Cryogenic Nozzle Shielding for Chamber-Free Wire Additive Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire-based additive manufacturing processes require inert gas-filled chambers to prevent oxidation and corrosion, which restricts the size of printable parts and adds cost and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The use of cryogenic nozzles that deliver cryogenic fluids to create a self-enclosed shielding environment, eliminating the need for inert gas chambers by providing a secondary shielding and cooling effect during the additive manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inert gas-filled chambers are used to prevent oxidation and corrosion, then the shielding effect is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the shielding function from the large-scale inert gas chamber and concentrates it into a localized nozzle system. The nozzle delivers cryogenic shielding gas directly to the weld pool area, eliminating the need for a full chamber while maintaining oxidation protection where it is most needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing uniform shielding throughout an entire chamber, the invention applies shielding locally at the weld pool through the nozzle. The cryogenic gas is directed precisely where protection is required, creating a localized protective atmosphere that matches the spatial distribution of the hazard.
2Reliability
If inert gas-filled chambers are used to prevent oxidation and corrosion, then the shielding effect is improved, but the printable part size is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding function is extracted from the chamber environment and relocated to a portable nozzle system. This allows the shielding capability to follow the weld pool regardless of part size or geometry, enabling fabrication of large structures that would exceed chamber dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle system provides dynamic shielding that can move with the weld pool, unlike a static chamber environment. This mobility allows the protective atmosphere to adapt to changing weld positions and part geometries, enabling fabrication of arbitrarily large components.
3Device complexity
If conventional nozzles are used without cryogenic fluids, then the device complexity is reduced, but the heat build-up increases and print quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter of the shielding gas from ambient to cryogenic levels. This extreme temperature difference creates a strong thermal gradient that actively extracts heat from the weld pool and surrounding material, controlling heat build-up and improving print quality through rapid cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The cryogenic shielding gas undergoes phase transition from liquid to gas upon contact with the warmer nozzle and weld pool environment. This phase change absorbs significant latent heat, providing an additional cooling mechanism that actively manages thermal energy in the deposition zone.
4Manufacturing precision
If cryogenic fluids are used for shielding and cooling, then the print quality is improved by reducing heat build-up, but condensation may form on the nozzle
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element applies heat to the nozzle surface in advance to prevent condensation from forming. By maintaining the nozzle temperature above the dew point of the surrounding atmosphere, the system proactively counteracts the condensation tendency caused by the cold cryogenic gas flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element acts as an intermediary that mediates between the cold cryogenic gas and the warmer external environment. It maintains the nozzle at an intermediate temperature that prevents condensation while allowing the cryogenic gas to provide cooling to the weld pool.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for the printing of parts of any size without evacuated chambers, improving print quality and efficiency by reducing heat build-up and solidification time while preventing oxidation and corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one cryogenic fluid is configured to flow through the plurality of holes such that the at least one cryogenic fluid expands in volume when exiting the plurality of holes to form a gas shroud
Implementation Method 2
a heat plate comprising a plurality of heating elements... wherein the plurality of heating elements are configured to heat the plate to prevent condensation from forming
Implementation Method 3
The use of cryogenic nozzles that deliver cryogenic fluids to create a self-enclosed shielding environment, eliminating the need for inert gas chambers by providing a secondary shielding and cooling effect
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for nozzles that can provide cryogenic shielding during wire-based additive manufacturing are described. Cryogenic fluid supplied by the cryogenic nozzles can provide ample coverage, great shielding, and efficient cooling during additive manufacturing processes.