US 12,293,527 B2
Powder flow measurement in additive manufacturing systems
Scott Nelson, Indianapolis, IN (US); Baily Thomas, Rogersville, MO (US); Abdalla R. Nassar, State College, PA (US); Jason Scherer, State College, PA (US); and John Grubbs, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Assigned to Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/932,962.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/247,528, filed on Sep. 23, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0092671 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 7/20 (2017.01); B22F 10/80 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06T 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC G06T 7/20 (2013.01) [B22F 10/80 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06T 11/00 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10016 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A powder flow monitoring system configured to monitor a powder stream during a blown powder additive manufacturing process, wherein the blown powder additive manufacturing process includes adding material via a powder delivery device to a build surface of a component in sequential layers, wherein the blown powder additive manufacturing process forms a final component composed of the sequential layers on the build surface, the powder flow monitoring system comprising:
an illumination device configured to illuminate at least some of the powder stream between the powder delivery device and the build surface of the component, wherein the powder delivery device defines a longitudinal axis oriented toward the build surface;
an imaging device configured to image the illuminated powder at an image plane between the powder delivery device and the build surface of the component to generate image data, the imaging device being positioned adjacent to the longitudinal axis; and
one or more computing devices configured to, during the blown powder additive manufacturing process:
receive the image data representing the illuminated powder of the powder stream between the powder delivery device and the build surface of the component;
generate a representation of the powder stream based on the image data; and
output the representation of the powder stream for display at a display device.