Divergent Technologies, Inc.

John Russell Bucknell

Antonio Bernerd Martinez

Eahab Nagi El Naga

Broc William TenHouten

Kevin Robert Czinger

Muhammad Faizan Zafar

David Brian TenHouten

Thomas Samuel Bowden, Jr

Donald J Christian

Zachary Meyer Omohundro

Matthew Michael O'Brien

Praveen Varma Penmetsa

David Charles O'Connell

Chukwubuikem Marcel Okoli

Jon Paul Gunner

William Bradley Balzer

John Franklin Dunham

Michael Vasile

Michael Bolton

Narender Shankar Lakshman

Richard Winston Hoyle

Stuart Paul Macey

Alex James Hamade

Chor Yen Yap

Keith Allen Fleming

Alexander Pai-chung Teng

Jinbo Chen

Gregory S Weaver

Yong-Bae Cho

Ross Harrison Byers

Broc William Tenhouten

Chukwubuikem Mercel Okoli

Joon Hyung Yi

John Paul Gunner

Muhammad Faizan Zaifar

Methods and apparatuses for energy unit cells for primary structures are described. The method comprises obtaining enclosure criteria of an enclosure space, wherein the enclosure space is configured to contain an energy storage device. The method further comprises obtaining a load case of a primary structure of a vehicle. The method further comprises determining a primary structure design based on the enclosure criteria and the load case, where the primary structure design incorporates the enclosure space.

Energy unit cells for primary vehicle structure

Systems and methods of support structures in powder-bed fusion (PBF) are provided. Support structures can be formed of bound powder, which can be, for example, compacted powder, compacted and sintered powder, powder with a binding agent applied, etc. Support structures can be formed of non-powder support material, such as a foam. Support structures can be formed to include inductive components that can be used to facilitate removal of the support structures in the presence of an external magnetic field. Additionally, support structures can be formed to break when a fluid, such as air or water, creates a force and/or pressure at a connection point interface.

Apparatus and methods for removable support structures in additive manufacturing

Systems and methods of support structures in powder-bed fusion (PBF) are provided. Support structures can be formed of bound powder, which can be, for example, compacted powder, compacted and sintered powder, powder with a binding agent applied, etc. Support structures can be formed of non-powder support material, such as a foam. Support structures can be formed to include resonant structures that can be removed by applying a resonance frequency. Support structures can be formed to include structures configured to melt when electrical current is applied for easy removal.

Support structures in additive manufacturing

Techniques for co-printing of bus bars for printed structural energy modules are presented herein. An apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first component configured to be a primary structure of a vehicle, the first component-co-printed with a first electrical conductive path, the first electrical conductive path configured to be connected to a second electrical conductive path of a second component of the vehicle, wherein the first electrical conductive path and the second electrical conductive path are configured to enable electricity transmission.

Bus bars for printed structural electric battery modules

Multifunction noise suppression and crash structures are disclosed. In one aspect of the disclosure, the multifunction structure includes a body, inlet and outlet pipes, and a plurality of walls within the body that bound resonator cells and that are configured to suppress exhaust noise passing through the resonator cells from the inlet to the outlet pipes. The structure may be positioned between crash rails at the rear of the vehicle and between the engine and bumper. The walls may be generally aligned with, or near, the predicted impact direction and they may crumple in a controlled manner during an impact. In various embodiments the structure is 3D printed to enable construction of a wide diversity of geometric topologies and to minimize mass.

Impact energy absorber with integrated engine exhaust noise muffler

A multi-material three-dimensional (3-D) powder bed fusion-based (PBF) printer is disclosed. In one aspect, the 3-D PBF includes a body, a controller coupled to the body, a plurality of cartridges coupled to a print nozzle, an energy source coupled to an upper surface of the body, a deflector for deflecting an energy beam from the energy source, and a build plate on which a build piece can be 3-D printed. Each cartridge may include a slurry in which a specific print material or alloy is suspended. A depositor may selectively deposit the slurry onto the build plate to form a plurality of consecutive layers. For a given layer or a given region thereof, the controller may selectively deposit different amounts of the slurry to produce an alloy having a desired composition. A heating element may be used to vaporize the solvent in the deposited slurry. Using the deflector, the energy source can fuse the regions to sinter the deposited material and in some embodiments, to vaporize the solvent prior to sintering. In other embodiments, the slurries may include different alloys that can be selectively distributed across the layers to form a build piece having desired material characteristics.

