US 11,988,381 B2
Catalytic thermal debind furnaces with feedback control
Michelle Chao, Somerville, MA (US); Keith Durand, Watertown, MA (US); Rick Bryan Woodruff, Watertown, MA (US); and Benjamin Hodsdon Gallup, Watertown, MA (US)
Assigned to Markforged, Inc., Watertown, MA (US)
Filed by Markforged, Inc., Watertown, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/897,529.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/860,545, filed on Jun. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0393126 A1, Dec. 17, 2020
Int. Cl. F23G 7/06 (2006.01); B22F 3/00 (2021.01); F23G 7/07 (2006.01); F27B 5/14 (2006.01); F27B 5/18 (2006.01); F27D 17/00 (2006.01); F27B 5/06 (2006.01); F27B 5/16 (2006.01); F27D 9/00 (2006.01); F27D 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC F23G 7/065 (2013.01) [B22F 3/003 (2013.01); F23G 7/07 (2013.01); F27B 5/14 (2013.01); F27B 5/18 (2013.01); F27D 17/008 (2013.01); F23G 2207/10 (2013.01); F23G 2207/101 (2013.01); F23G 2207/30 (2013.01); F23G 2209/14 (2013.01); F27B 2005/068 (2013.01); F27B 2005/161 (2013.01); F27D 2009/0037 (2013.01); F27D 2019/0015 (2013.01); F27D 2019/0018 (2013.01); F27D 2019/0068 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Apparatus for processing an article, the apparatus comprising:
a furnace retort configured to:
exclude ambient air; and
receive a carrier gas, said carrier gas consisting of a gas selected from an inert gas, a noble gas, and hydrogen gas; and
a reactor comprising an “oxi-cat” catalytic trap that is configured to:
receive, at an entry temperature at or above 200° C., from the retort the carrier gas and hydrocarbon pyrolyzed in the retort;
combust, at a temperature no greater than 750° C., the hydrocarbon; and
a control system that comprises a processor that is configured to:
receive from a sensor a first value of a characteristic that is responsive to a rate of a reaction in the reactor; and
determine a variance between the first value and a target;
transmit to a process control element a reactor input instruction corresponding to a reduction in the variance based on a stoichiometric relationship between the carrier gas and the hydrocarbon, wherein the processor is configured to adjust a carrier gas flow rate to which the pyrolytic debinding process is subjected.