Abstract: Devices that incorporate phase change materials in containment vessels promote conduction of thermal energy between the phase change materials within the containment vessels and the surrounding air. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are transparent to enable visual awareness of the operation and functionality of the PCMs. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are design to passively promote air flow across the surfaces of the containment vessels. In some embodiments, the containment vessels include embedded structures to promote the conduction of thermal energy to and from the interior of the containment vessel. In some of these embodiments, the intent is to target the location of crystal ‘seeds’ and control crystal growth, thus gaining greater control over thermal transfer.

Abstract: This invention is focused on a new method of the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) additive manufacturing process, which builds metal products layer-by-layer from melting the powder at selective locations. In the conventional DMLS process, during the process of building a downward facing surface of products, such as making a ceiling of a box or the top of a horizontal pipe, commonly a temporary support structure is applied at below to let the new layer of molten metal to rest upon. In this invention, the partially sintered layer (or layers) will be used instead, to form a rigid base for the subsequent molten layer at above to rest upon. The partial sintering is achieved with a reduced heating of laser that the powder reaches a high temperature but still below the melting point. This invention will allow for the elimination of the use of temporary support structures, and the time and effort of adding and removing of the temporary support structures are saved.

Abstract: This invention is focused on a new method of numerical modeling of the Direct Metal Additive Manufacturing process with the layer-by-layer building of the metal products. This method separates the global macro-scale modeling and the local micro-scale modeling, with a database to link in between. The database containing the micro-scale modeling results can be established well before the global scale product simulation is conducted. As a result, this invention only uses the global modeling and database to simulate the additive manufacturing of the whole product, without using the time-consuming micro-scale modeling simultaneously. This new method enables very rapid simulation of the additive buildup process of products and prediction of product qualities, which only takes minutes to complete the simulation instead of weeks needed by the conventional methods of simulation known to those skilled in the art.

Abstract: This invention describes devices that incorporate phase change materials in containment vessels that promote conduction of thermal energy between the phase change materials within the containment vessels and the surrounding air. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are transparent to enable visual awareness of the operation and functionality of the PCMs. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are design to passively promote air flow across the surfaces of the containment vessels. In some embodiments, the containment vessels include embedded structures to promote the conduction of thermal energy to and from the interior of the containment vessel. In some of these embodiments, the intent is to target the location of crystal ‘seeds’ and control crystal growth, thus gaining greater control over thermal transfer.

Abstract: A spray generator comprises a reservoir with a piezoelectric crystal affixed to its bottom surface and vertical tubes opening out of its top surface, each tube having an orifice at its tip. Spray liquid collecting around the orifices drains off without obstructing them. In another embodiment a gas chamber is superimposed on the reservoir, so that the tubes extend through the gas chamber and above it. The upper surface of the gas chamber is perforated so that gas can escape therefrom.