Cold Spray Nozzle Retrofit for High-Performance Repair and Additive Manufacturing in Naval Applications

The proposal aims to develop and demonstrate a high-performance Cold Spray (CS) nozzle that can use nitrogen or air instead of expensive helium and can be retrofitted to existing CS systems for structural repairs and additive manufacturing in naval applications. Cold spray is a process where micron-sized particles are accelerated in a supersonic gas jet, bonding with surfaces upon impact, offering advantages like minimal distortion and high coating strength. However, the existing CS approaches using helium are costly and complex, with challenges in nozzle wear, accessibility, and quality consistency. Continuum Dynamics Inc. has developed a novel CS nozzle design using nitrogen, achieving performance comparable to helium-based systems. In this effort, we will optimize this design to further reduce nozzle wear, operate at lower pressures, and improve the powder injection system for higher deposition rates. In Phase I, we will develop, manufacture, and test our optimized nozzle design, explore diverse powder injection strategies, and present a basic demonstration of the software application for setting up a cold spray process. The proposal aims to deliver a fully tested nozzle prototype to NAVSEA by Phase II, capable of high-quality repairs and additive manufacturing using nitrogen or compressed gas.