Additive manufacturing on-orbit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524459-B1
Application number	US-202117234664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 19, 2021
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A spacecraft includes an additive manufacturing (A/M) subsystem and one or both of a thermal control arrangement and a contamination control arrangement. The A/M subsystem includes an A/M tool, feedstock and a workpiece and is configured to additively manufacture the workpiece using material from the feedstock. The thermal control arrangement is operable, in an on-orbit space environment characterized by near vacuum pressure and near zero-g force, to maintain temperature of at least one of the A/M tool, the feedstock, and the workpiece within respective specified ranges. The contamination control arrangement is operable, in the on-orbit space environment, to control outgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spacecraft comprising:
an additive manufacturing (A/M) subsystem configured to perform an A/M process in an on-orbit space environment characterized by near vacuum pressure and near zero-g force, the A/M process resulting in production of gaseous byproducts, the A/M subsystem including a contamination control arrangement; wherein
the A/M subsystem includes an A/M tool, feedstock and a workpiece and is configured to additively manufacture the workpiece using material from the feedstock; and
the contamination control arrangement is operable, in the on-orbit space environment, to control venting of the gaseous byproducts by preventing the gaseous byproducts from producing a substantial torque on the spacecraft.

2. The spacecraft of claim 1 , wherein the A/M tool is an extruder including a melt zone, a cold zone and a transition portion disposed between the melt zone and the cold zone.

3. The spacecraft of claim 2 , wherein the extruder is configured to limit heat transfer between the melt zone and the cold zone.

4. The spacecraft of claim 1 , wherein the contamination control arrangement includes a chamber enclosing the A/M subsystem and one or more cold plates disposed in the chamber and configured to capture volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the gaseous byproducts.

5. The spacecraft of claim 4 , further comprising one or more radiative heaters configured to heat the workpiece to a temperature above a boiling temperature of the VOCs and below a glass transition temperature of the workpiece material.

6. The spacecraft of claim 4 , further comprising a robotic manipulator configured to remove and replace the cold plates.

7. The spacecraft of claim 4 , wherein the chamber includes vent paths disposed to allow exit of the gaseous byproducts while avoiding generation of a net torque on the spacecraft.

8. An additive manufacturing (A/M) subsystem for use on a spacecraft, the A/M subsystem comprising:
an A/M tool and a feedstock; wherein:
the A/M subsystem is configured to additively manufacture a workpiece using material from the feedstock by performing an A/M process in an on-orbit space environment characterized by near vacuum pressure and near zero-g force, the A/M process resulting in production of gaseous byproducts; and
the spacecraft includes a contamination control arrangement operable, in the on-orbit space environment, to control venting of the gaseous byproducts by preventing the gaseous byproducts from producing a substantial torque on the spacecraft.

9. The A/M subsystem of claim 8 , wherein the A/M tool is an extruder including a melt zone, a cold zone and a transition portion disposed between the melt zone and the cold zone.

10. The A/M subsystem of claim 9 , wherein the extruder is configured to limit heat transfer between the melt zone and the cold zone.

11. The A/M subsystem of claim 8 , wherein the contamination control arrangement includes a chamber enclosing the A/M subsystem and one or more cold plates disposed in the chamber and configured to capture volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the gaseous byproducts.

12. The A/M subsystem of claim 11 , wherein the chamber includes vent paths disposed to allow exit of the gaseous byproducts while avoiding generation of a net torque on the spacecraft.

13. The A/M subsystem of claim 12 , further comprising one or more radiative heaters configured to heat the workpiece to a temperature above a boiling temperature of the VOCs and below a glass transition temperature of the workpiece material.

14. The A/M subsystem of claim 12 , further comprising a robotic manipulator configured to remove and replace the cold plates.

15. A method of performing an additive manufacturing (A/M) process on board a spacecraft, the method comprising:
fabricating a workpiece from a feedstock using an A/M subsystem on board the spacecraft in an on-orbit space environment characterized by near vacuum pressure and near zero-g force, the A/M process resulting in production of gaseous byproducts, the A/M subsystem including an A/M tool and the feedstock, the spacecraft including a contamination control arrangement; and
controlling, with the contamination control arrangement, venting of the gaseous byproducts, the control by preventing the gaseous byproducts from producing a substantial torque on the spacecraft.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the contamination control arrangement includes a chamber enclosing the A/M subsystem and one or more cold plates disposed in the chamber and configured to capture volatile organic compounds of the gaseous byproducts.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the spacecraft includes a robotic manipulator configured to remove and replace the cold plates.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the chamber includes vent paths disposed to allow exit of the gaseous byproducts while avoiding generation of a net torque on the spacecraft.

Assignees

• Space Systems/Loral LLC

Inventors

• Higham John Scott
• Wu Gordon
• Fluitt Daniel Andrew
• Gurnee Elijah Zebadiah
• Zils Jude

Classifications

• B64G1/52

  Protection, safety or emergency devices; Survival aids · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B64G1/50

  for temperature control · CPC title

• B29C64/364

  Conditioning of environment · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title