US 11,844,279 B2
Additive manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing piezoelectric instrumentation devices with 3D structures
Elan Yogeswaren, Houston, TX (US); Navin Sakthivel, Spring, TX (US); and Otto Fanini, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Elan Yogeswaren, Houston, TX (US); Navin Sakthivel, Spring, TX (US); and Otto Fanini, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/846,573.
Application 17/846,573 is a division of application No. 17/015,884, filed on Sep. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,545,615.
Prior Publication US 2022/0328754 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. H10N 30/045 (2023.01); H10N 30/053 (2023.01); H10N 30/30 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 30/045 (2023.02) [H10N 30/053 (2023.02); H10N 30/302 (2023.02)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for fabricating a piezoelectric transducer, the apparatus comprising:
a base comprising a conductive material that is grounded;
a piezoelectric powder depositor moveable in response to a motive force to traverse the base and configured to deposit a plurality of layers of piezoelectric powder on the base, the piezoelectric powder depositor comprising a spreader that traverses a surface of the base with the piezoelectric powder depositor, the spreader having an opening through which the piezoelectric powder is deposited on the base to deposit the plurality of layers of piezoelectric powder on the base;
a gantry and boom assembly comprising an actuator configured to move an end of the boom to a selected location with respect to the base;
an electrode disposed at the end of the boom;
a voltage source coupled to the electrode and base and configured to apply a voltage to the electrode with respect to the base to establish an electric field between the electrode and base with sufficient strength to sinter and pole each layer of piezoelectric material after each layer is deposited; and
a controller in communication with the gantry and boom assembly and the voltage source and with the piezoelectric powder depositor, the controller comprising a non-transitory medium having instructions to deposit the plurality of layers of the piezoelectric powder on the base and to control a position of the electrode and actuate the voltage source to the electrode to sinter and pole the layer of piezoelectric material at defined locations after each layer is deposited to form the piezoelectric transducer in a selected shape.