Granted Patent B2

US 12,605,803 · App. 17/023,227 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Inventors: Shijin Zhang (Chongqing, CN); Scott Veenhuizen (Covington, WA); Axel Henning (Black Diamond, WA)

Assignee: Hypertherm, Inc.

B24C7/0061B24C1/045B24C7/0046B65G53/66G01F1/34G01F1/74G01F15/003G01F22/00G01L13/00

Abstract

Claims (57)

1 . A liquid jet cutting system; comprising:

an abrasive feed passageway including:

an abrasive particle inlet configured to receive abrasive material from an abrasive material source, wherein the abrasive particle inlet is held at atmospheric pressure;

a first measurement port; and

a second measurement port downstream of the first measurement port;

a pressure transducer coupled to the first and second measurement ports and configured to measure a pressure drop between the first and second measurement ports;

a processing device operably connected to the pressure transducer and configured to determine a flow rate through the abrasive feed passageway based on data received from the pressure transducer; and

a fluid jet cutting head fluidly connected to the abrasive feed passageway and including:

an abrasive inlet configured to receive abrasive particles from the abrasive feed passageway;

a high-pressure fluid inlet configured to receive high-pressure fluid from a high-pressure fluid source and draw a partial vacuum at the abrasive inlet;

a mixing chamber configured to mix the abrasive particles with the high-pressure fluid; and

an outlet configured to project a high velocity fluid cutting jet including both the abrasive particles and the high-pressure fluid.

2 . The liquid jet cutting system of claim 1 wherein:

the abrasive feed passageway further includes:

a measurement portion having:

a first end;

a second end; and

a straight passageway extending from the first end to the second end;

the first measurement port is in the straight passageway; and

the second measurement port is in the straight passageway downstream of the first measurement port.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the measurement portion includes a coupling configured to connect the measurement portion to a portion of the abrasive feed passageway upstream of the measurement portion.

4 . The system of claim 2 wherein the measurement portion includes a coupling configured to connect the measurement portion to a portion of the abrasive feed passageway downstream of the measurement portion.

5 . The system of claim 2 wherein the straight passageway has a constant cross-sectional area as measured perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the straight passageway.

6 . The system of claim 2 wherein the pressure transducer includes one or more sensors oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the measurement portion.

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first measurement port is downstream of the abrasive particle inlet.

8 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a valve configured to control a rate of flow of abrasive material to the abrasive particle inlet.

9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the valve is operably connected to the processing device, and wherein the processing device is configured to control the valve to modify the rate of flow of abrasive material to the abrasive particle inlet in response to signals received from the pressure transducer.

10 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a shut off valve configured to selectively shut off flow of abrasive material to the valve.

11 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to operate a valve or a compressor to provide abrasive conveying air to the liquid jet cutting system.

12 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to actuate an alarm in response to signals received from the pressure transducer.

13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the processing device is configured to actuate the alarm when the signals received from the pressure transducer indicates that the flow rate through the abrasive feed passageway is below a target flow rate.

14 . The system of claim 1 a cross-sectional area of the abrasive feed passageway at the first measurement port is the same as a cross-sectional area of the abrasive feed passageway at the second measurement port.

15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface configured to receive instructions corresponding to a cutting path of the fluid jet cutting head.

16 . The system of claim 1 wherein the flow rate includes a flow rate of abrasive material through the abrasive feed passageway.

17 . The system of claim 1 wherein the abrasive material received via the abrasive particle inlet is entrained in air, and wherein the flow rate includes a flow rate of air through the abrasive feed passageway.

18 . A liquid jet cutting system, comprising:

a hopper held at vacuum pressure;

an abrasive feed passageway including:

an abrasive particle inlet configured to receive abrasive material from the hopper;

a first measurement port; and

a second measurement port downstream of the first measurement port;

a pressure transducer coupled to the first and second measurement ports and configured to measure a pressure drop between the first and second measurement ports;

a processing device operably connected to the pressure transducer and configured to determine a flow rate through the abrasive feed passageway based on data received from the pressure transducer; and

a fluid jet cutting head fluidly connected to the abrasive feed passageway and including:

an abrasive inlet configured to receive abrasive particles from the abrasive feed passageway;

a high-pressure fluid inlet configured to receive high-pressure fluid from a high-pressure fluid source and draw a partial vacuum at the abrasive inlet;

a mixing chamber configured to mix the abrasive particles with the high-pressure fluid; and

an outlet configured to project a high velocity fluid cutting jet including both the abrasive particles and the high-pressure fluid.

19 . The system of claim 18 wherein:

the abrasive feed passageway further includes—

a measurement portion having:

a first end;

a second end; and

a straight passageway extending from the first end to the second end;

the first measurement port is in the straight passageway; and

the second measurement port is in the straight passageway downstream of the first measurement port.

20 . The system of claim 18 wherein the flow rate includes a flow rate of abrasive material through the abrasive feed passageway.

Assignments (7)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (294)