Patent ID: 11932941
Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE HIGH TEMPERATURE COMPOSITES, INC.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  F | IPC C  F

Claim 12:
13. A method of preheating reactant gases for a chemical vapor infiltration/chemical vapor deposition (CVI/CVD) furnace comprising:
receiving reactant gases in a preheater through a central inlet of the preheater; heating the received reactant gases while the gases flow through a circuitous gas flow path of the preheater directly downstream of the central inlet, wherein the circuitous gas flow path is defined by a plurality of baffles, wherein a first portion of the plurality of baffles extend from a first surface, wherein a second portion of the plurality of baffles extend from a second, opposite surface, and wherein the first portion of the plurality of baffles and the second portion of the plurality of baffles interleave to increase a dwell time of reactant gases passing through the circuitous flow path;
wherein the preheater includes a plenum section downstream of the circuitous gas flow path configured to at least partially equalize the static pressure across an outlet diffuser plate downstream of the plenum section, and wherein the circuitous gas flow path is fluidly coupled to the plenum section by an outer circumferential slot opening; and
outputting the heated reactant gases into a working zone of the furnace through an outlet diffuser plate defining a plurality of apertures fluidly coupling the preheater to the working zone.