IP Library › Granted Patent US 12687340

Granted Patent B2

US 12687340 · App. 18/142,275 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Drive shaft assembly for a rotary furnace

Inventor: Nicholas Linneen (Rockville, MD)

Assignee: X-energy, LLC

F27B7/26 F16C3/023 F27D1/1808 C21B13/08 F16C2204/42 F16C2204/46 F16C2226/60 F16C2362/40 F27B2007/365 F27D2099/0083 F27D2099/0098

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12687340
App. No.: 18/142,275
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to drive shaft assemblies for a rotary furnace. In one form, a rotary furnace comprises a crucible and a drive shaft assembly. The drive shaft assembly comprises a primary shaft and a secondary shaft coupled with the primary shaft. The secondary shaft comprises: a first portion comprising a refractory alloy, the first portion defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the first portion is configured to couple with the primary shaft; and a second portion comprising graphite, the second portion defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the second portion is configured to couple with the second end of the first portion and the second end of the second portion is configured to couple with the crucible.

Claims (62)

1 . A drive shaft assembly for a rotary furnace, comprising:

a secondary shaft comprising:

a first portion comprising a refractory alloy, the first portion defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the first portion is configured to couple with a primary shaft of the drive shaft assembly of the rotary furnace; and

a second portion comprising graphite, the second portion defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the second portion is configured to couple with the second end of the first portion and the second end of the second portion is configured to couple with a crucible of the rotary furnace;

wherein the second portion defines:

a cylindrical portion;

a rectangular portion adjacent to the cylindrical portion; and

a rounded portion adjacent to the rectangular portion.

2 . The drive shaft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the refractory alloy comprises is one of tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, titanium-zirconium-molybdenum, hafnium, or niobium.

3 . The drive shaft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions of the secondary shaft are threadably coupled with each other.

4 . The drive shaft assembly of claim 3 , wherein:

the second end of the first portion defines a cylindrical aperture, where at least a portion of an interior wall of the cylindrical aperture is threaded;

the first end of the second portion defines a cylindrical portion that is sized to be received by the cylindrical aperture of the second end of the first portion; and

at least a portion of an exterior of the cylindrical portion of the first end of the second portion is threaded, where threads of the interior wall of the cylindrical aperture of the first portion and threads of the exterior of the cylindrical portion of the second portion are configured to engage with each other when the first end of the second portion is received by the cylindrical aperture of the second end of the first portion.

5 . The drive shaft assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the first portion of the secondary shaft defines an air passageway;

the second portion of the secondary shaft defines an air passageway;

when the first portion of the secondary shaft is coupled with the second portion of the secondary shaft, the air passageway of the first portion is in communication with the air passageway of the second portion such that at least gas may flow through the secondary shaft; and

an inner diameter of the air passageway of the first portion and the air passageway of the second portion is at least three inches.

6 . The drive shaft assembly of claim 5 , wherein:

when the secondary shaft is coupled with the primary shaft of the rotary furnace, the air passageway of the first portion of the secondary shaft is in communication with an air passageway of the primary shaft; and

the first portion of the secondary shaft defines a structure configured to prevent liquids from entering the secondary shaft from the primary shaft.

7 . A rotary furnace comprising:

a crucible;

a drive shaft assembly comprising:

a primary shaft; and

a secondary shaft coupled with the primary shaft, wherein the secondary shaft comprises:

a first portion comprising a refractory alloy, the first portion defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the first portion is configured to couple with the primary shaft; and

wherein the second portion of the secondary shaft defines:

a rounded portion positioned at a distal end of the second end of the second portion, wherein the rounded portion is configured to form a seal with a first end of the crucible when the crucible receives at least a portion of the second end of the second portion of the secondary shaft; and

a rectangular portion adjacent to the rounded portion, wherein the rectangular portion is configured to engage a complementary shaped aperture at the first end of the crucible when the crucible receives at least a portion of the second end of the second portion of the secondary shaft.

8 . The Rotary Furnace of claim 7 , wherein the refractory alloy comprises one of tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, titanium-zirconium-molybdenum, hafnium, or niobium.

9 . The rotary furnace of claim 7 , wherein the first and second portions of the secondary shaft are threadably coupled with each other.

10 . The rotary furnace of claim 9 , wherein:

the second end of the first portion of the secondary shaft defines a cylindrical aperture, where at least a portion of an interior wall of the cylindrical aperture is threaded;

the first end of the second portion of the secondary shaft defines a cylindrical portion that is sized to be received by the cylindrical aperture of the second end of the first portion; and

11 . The rotary furnace of claim 7 , further comprising:

a drive motor coupled with the primary shaft, where the drive motor is configured to rotate the primary shaft;

wherein rotation of the primary shaft causes the secondary shaft to rotate; and

wherein rotation of the secondary shaft causes the crucible to rotate.

12 . The rotatory furnace of claim 7 , wherein:

rotation of the crucible causes the secondary shaft to rotate; and

rotation of the secondary shaft causes the primary shaft to rotate.

13 . The rotary furnace of claim 12 , further comprising:

a retraction spring loader coupled with the primary shaft.

14 . The rotary furnace of claim 7 , wherein:

the first portion of the secondary shaft defines an air passageway;

the second portion of the secondary shaft defines an air passageway;

wherein an inner diameter of the air passageway of the first second and the air passageway of the second portion is at least three inches.

15 . The rotary furnace of claim 14 , wherein when the secondary shaft is coupled with the crucible, gas flows from at least one of:

from the air passageway of the first portion of the secondary shaft, into the air passageway of the second portion of the secondary shaft, and into an interior of the crucible; or

from the interior of the crucible, into the air passageway of the second portion of the secondary shaft, and into the air passageway of the first portion of the secondary shaft.

16 . The rotary furnace of claim 7 , further comprising:

a second shaft assembly comprising:

a second primary shaft;

a second secondary shaft coupled with the second primary shaft, wherein the second secondary shaft comprises:

a first portion comprising a refractory alloy, the first portion defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the first portion is configured to couple with the second primary shaft; and

a second portion comprising graphite, the second portion defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the second portion is configured to couple with the second end of the first portion of the second secondary shaft and the second end of the second portion is configured to couple with the crucible;

wherein the second end of the secondary shaft couples with a first end of the crucible and the second end of the second secondary shaft couples with a second end of the crucible.