COOLER FOR OPTICS TRANSMITTING HIGH INTENSITY LIGHT

Abstract

Systems provide cooling of an optic such as an optically addressed light valve such that the valve is sensitive to temperature and pressure variations and is thus temperature and pressure controlled. In the case of an optic such as an optically addressed light valve, the fluid pressure outside the valve is low enough that it does not compress the liquid crystal gap of the valve. The cooling fluid is transparent to the high powered wavelength of light used during operation such as in an additive manufacturing process.

Claims

1. An apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic capable of transmitting high power fluxes greater than $100.Math..Math.\frac{W}{{\mathrm{cm}}^2}$ such as can be used for the purposes of additive manufacturing of metal, plastic, or ceramic products, comprising: an optic to be thermally managed, a light source producing a high powered light beam that is directed from said light source through the optic to be thermally managed, an optic cooling system operatively connected to said optic, where the combination of pressures in the cooling fluid, balanced with temperatures in the optic to be cooled do not result in any significant deformation of the optic, and where the cooling fluid is largely transparent to the high powered light beam that is transmitted through the cooling fluid.

2. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said light source that produces a light beam is a laser that produces a laser beam having energy wherein said energy is transferred to said optic in the form of heat and wherein said optic cooling system removes heat from said optic.

3. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said light source that produces a light beam is a diode laser that produces a laser beam having heat wherein said heat is transferred to said optic and wherein said optic cooling system removes heat from said optic.

4. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said optic is an optically addressed light valve (OALV) including: a semiconductor material transparent to the high power light beam that can be optically stimulated to induce a change in semiconductor thermal conductivity, a layer of liquid crystal for rotating the polarization state of the high power light beam as it transmits through the OALV, a substrate material transparent to the high power light beam, optically transparent electrically conductive coatings on the outside of the semiconductor, and between the liquid crystal and the substrate material, and anti-reflective coatings on the two sides of the semiconductor material, and on the two sides of the substrate material.

5. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 4 wherein said semiconductor material is transparent to 1053 nm light.

6. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 4 wherein said substrate material is transparent to 1053 nm light.

7. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 4 wherein said liquid crystal is of twisted nematic E7.

8. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 4 wherein said transparent electrically conductive coatings are Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

9. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said emitted light beam is composed of light in one polarization state.

10. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said optic is an optically addressed light valve (OALV) including a secondary light source for projecting patterned light of a wavelength tuned to the absorption band of the semiconductor in the OALV, and a polarizing mirror capable of separating the orthogonal polarization states induced by polarization rotation of the light beam in the liquid crystal portion of the OALV.

11. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said optic cooling system includes a housing operatively connected to said optic and a cooling fluid in said housing.

12. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said optic cooling system includes a housing operatively connected to said optic, a cooling fluid that is circulated in said housing, and a heat exchanger operatively connected to said cooling fluid.

13. The apparatus for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said optic cooling system includes a housing operatively connected to said optic, a cooling fluid, a circulation system for circulating said cooling fluid in said housing, a pump operatively connected to said circulation system, and a heat exchanger operatively connected to said cooling circulation system.

14. A method for thermal environmental control of an optic capable of transmitting high power fluxes greater than $100.Math..Math.\frac{W}{{\mathrm{cm}}^2}$ used for the purposes of additive manufacturing of metal, plastic, or ceramic products, comprising the steps of: enclosing an optic to be cooled in a cooling housing which allows transmission through the optical system of which the optic is a component, flowing a cooling fluid through said cooling housing, and over the optic to be cooled, where the combination of pressures in the cooling fluid, balanced with temperatures in the optic to be cooled do not result in deformation of the optic, and where the cooling fluid is transparent to the high powered light beam that is transmitted through the cooling fluid, and illuminating the optic to be cooled with a light source producing a high powered light beam that is directed from said light source through the optic to be thermally managed and the optic cooling housing.

15. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 1 wherein said light source that produces a light beam is a laser that produces a laser beam having energy wherein said energy is transferred to said optic in the form of heat and wherein said optic cooling system removes heat from said optic.

16. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 14 wherein said light source that produces a light beam is a diode laser that produces a laser beam having heat wherein said heat is transferred to said optic and wherein said optic cooling system removes heat from said optic.

17. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 14 wherein said optic is an optically addressed light valve (OALV) including: a semiconductor material transparent to the high power light beam that can be optically stimulated to induce a change in semiconductor thermal conductivity, a layer of liquid crystal for rotating the polarization state of the high power light beam as it transmits through the OALV, a substrate material transparent to the high power light beam, optically transparent electrically conductive coatings on the outside of the semiconductor, and between the liquid crystal and the substrate material, and anti-reflective coatings on the two sides of the semiconductor material, and on the two sides of the substrate material.

18. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said semiconductor material is transparent to 1053 nm light.

19. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said substrate material is transparent to 1053 nm light.

20. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said liquid crystal is of twisted nematic E7.

21. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said optically transparent electrically conductive coatings are of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

22. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said emitted light beam is composed of light in one polarization state.

23. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said optic is an optically addressed light valve (OALV) including: a secondary light source for projecting patterned light of a wavelength tuned to the absorption band of the semiconductor in the OALV, and a polarizing mirror capable of separating the orthogonal polarization states induced by polarization rotation of the light beam in the liquid crystal portion of the OALV.

24. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said optic cooling system includes a housing operatively connected to said optic and a cooling fluid in said housing.

25. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said optic cooling system includes a housing operatively connected to said optic, a cooling fluid that is circulated in said housing, and a heat exchanger operatively connected to said cooling fluid.

26. The method for thermal environmental control of an optic of claim 17 wherein said optic cooling system includes a housing operatively connected to said optic, a cooling fluid, a circulation system for circulating said cooling fluid in said housing, a pump operatively connected to said circulation system, and a heat exchanger operatively connected to said cooling circulation system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate specific embodiments of the apparatus, systems, and methods and, together with the general description given above, and the detailed description of the specific embodiments, serve to explain the principles of the apparatus, systems, and methods.

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the inventor's apparatus, systems, and methods.

[0017] FIG. 2 shows the light valve cooling system in greater detail.

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a circulation system for cooling the light valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring to the drawings, to the following detailed description, and to incorporated materials, detailed information about the apparatus, systems, and methods is provided including the description of specific embodiments. The detailed description serves to explain the principles of the apparatus, systems, and methods. The apparatus, systems, and methods are susceptible to modifications and alternative forms. The application is not limited to the particular forms disclosed. The application covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the apparatus, systems, and methods as defined by the claims.

[0020] Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is the process of turning digital designs into three-dimensional objects. It is a convenient and affordable way to make prototypes as well as finished products, making it popular with businesses, hobbyists and inventors. One of the technologies is Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) which includes the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Selective Heat Sintering (SHS), Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Powder bed fusion (PBF) system uses a laser or electron beam to melt and fuse material powder together. Electron beam melting (EBM), methods require a vacuum but can be used with metals and alloys in the creation of functional parts. The Powder Bed Fusion processes involve the spreading of the powder material over previous layers.

[0021] Referring now to the drawings embodiments of the inventor's apparatus, systems, and methods is illustrated that provides an optically addressed light valve (OALV) such that the valve is temperature controlled, the fluid pressure outside the valve is low enough that it does not compress the liquid crystal gap internal to the OALV, and that the cooling fluid is transparent to the high powered wavelength of light used in the printing process. This embodiment is designated generally by the reference numeral 100. The system 100 produces a final product as described below.

[0022] Initially a 3D model of the desired product is designed by any suitable method, e.g., by bit mapping or by computer aided design (CAD) software at a PC/controller. The CAD model of the desired product is electronically sliced into series of 2-dimensional data files, i.e. 2D layers, each defining a planar cross section through the model of the desired product. The 2-dimensional data files are stored in a computer and provide a digital image of the final product.

[0023] The digital images are used in the additive manufacturing system to produce the final product. Powder particles are applied to a substrate in a layer by layer process, melted and allowed to re-solidify to produce the final product. The digital image of the first 2D layer is used to produce the first layer of the desired product. The digital image of the first 2D layer is used to create a mask that only allows the desired portion of the laser beam to pass through the optically addressed light valve (OALV) system.

[0024] The OALV system, or Light Valve System is composed of a number of elements such as the OALV itself, a patterned light generating source such as a digital light projector (DLP) emitting a wavelength of light tuned to the absorption band of the semiconductor component of the OALV, and a polarizer mirror for splitting the light exiting the OALV and rejecting the polarization state of the light not desired, allowing the desired portion to continue on to the powder layer on the substrate.

