Apparatus for extruding ceramic slurry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12115697-B2
Application number	US-202117462877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

An extruder includes a receptacle for containing material to be extruded. The extruder further includes a dispersion blade positioned within the receptacle and a nozzle secured to the receptacle. The nozzle defines a first opening positioned within an interior of the receptacle, defines a second opening positioned outside of the receptacle and defines a channel which extends from the first opening through the nozzle to the second opening defining a flow path which extends from the first opening, through the channel and to the second opening. The nozzle extends through a wall of the receptacle and into the interior of the receptacle such that the first opening is positioned spaced apart from the wall.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for extruding a heterogeneous slurry material from an extruder, the method comprising:
mixing the heterogeneous slurry material within an interior of a receptacle of the extruder with a rotatable drive shaft which extends within the receptacle, wherein a dispersion blade is secure to the rotatable drive shaft;
pressurizing the heterogeneous slurry material positioned within the interior of the receptacle of the extruder; and
removing the heterogeneous slurry material contained within the interior of the receptacle through a nozzle secured to the receptacle and in fluid communication with the heterogeneous slurry material within the interior of the receptacle, wherein:
the nozzle defines a first opening positioned within the interior of the receptacle, defines a second opening positioned outside of the receptacle and defines a channel which extends from the first opening through the nozzle to the second opening defining a flow path which extends through the nozzle from the first opening, through the channel and to the second opening; and
the nozzle extends upwardly through and from a bottom wall of the receptacle and into the interior of the receptacle such that the first opening is positioned above the bottom wall, faces the dispersion blade, faces away from the bottom wall, and extends across a central axis of the nozzle, and the second opening is positioned spaced apart from and below the bottom wall; and

vibrating the receptacle via a mechanical vibrator, wherein the mechanical vibrator is in contact with the receptacle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein pressurizing the heterogeneous slurry material further includes inserting pressurized gas through an inlet of the receptacle into the interior of the receptacle containing the heterogeneous slurry material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein pressurizing the heterogeneous slurry material includes pressurizing the pressurized gas in a pressure range of including one pound per square inch up to and including twenty pounds per square inch.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein mixing the heterogeneous slurry material further includes activating a motor, comprising the rotatable drive shaft which extends from the motor into the receptacle.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein mixing the heterogeneous slurry material further includes coupling the rotatable drive shaft to a mixing shaft with the mixing shaft secured to the dispersion blade such that with the activating of the motor, the dispersion blade rotates within the interior of the receptacle.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein pressurizing the heterogeneous slurry material further includes containing the pressurized heterogeneous slurry material within the receptacle along the rotatable drive shaft with a ferrofluidic bearing positioned around the rotatable drive shaft.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein mixing the heterogeneous slurry material further includes rotating the rotatable drive shaft in a range which includes one up to five hundred rotations per minute.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating the mechanical vibrator which imparts vibrations to the receptacle and the heterogeneous slurry material positioned within the interior of the receptacle.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the heterogeneous slurry material, which comprises a ceramic slurry which comprises a plurality of fiber, into the receptacle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the heterogeneous slurry material further includes removing the heterogeneous slurry material at a flow rate in a range of which includes two up to and including fifty grams per second.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable drive shaft is connected to a mixing motor.

12. The method of claim 11 , further includes a shaft clamp coupling the rotatable drive shaft to a mixing shaft.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the dispersion blade is secured to the mixing shaft, which secures the dispersion blade to the rotatable drive shaft.

14. The method of claim 11 , further includes a seal device positioned about the rotatable drive shaft.

15. The method of claim 14 , the seal device is positioned between the mixing motor and the interior of the receptacle.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the seal device comprises a ferrofluidic bearing.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle further comprises an inlet in fluid communication with the interior of the receptacle for introducing pressurized gas into the interior of the receptacle.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the inlet is configured to be in fluid communication with the interior of the receptacle which introduces the pressurized gas in a range including one pound per square inch up to and including twenty pounds per square inch.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mixing motor rotates the rotatable drive shaft at a rate of rotation within a range which includes one rotation per minute up to and including five hundred rotations per minute.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical vibrator generates vibrations within a range which includes five thousand vibrations per minute up to and including thirty-four thousand vibrations per minute.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Heng Vann
• Lehman Stephen
• Schubert Randall

Classifications

• B01F23/023

  Preventing sedimentation, conglomeration or agglomeration of solid ingredients during or after mixing by maintaining mixed ingredients in movement · CPC title

• B01F35/7543

  using pneumatic pressure, overpressure or gas pressure in a closed receptacle or circuit system · CPC title

• B01F23/53

  using driven stirrers · CPC title

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/106

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title