In this master’s thesis, we address the problem of adjusting the mass flow rate of metal powder in the process of directed energy deposition (DED). Due to the limitations of existing systems, we designed a powder mass flow divider that enables rapid adjustment of the mass flow rate by changing the distance between the inlet and the outlet collection nozzle of the divider. The divider was manufactured using 3D printing and integrated into an experimental setup for analyzing its performance, which allowed real-time monitoring of the mass flow at the outlet. The results showed that the mass flow rate at the outlet, in addition to the nozzle distance, also depends on the magnitude of the inlet mass flow and the shape of the powder stream, which is influenced by the geometry of the inlet nozzle. The analysis of mass flow variability and stationarity demonstrated that the system achieves sufficiently stable flow for further use in the DED process. The results confirm the usefulness of the proposed design and provide a foundation for further development of powder mass flow control systems in DED applications.
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