IP Library Granted Patent US 12,415,670
Granted Patent B2
US 12,415,670 · App. 18/586,005 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Systems and methods for fluid barriers through permeable structures

Inventors: Eric D. Contreras (San Dimas, CA); Satyanarayana Venkata Emani (Glendale, CA)
Assignee: Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC
B65D81/2076B65D85/84B33Y80/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,415,670
App. No.
18/586,005
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are directed toward support structures for materials that include one or more flow passages to form a barrier between an inner wall of the support structures and the materials. The one or more flow passages may include ports or pores extending through a fluid-permeable material forming at least a portion of the support structure. A barrier fluid may be introduced at a first side of the inner wall and may be driven, such as using differential pressure, through the inner wall to from a barrier along a second side of the inner wall to reduce a likelihood of contact between the materials and the second side of the inner wall.

Claims (34)

1. A support structure, comprising:

an outer wall;

a fluid-permeable inner wall; and

one or more ports extending through the outer wall and directing a barrier fluid to the fluid-permeable inner wall, wherein the barrier fluid is able to flow through the fluid-permeable inner wall to form a barrier between the fluid-permeable inner wall and a material positioned within the support structure.

2. The support structure of claim 1 , wherein the fluid-permeable inner wall further comprises:

a first opening having a first flow axis perpendicular to a central axis of the support structure; and

a second opening having a second flow axis arranged at an obtuse angle or an acute angle to the central axis of the support structure.

3. The support structure of claim 2 , wherein the second opening has a second opening flow rate configured to induce mixing of the material positioned within the support structure.

4. The support structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier fluid is at a barrier fluid temperature at least one of greater than or less than the material and the barrier fluid is configured to moderate a material temperature of the material.

5. The support structure of claim 1 , wherein the material is a gas, liquid, solid, plasma, or combination thereof and the barrier fluid is at least one of a gas or a liquid.

6. The support structure of claim 1 , wherein the material is at least one of flowing through the support structure or stagnant within the support structure.

7. The support structure of claim 1 , wherein one or more components of the support structure are formed using an additive manufacturing process.

8. A container, comprising:

an outer wall;

an inner wall; and

one or more ports extending through the outer wall to transport a gas to a first side of the inner wall, wherein the gas is able to flow through the inner wall to form a gas barrier on a second side of the inner wall to block a material on the second side of the inner wall from contacting the inner wall.

9. The container of claim 8 , wherein the outer wall and the inner wall are integrally formed using an additive manufacturing process.

10. The container of claim 8 , wherein the inner wall includes one or more flow openings.

11. The container of claim 10 , wherein a first density of flow openings at a first portion of the inner wall is different from a second density of flow openings at a second portion of the inner wall.

12. The container of claim 10 , wherein the one or more flow openings include a first set of flow openings to form the gas barrier and a second set of flow openings configured to drive rotation of the material within the container.

13. The container of claim 8 , wherein the gas is inert.

14. The container of claim 8 , further comprising a void between the outer wall and the inner wall to collect the gas.

15. The container of claim 8 , wherein the material within the container is at least one of a corrosive material or an abrasive material.

16. The container of claim 8 , wherein the outer wall is formed from a different material than the inner wall.

17. The container of claim 8 , wherein the gas is an accelerant that reacts with the material within the container.

18. A method, comprising:

forming an outer wall for a containment structure;

forming one or more ports extending through the outer wall;

forming an inner wall having one or more openings radially inward from the outer wall and fluidly coupled to the one or more ports;

causing a gas to flow through the one or more ports and through the one or more openings; and

causing the gas to form a gas barrier between the inner wall and a material within the containment structure.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

causing the gas to mix with the material.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more openings are particularly arranged, based at least, on one or more of an expected pressure or an expected flow rate.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2025
From: BLUE ORIGIN, LLC
To: BLUE ORIGIN MANUFACTURING, LLC
Reel/Frame 070585/0358 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2024
From: CONTRERAS, ERIC D.; EMANI, SATYANARAYANA VENKATA
To: BLUE ORIGIN, LLC
Reel/Frame 066553/0984 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250270021A1 · Aug 28, 2025
References Cited (5)
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