General Electric Company

Christian Thomas Wakelam

Rene Du Cauze De Nazelle

Florian Stefan Hoefler

Jonathan Ong

Kishore Ramakrishnan

Mohammed Mounir Shalaby

Christian Aalburg

Jens Stammberger

Rachel Wyn Levine

Viktor Engel

Andreas Peters

Daniel Fischer

Hannes Haderlein

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed within the chamber, and an upper gas inlet configured to supply an upper gas flow in a first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet disposed in the chamber and configured to supply a lower gas flow in a second direction toward a bottom wall of the chamber, and a flow directing system configured to receive the lower gas flow and redirect the lower gas flow in the first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes one or more gas delivery devices fluidly coupled to the upper and lower gas inlets and configured to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows and a gas outlet configured to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.

Flow directing system and method for additive manufacturing system

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.

Lower gas flow injection system and method for additive manufacturing system

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.

Additive manufacturing system and method

Aspects of the disclosure generally relate to a turbine center frame for a turbine engine through which a flow path extends. The turbine center frame can include an inner wall radially spaced from an outer wall, with the inner and outer walls extending between an inlet and an outlet, and with the outlet downstream of the inlet with respect to the flow path. A set of circumferentially-spaced airfoils can extend between the inner wall and the outer wall.

Turbine center frame and method

A flow control device for an additive manufacturing system is provided. The flow control device includes a gas supply configured to discharge a gas, a first flow modifier configured to modify at least one flow characteristic of a first portion of the gas, and a second flow modifier configured to cooperate with the first flow modifier to modify the at least on flow characteristic of the first portion of the gas. The second flow modifier is further configured to modify at least one flow characteristic of a second portion of the gas, and the first flow modifier and the second flow modifier are configured to cooperate to direct at least a portion of the first portion and the second portion of the gas towards a melt pool in a plurality of particles.

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Germany

Christian Thomas Wakelam