Additively Manufactured Pressurization Diffusers

• Main Authors: Barackman, Victor John, Lopez, Alfredo, Veto, Christopher C, Grayson, Gary D, Lozano, Martin E, Oechsle, Scott K
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.01.2019
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; BLASTING; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED,LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NOZZLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; TRANSPORTING; VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED ORSOLIDIFIED GASES; WEAPONS

Example implementations relate to Additive Manufacturing (AM) pressurization diffusers. An example diffuser includes an integral component configurable for receiving and diffusing pressurant. Particularly, the integral component includes multiple elements manufactured as a single-piece structure, including an inner filter, outer shell, and flange. The inner filter includes micro-diamond holes that enable pressurant received at an opening of the inner filter to diffuse out of the inner filter and subsequently through holes positioned in a shell surface of the outer shell. The flange can position the diffuser such that the opening of the inner filter is in pressurant communication with a pressurant source (e.g., opening of a tank) enabling the diffuser to receive and diffuse pressurant in a predefined pattern. For example, when the diffuser is positioned inside a tank, the diffuser can have a frustum configuration that helps diffuse pressurant upwards towards inner sidewalls of a pressure vessel, tube or channel.