Casting molds, manufacture and use methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065239-B2
Application number	US-201414488169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A casting mold ( 260 ) comprises a shell ( 262 ) extending from a lower end ( 264 ) to an upper end ( 266 ) and having: an interior space ( 280 ) for casting metal; and an opening ( 268 ) for receiving metal to be cast. A plurality of thermocouples ( 900 ) are vertically-spaced from each other on the shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for using a casting mold, the casting mold comprising:
a shell extending from a lower end to an upper end and having:
an interior space for casting metal; and
an opening for receiving metal to be cast; and

a plurality of thermocouples having respective junctions embedded in the shell and vertically-spaced from each other,
the method comprising:
placing the mold in a furnace;
withdrawing the mold from the furnace;
during the withdrawing, determining a position of the mold and receiving data from the thermocouples; and
determining when a solidus front and a liquidus front pass each thermocouple in a vertical direction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
calculating a cooling rate at each thermocouple.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a proxy vertical span of a mushy zone as a distance the mold has traveled between when said solidus front and said liquidus front pass an associated said thermocouple.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a vertical position of a mushy zone.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:
the pouring comprises:
a first pouring of a first alloy; and
a second pouring of a second alloy; and

the second pouring commences when the mushy zone has reached a target level.

6. The method of claim 5 performed repeatedly wherein:
parameters are iterated to achieve a desired value of a proxy for a vertical span of the mushy zone.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:
the proxy is the vertical distance the mold passes from when the solidus front passes a thermocouple of the plurality of thermocouples to when the liquidus front passes the thermocouple.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Marcin Jr John J
• Bullied Steven J
• Shah Dilip M
• Cetel Alan D
• Kreek Emily K

Classifications

• B22D2/006

  for the temperature of the molten metal (measuring temperature in general G01K) · CPC title

• B22D46/00 Primary

  Controlling, supervising, not restricted to casting covered by a single main group, e.g. for safety reasons (controlling or regulating in general G05) · CPC title

• B22C9/04

  Use of lost patterns · CPC title

• B22D30/00

  Cooling castings, not restricted to casting processes covered by a single main group (accessories for cooling cast stock in continuous casting of metals B22D11/124; controlling or regulating processes or operations for cooling cast stock or mould in continuous casting of metals B22D11/22; chill casting B22D15/00) · CPC title

• B22D27/045

  Directionally solidified castings · CPC title