US 11,865,618 B2
Tracer gas endpoint-monitored sinter systems
David A. Champion, Corvallis, OR (US); and John Gary Liebeskind, Corvallis, OR (US)
Assigned to Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/251,866
Filed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 26, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/067535
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 14, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/139325, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0308757 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. B22F 3/10 (2006.01); B22F 3/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 10/322 (2021.01); F27B 5/04 (2006.01); F27B 1/00 (2006.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01)
CPC B22F 3/003 (2013.01) [B22F 3/101 (2013.01); B22F 3/1007 (2013.01); B22F 3/1021 (2013.01); B22F 10/322 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); F27B 1/005 (2013.01); F27B 5/04 (2013.01); B22F 2003/1042 (2013.01); B22F 2998/10 (2013.01); B22F 2999/00 (2013.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sinter system comprising:
a sinter gas inlet at a sinter furnace for a sinter gas;
a tracer gas inlet at the sinter furnace for a tracer gas different from the sinter gas;
an outlet at the sinter furnace to output the sinter gas and the tracer gas;
a support structure to support a sample green object in the sinter furnace;
an opening at the support structure connected to the tracer gas inlet, the opening to output the tracer gas into the sinter furnace;
a detector to determine an amount of the tracer gas flowing through the outlet during a sinter process as the sample green object positioned on the support structure changes shape during the sinter process with respect to the opening and modifies a flow rate of the tracer gas to the outlet; and
a controller in communication with the detector, the controller to determine when to stop the sinter process based on a determined amount of the tracer gas.