Variable frequency drive for flash joule heating system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023262845-A1
Application number	US-202318109457-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 14, 2023
Priority date	Feb 14, 2022
Publication date	Aug 17, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for flash joule heating carbon with variable frequency drives, for the production of graphene. The system includes a flash joule heating system, and a variable frequency drive system for driving the flash joule heating system, wherein the variable frequency drive system is coupled to the flash joule heating system, and is configured to output a pulse-width modulated current. The system and methods may further include sample temperature feedback, to adjust the output of variable frequency drive system.

First claim

1 . A system for the production of graphene, the system comprising:
a flash joule heating system; and a variable frequency drive system for driving the flash joule heating system; wherein the variable frequency drive system is coupled to the flash joule heating system.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the variable frequency drive system comprises a pulse width modulated output.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the variable frequency drive system comprises an insulated gate bipolar transistor for switching an output of the variable frequency drive system.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a variable frequency controller for varying an output of the variable frequency drive system.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flash joule heating system heats a sample to a maximum temperature of 3000° C.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the variable frequency drive system outputs a pulse width modulated current with a frequency between 100 Hz and 10000 Hz.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an output of the variable frequency drive system is adjusted according to a feedback signal of a temperature of a sample.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the feedback signal comprises a temperature measurement of a sample comprising the mean value of the output of multiple temperature sensors.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the output of the variable frequency drive system is adjusted according to a proportional integral derivative control scheme.

10 . The system of claim 9 , where the proportional integral derivative control scheme is a dynamic proportional integral derivative control scheme, wherein the proportional integral derivative parameters are varied according to the feedback signal.

11 . A method for the production of graphene, the method comprising:
providing a carbon sample; and applying flash joule heating to the carbon sample to produce graphene; wherein the flash joule heating step is driven by a variable frequency drive system.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the variable frequency drive system comprises a pulse width modulated output.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sample is heated to a maximum temperature of 3000° C.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the variable frequency drive system is driven by a variable frequency drive controller.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller comprises a temperature sensor coupled to the sample, and the controller applies a closed loop control scheme to vary the output of the variable frequency drive system according to feedback from the temperature sensor.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the controller applies a proportional integral derivative control scheme.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the controller applies a dynamic proportional integral derivative control scheme, wherein the proportional integral derivative parameters are varied according to the feedback.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises multiple temperature sensors, wherein the outputs of each individual temperature sensor are averaged to determine a mean temperature.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the heating step first comprises a variable frequency drive system duty cycle of 10%, followed by a variable frequency drive system duty cycle adjusted according to the feedback.

Assignees

• Universal Matter Inc
• Univ Rice William M

Inventors

• Tour James Mitchell
• Luong Duy X
• Kittrell Carter
• Cooksey Tyler
• Zhang Zhiyong
• Mancevski Vladimir

Classifications

• H05B1/0247 Primary

  For chemical processes · CPC title

• C01B32/184

  Preparation · CPC title

• H05B3/0023 Primary

  for heating by passing the current directly across the material to be heated · CPC title

• H05B1/02

  Automatic switching arrangements specially adapted to apparatus {; Control of heating devices} (thermally-actuated switches H01H37/00) · CPC title

• H05B2203/035

  Electrical circuits used in resistive heating apparatus · CPC title