3D Printing Tool for Phase Change Material Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing technologies face challenges in processing non-polymeric materials like phase change materials (PCM) without contamination, leading to unreliable and complex multi-material designs.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple specialized tools that process specific materials intermittently, allowing for the creation of designs with a polymeric shell and a PCM core, while preventing material contamination and optimizing processing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single multi-function tool is used to process both polymeric and non-polymeric materials, then the device complexity is reduced, but material contamination occurs and processing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the processing function into separate specialized tools: one for polymeric materials and another for non-polymeric materials (PCM). Each tool is dedicated to a specific material type, preventing cross-contamination while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the non-polymeric material processing function from the polymeric material processing tool. By separating these incompatible processing functions into distinct tools, the system eliminates material contamination issues that would arise from attempting to process both material types in a single tool.
2Reliability
If multiple specialized tools are used to process different materials independently, then material contamination is prevented and reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a universal tool holder and control architecture that can accommodate multiple specialized tools. This multi-functional platform allows the system to switch between different material processing tools as needed, maintaining high reliability through specialized processing while managing device complexity through a unified control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool holder acts as an intermediary component that connects specialized processing tools to the 3D printing system. This mediator enables independent tool operation and material deposition while integrating the tools into a cohesive system, balancing reliability improvement with controlled device complexity.
3Device complexity
If a single tool processes multiple materials with different temperature requirements, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different material processing conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments material processing into specialized tools, each optimized for specific material types and their respective temperature requirements. This segmentation allows each tool to be highly adaptive to its designated material while the overall system maintains manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Each processing tool is designed with local quality optimized for its specific material type. The polymeric material tool has heating and extrusion characteristics suited for polymers, while the non-polymeric material tool has characteristics optimized for PCM or other non-polymeric materials, enabling high adaptability to different material processing conditions.
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 enables the reliable and flexible production of macrocapsules with PCM, allowing for complex geometries and multiple material combinations, thereby reducing contamination risks and increasing the versatility of 3D printing systems.
Implementation Method 1
tubing (308) equipped with a thermal sleeve (307) and thermal insulation (306) through which the non-polymeric material will drain/flow
Implementation Method 2
tool head (305) composed of fittings complementary to those of the tool holder (104) and equipped with resistors and thermocouples (304)
Implementation Method 3
non-polymeric materials, such as phase change materials (PCM), that will have to sustain phase changes (solid, liquid or gas) within a closed, watertight design
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a tool and method of encapsulating a phase change material (PCM) by 3D printing. The PCM encapsulation system comprises non-polymeric material processing tools (106, 107) incorporated into a 3D printer system (101) with tool change capability and the PCM encapsulation method using these same tools, intermittently with other polymer processing tools (102, 103), responsible for the deposition of polymer A (401) and polymer B (402), which move in a system of horizontal axes (105), coupled to a tool holder (104), to deposit the material and fill it on an adjustable temperature basis (109), constituting a multi-material design (108) with polymeric shell and PCM interior. This invention makes it possible to create complex designs and is a solution to the current problems of flexible production of phase change materials (PCM) macrocapsules.