Cooling plasma cutting system consumables and related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9967964-B2
Application number	US-201514726229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

In some aspects, electrodes can include a front portion shaped to matingly engage a nozzle of the plasma cutting system, the front portion having a first end comprising a plasma arc emitter disposed therein; and a rear portion thermally connected to a second end of the front portion, the rear portion shaped to slidingly engage with a complementary swirl ring of the plasma cutting system and including: an annular mating feature extending radially from a proximal end of the rear portion of the electrode to define a first annular width to interface with the swirl ring, the annular mating feature comprising a sealing member configured to form a dynamic seal with the swirl ring to inhibit a flow of a gas from a forward side of the annular mating feature to a rearward side of the annular mating feature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrode for a plasma cutting system, the electrode comprising:
an arc portion shaped to matingly engage a nozzle of the plasma cutting system, the arc portion having a first end comprising a plasma arc emitter disposed at a distal end thereof; and
a thermal portion in thermal communication with a second end of the arc portion, the thermal portion shaped to slidingly engage a complementary swirl ring of the plasma cutting system and including:
a first circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature extending radially from a proximal end of the thermal portion of the electrode, the first circumferentially formed disk shaped flange mating feature defining a first radial width to physically mate with the swirl ring, the first circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature including a sealing member adapted to form a dynamic seal with the swirl ring to prevent a gas from traveling proximally between the electrode and the swirl ring,
a second circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature extending radially from a distal end of the thermal portion of the electrode to define a second radial width to physically mate with the swirl ring, wherein the first radial width and the second radial width are substantially equal, and
a thermal exchange surface region between the first disk-shaped flange mating feature and the second disk-shaped flange mating feature, the thermal exchange surface defining at least one annular flange extending from the thermal portion between the first circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature and the second circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature, the at least one annular flange having a radial width less than at least one of the first radial width and the second radial width.

2. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the radial width of the at least one annular flange is about 50% to about 85% less than the first radial width.

3. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the at least one annular flange has an axial thickness that is about 5% to about 25% of an axial length of the thermal exchange surface region.

4. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the at least one annular flange comprises at least two annular flanges that are spaced apart by a spacing that is about 5% to about 25% of an axial thickness of one of the at least two annular flanges.

5. The electrode of claim 4 wherein at least one of the at least two annular flanges comprise the first circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature or the second circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature.

6. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the at least one annular flange comprises three annular flanges arranged between the first circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature and the second circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature.

7. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the at least one annular flange comprises a sharp corner edge around its outer surface.

8. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the first circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature, the second circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature, and the thermal exchange surface region partially define a cooling cavity.

9. The electrode of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first disk-shaped flange mating feature or the second disk-shaped flange mating feature comprises a continuous circumferentially formed flange.

10. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the electrode forms a thermally conductive path between the thermal exchange surface of the thermal portion and the plasma arc emitter of the arc portion.

11. The electrode of claim 10 wherein a gas flow passing between the first circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature and the second circumferentially formed disk-shaped flange mating feature convectively cools the thermal exchange surface region and the thermal portion conductively cools the arc portion.

Assignees

• Hypertherm Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sung Je
• Roberts Jesse A
• Patel Shreyansh

Classifications

• H05H1/34

  Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles · CPC title

• H05H2245/125

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05H2001/3489

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05H2001/3468

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05H1/28 Primary

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title