Multi-material powder bed fusion 3-D printer

A virtual railroad of vehicles is disclosed. In one aspect of the disclosure, a system includes one or more passenger vehicles of a peloton, and a first engine vehicle of the peloton. The first engine vehicle communicatively connected to the one or more passenger vehicles, wherein the first engine vehicle comprises: a processor communicatively connected to a memory and is configured to receive status information of the one or more passenger vehicles, determine, based on the received status information, a set of current values for a set of vehicle attributes for each of the one or more passenger vehicles, and adjust, based on the set of current values for the set of vehicle attributes, a position of a corresponding passenger vehicle of the one or more passenger vehicles.

Virtual railroad

A three-dimensional (3-D) printer and technique for integrating additive and non-print manufacturing operations is disclosed. In an aspect, the 3-D printer includes an energy source and a powder bed regions for selectively fusing layers of a build piece. The 3-D printer further includes a robotic arm. The 3-D printing is interrupted responsive to instructions from a controller, upon which the robotic arm may perform one or more non-printing operations using the build piece such as milling, casting, molding, pressing, and the like. Following the non-printing operations, the 3-D printing operation continues, and a resulting assembly including the build piece is produced.

Three-dimensional printer and methods for assembling parts via integration of additive and conventional manufacturing operations

Techniques for joining nodes and subcomponents are presented herein. An additively manufactured first node or subcomponent has a groove. An additively manufactured second node or subcomponent has a tongue configured to extend into and mate with the groove to form a tongue-and-groove connection between the first and second node or subcomponent. In some aspects, the tongue-groove connection may extend substantially around a periphery of the node or subcomponent. In other aspects, a first subcomponent having a fluid pipe interface may be coupled via a tongue-groove connection to a second subcomponent having a fluid pipe interface, thereby enabling fluid to flow between subcomponents of the resulting integrated component.

Systems and methods for implementing node to node connections in mechanized assemblies

An exhaust header with an integrated heat shield is disclosed. In one aspect of the disclosure, the exhaust header comprises a body including an inner wall that defines a cavity through which exhaust gases can be routed. An outer wall is integrally formed with, and radially offset from, the inner wall to define an air gap through which an airflow can be received at an input of the exhaust header and passed along a periphery of the body to collect thermal radiation and route it through an outlet duct. In some embodiments, the exhaust header is coupled to a turbocharger, which itself is coupled to an exhaust outlet of the body and separately, the air gap for effecting an airflow about the turbocharger's perimeter. Further, in various embodiments, the exhaust header is additively manufactured to produce the integrated heat shield and other header components.

Exhaust headers with integrated heat shielding and thermal syphoning

Techniques for flexible, on-site additive manufacturing of components or portions thereof for transport structures are disclosed. An automated assembly system for a transport structure may include a plurality of automated constructors to assemble the transport structure. In one aspect, the assembly system may span the full vertically integrated production process, from powder production to recycling. At least some of the automated constructors are able to move in an automated fashion between the station under the guidance of a control system. A first of the automated constructors may include a 3-D printer to print at least a portion of a component and to transfer the component to a second one of the automated constructors for installation during the assembly of the transport structure. The automated constructors may also be adapted to perform a variety of different tasks utilizing sensors for enabling machine-learning.

Robotic assembly of transport structures using on-site additive manufacturing

Techniques for optimizing powder hole removal are disclosed. In one aspect, an apparatus for inserting powder removal features may identify what powder removal features are optimal for a given AM component, as well as the optimal location and physical characteristics of these features. The features are automatedly added to the component, and an FEA test is run. In the event of failure, the offending feature is removed and the process is repeated. If successful then the loose powder may be removed in a post-processing step following AM.

Apparatus and methods for optimization of powder removal features in additively manufactured components

Systems, apparatus, and method for manufacturing are disclosed. In an aspect, the apparatus may be a cold-spray nozzle. The cold-spray nozzle may include a variable diameter convergent part. The cold-spray nozzle may also include a variable diameter divergent part. The variable diameter divergent part may form a diffuser. Additionally, The cold-spray nozzle may include a ring portion. The ring portion may couple the variable diameter convergent part and the variable diameter divergent part. Additionally, the ring portion may control the opening to the diffuser.

Cold-spray nozzle

Connections between nodes and tubes are provided. An apparatus can include additively manufactured first and second nodes, a tube, and an interconnect connecting the tube to the first and second nodes. An apparatus can include a node having an end portion with inner and outer concentric portions forming an annular gap therebetween, and a tube having an end portion extending into the gap.

Systems and methods for joining node and tube structures

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus including an additively manufactured node having a socket. The apparatus includes a panel interconnected with node. The panel includes opposing surface layers and a core between at least a portion of the surface layers. The socket engages an end portion of the panel and shapes the surface layers on the end portion of the panel.

Growing community of inventors

El Segundo, CA, United States of America

John Russell Bucknell