Three dimensionally printed heated positive temperature coefficient tubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11044789-B2
Application number	US-201816157775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2018
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Additively manufactured heating elements for tubes are made from a positive temperature coefficient heater ink printed on the tube. A bus bar is likewise printed onto the tube using a conductive ink. The positive temperature coefficient heater ink and bust bar conductive ink are encapsulated with a closing adhesive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heater tube assembly comprising:
a tube;
a positive temperature coefficient heater on the tube, the positive temperature coefficient heater comprising one or more layers of a second additively manufactured conductive ink, wherein the positive temperature coefficient heater is electrically connected to a bus bar network on the tube, each of the one or more layers of the second additively manufactured conductive ink has a thickness of 1 micron to 100 microns, and the positive coefficient heater has a thickness between 0.0001 inch and 0.010 inch;
wherein the bus bar network comprises one or more layers of a first additively manufactured conductive ink, the bus bar network is positioned on top of and overlapping with at least a portion of the positive temperature coefficient heater such that the bus bar network and positive temperature coefficient heater are electrically connected and the bus bar network is configured to provide an electrical connection between the positive temperature coefficient heater and an outside controller and each of the one or more layers of the first additively manufactured conductive ink has a thickness of 1 micron to 100 microns and the bus bar network has a thickness between 0.0001 inch and 0.010 inch;
a closeout adhesive positioned on top of both the bus bar network and the positive coefficient heater to secure the bus bar network and the positive temperature coefficient heater to the tube; and
an outer dielectric layer overlaying the closeout adhesive.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises a-conductive material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and titanium.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising an inner dielectric layer separating the bus bar network and the positive temperature from the tube.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises a non-conductive material selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyimide, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidene difluoride, and combinations thereof.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the tube further comprises glass fibers, glass spheres, glass hollow spheres, carbon black, carbon nanotubes, or carbon fibers.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a liner comprising a material selected from the group consisting of fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, silicone, polyolefin, acrylonitrile butadiene rubbers, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubbers, polyurethane, and combinations thereof.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bus bar network comprises at least one hot bus bar and at least one neutral bus bar.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the bus bar network comprises a geometric pattern selected from the group consisting of a spiraled pattern, a redundant dual-circuit pattern, a crisscross pattern, or combinations thereof.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first additively manufactured conductive ink is a silver-filled ink.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the positive temperature coefficient heater comprises a sheet covering at least a portion of the tube.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the positive temperature coefficient heater comprises a single sheet spiraled around the tube.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the positive temperature coefficient heater comprises a plurality of bands around the tube in parallel.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the width of each of the plurality of bands increases from a first end of the tube to a second end of the tube.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second additively manufactured conductive ink is a positive temperature coefficient ink.

15. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the closeout adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive or ethylene-vinyl acetate.

16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer dielectric layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of braided stainless steel wire, braided titanium wire, braided aramid, braided dry fiberglass, carbon fiber composites, fiberglass composites, and combinations thereof.

17. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising one or more protection layers overlaying the outer dielectric layer.

18. A heater tube assembly comprising:
a tube;
a bus bar network comprising at least one hot bus bar and at least one neutral bus bar on the tube, the bus bar network comprising one or more layers of a first additively manufactured conductive ink, wherein the bus bar network further comprises a geometric pattern selected from the group consisting of a spiraled pattern, a redundant dual-circuit pattern, a crisscross pattern, or combinations thereof and wherein each of the one or more layers of the first additively manufactured conductive ink has a thickness of 1 micron to 100 microns and the bus bar network has a thickness between 0.0001 inch and 0.010 inch;
a positive temperature coefficient heater on the tube having a thickness between 0.0001 and 0.010 inches, the heater comprising a plurality of layers of a second additively manufactured conductive ink, each of the plurality of layers having a thickness of between 1 and 100 microns, wherein the positive temperature coefficient heater is electrically connected to the bus bar network and each of the one or more layers of the second additively manufactured conductive ink has a thickness of 1 micron to 100 microns and the positive coefficient heater has a thickness between 0.0001 inch and 0.010 inch;
a closeout adhesive securing the bus bar network and the heater to the tube; and
an outer dielectric layer overlaying the bus bar network and the heater.

19. A method of making a heater tube assembly comprises:
additively manufacturing one or more layers of a second conductive ink on a tube to create a positive temperature coefficient heater that is electrically connected to a bus bar network, wherein each of the one or more layers of the second additively manufactured conductive ink has a thickness of 1 micron to 100 microns, and the positive coefficient heater has a thickness between 0.0001 inch and 0.010 inch;
additively manufacturing one or more layers of a first conductive ink on a tube to create the bus bar network, wherein the bus bar network is positioned on top of and overlapping with at least a portion of the positive temperature coefficient heater such that the bus bar network and positive temperature coefficient heater are electrically connected and the bus bar network is configured to provide an electrical connection between the positive temperature coefficient heater and an outside controller and each of the one or more layers of the first additively manufactured conductive ink has a thickness of 1 micron to 100 microns and the bus bar network has a thickness between 0.0001 inch and 0.010 inch;
closing out the bus bar network and the positive temperature coefficient heater with an adhesive positioned on top of both the bus bar network and the positive coefficient heater to secure the bus bar network and the positive temperature coefficient heater to the tube; and
encapsulating the bus bar and the positive temperature coefficient heater with an outer dielectric layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein additively manufacturing is done with, direct printing with extruded ink by micro-dispensing pumps, inkjet printing, or aerosol-gel printing.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Hu Jin
• Waina Daniel
• Slane Casey
• Ching Nathaniel
• Botura Galdemir Cezar

Classifications

• H05B2203/007

  using multiple electrically connected resistive elements or resistive zones · CPC title

• H05B2203/013

  Heaters using resistive films or coatings · CPC title

• H05B3/145 Primary

  Carbon only, e.g. carbon black, graphite · CPC title

• H05B3/03

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H05B2203/011

  Heaters using laterally extending conductive material as connecting means · CPC title