[0025] Referring now to FIG. 1 a first embodiment of the inventor's apparatus, systems, and methods, and how they can be used in a larger additive manufacturing system is illustrated. This embodiment is designated generally by the reference numeral 100. The embodiment 100 includes the components listed and described below. [0026] Computer controller 102. [0027] Mask information portion 104. [0028] Build material supply 106. [0029] Delivery system 108. [0030] Light source 110. [0031] Light valve system 112. [0032] Light valve cooling system 114. [0033] Substrate 116. [0034] First layer of metal powder particles 118. [0035] Light valve system component 120. [0036] Projected beam 124.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a computer controller 102 is used to perform the various operations of the system 100. A delivery system 108 directs metal powder particles from a material build supply 106 onto a substrate 116. A light source emits a projected beam 124 which is later directed onto the layer 118 of metal powder particles that have been deposited on the substrate 116. The digital image of the first 2D layer that has been stored in the mask information 104 portion of the computer controller 102 is used to produce the first layer 118 of the desired product.

[0038] The mask information 104 is directed to the light valve system 112. The light source 110 produces a light beam 120 which upon interaction with the light valve system 112 is split into two components. The component 120 represents the un-altered full laser beam emitted from the light source 110, the component 124 represents the portion of the light containing the digital image of the first 2D layer. The component which represents the portion of the light beam that is outside of the digital image of the first 2D layer is rejected from the system at this point, typically through a beam dump within the light valve system 112. The light valve system 112 acts as a dynamic mask and allows the portion 124 containing the digital image of the first 2D layer to pass while rejecting the component that is outside of the digital image of the first 2D layer.

[0039] The projected beam 124 containing the digital image of the first 2D layer is projected from the light valve system 112 onto the layer 118 of metal powder particles that has been deposited on the substrate 116. The projected beam 124 solidifies the metal powder particles according to the digital image of the first 2D layer information producing the finished first layer 118. Once the first layer 118 is completed production of the second layer of the product is started. A second layer of metal powder particles is applied on top of the competed first layer 118. This procedure is continued by repeating the steps and building the final product in a layer by layer process.

[0040] The light valve system 112 is temperature controlled by a light valve cooling system 114. The light valve cooling system 114 uses a cooling fluid that is transparent to the wavelength of light in the high powered beam from the light source 110 used in the printing process.

[0041] When operating the light valve system 112 continuously in the additive manufacturing process with enough light energy to melt most metals, the small absorption levels in the light valve system 112 begin to have significant thermal effects. Absorption, if any, is typically due to higher than expected impurity levels in the OALV transparent glass or crystal components. If impurities are too high, excessive absorption of the light source 110 have been seen to occur, which can lead to overheating and non-operation. To prevent the light valve system 112 from overheating and leading to non-operation, significant cooling strategies must be implemented.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, the light valve cooling system 114 is shown in greater detail. A cross section 200 of the light valve cooling system 114 illustrates the circulation of a cooling fluid over the light valve 112. The light valve 114 and the light valve cooling system 200 includes a first light valve cooling housing body part 202, a second light valve cooling housing body part 204, windows 206, coolant inlet ports 208, coolant outlet ports 210, light valve center housing part 212, and light valve 214.

[0043] A supply line 218 from a coolant supply/heat exchanger directs cooling fluid into the light valve cooling system 114. A return line 220 directs the cooling fluid from the light valve cooling system 114 back into the coolant supply/heat exchanger. The arrows 216 show the flow of the cooling fluid through the light valve cooling system 114.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 3, a circulation system for cooling the light valve 112 is illustrated. The light valve system 112 operates with enough light energy to melt most metals and the small absorption levels in the light valve system 112 begin to have significant thermal effects. To prevent the light valve system 112 from overheating a cooling fluid circulation system 300 circulates a fluid for cooling the light valve inside the light valve housing 302.

[0045] The cooling fluid circulation system 300 includes a heat exchanger 304, a coolant supply 306, a pump 308, a supply line 310, and a return line 312. The supply line 310 from the coolant supply 306 directs the cooling fluid into the light valve housing 302. The return line 312 directs the cooling fluid from the light valve 302 into the heat exchanger 304. The heat exchanger 304 is part of the coolant supply.

[0046] Although the description above contains many details and specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the application but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the apparatus, systems, and methods. Other implementations, enhancements and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document. The features of the embodiments described herein may be combined in all possible combinations of methods, apparatus, modules, systems, and computer program products. Certain features that are described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.

[0047] Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

[0048] Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the present application fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art. In the claims, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present apparatus, systems, and methods, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element or component in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element or component is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

[0049] While the apparatus, systems, and methods may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the application is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the application is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the application as defined by the following appended claims.