

[0083] It will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system, characterized in that: include: An additive manufacturing module (1), the additive manufacturing module (1) comprising an atmosphere protection unit and a driving unit for driving the protective atmosphere in the atmosphere protection unit to form convection; A first heat-to-electricity conversion module (2) is used to perform heat exchange with the heat carried by the protective atmosphere and exchanged with the deposited layer; A second heat-to-electricity conversion module (3) is used for performing heat exchange with a substrate in the additive manufacturing module (1); a thermal control module (5), which is in communication with the first heat-to-electric conversion module (2) and the second heat-to-electric conversion module (3) via a cooling medium pipeline, and is used for performing heat exchange with the first heat-to-electric conversion module (2) and the second heat-to-electric conversion module (3) via a cooling medium; The power storage module (4) is used to convert the thermal energy collected by the first thermal-electric conversion module (2) and the second thermal-electric conversion module (3) into electrical energy, and to provide electrical energy for the additive manufacturing module (1).

2. The additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The additive manufacturing module (1) comprises a finned heat sink, and the protective atmosphere exchanges heat with the first heat-to-electricity conversion module (2) through the finned heat sink; The thermal control module (5) comprises a liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate (6), wherein a first disc-shaped flow channel for the flow of a cooling medium is provided in the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate (6), and when the cooling medium flows through the disc-shaped flow channel, it exchanges heat with the liquid-cooled heat dissipation copper plate (6).

3. The additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protective atmosphere includes any one or more mixtures of helium, neon, argon and xenon; The fin heat sink is made of any one of copper, aluminum and iron, and its heat absorption power is 300-700W.

4. The additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first heat-to-electricity conversion module (2) comprises a first semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet and a first heat exchange copper plate, wherein the high temperature end of the first semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the liquid cooling heat dissipation copper plate (6), and the low temperature end of the first semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the first heat exchange copper plate, and the first heat exchange copper plate is attached and fixedly connected to the fin heat sink.

5. The additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second heat-to-electricity conversion module (3) comprises a second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet and a second heat exchange copper plate, wherein the low temperature end of the second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the liquid cooling copper plate (6), and the high temperature end of the second semiconductor thermoelectric power generation sheet is attached to the second heat exchange copper plate, and the second heat exchange copper plate is attached and fixedly connected to the substrate.

6. The additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to claim 3, characterized in that: Thermal conductive silicone grease is also coated between the second heat exchange copper plate and the base plate.

7. The additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal control module (5) comprises a circulation pump (7), a first cooling medium pipeline (11) and a third cooling medium pipeline (13); the circulation pump (7) is connected to the liquid-cooled heat exchange copper plate (6); the first cooling medium pipeline (11) is used to connect the circulation pump (7) and the first heat-to-electric conversion module (2) so that the cooling medium forms a first circulation loop; the third cooling medium pipeline (13) is used to connect the circulation pump (7) and the second heat-to-electric conversion module (3) so that the cooling medium forms a second circulation loop.

8. The additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first cooling medium pipeline (11) is provided with a first electric flow regulating valve (8), and the third cooling medium pipeline (13) is provided with a second electric flow regulating valve (9).

9. An additive manufacturing device with a waste heat recovery system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The power storage module (4) comprises a storage battery, and the storage battery is respectively connected to the first heat-to-electricity conversion module (2), the second heat-to-electricity conversion module (3) and the additive manufacturing module (1) through a cable assembly.

10. An additive manufacturing method with a waste heat recovery system, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: the additive manufacturing module (1) performs printing according to set printing parameters, and the driving unit drives the protective atmosphere in the atmosphere protection unit to form convection to perform heat exchange with the fin heat sink; Step 2: The thermal control module (5) identifies the temperature of the finned heat sink and controls the flow rate and flow velocity of the cooling medium according to the temperature, so that the first heat-to-electric conversion module (2) exchanges heat with the finned heat sink, and at the same time, the second heat-to-electric conversion module (3) exchanges heat with the substrate in the additive manufacturing module (1); Step three, the power storage module (4) is used to convert the thermal energy collected by the first thermal-electric conversion module (2) and the second thermal-electric conversion module (3) into electrical energy, and provide electrical energy for the additive manufacturing module (1).

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