Continuous casting of materials using pressure differential

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155263-B2
Application number	US-201213629696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for continuous casting. The system includes a melt chamber, a withdrawal chamber, and a secondary chamber therebetween. The melt chamber can maintain a melting pressure and the withdrawal chamber can attain atmospheric pressure. The secondary chamber can include regions that can be adjusted to different pressures. During continuous casting operations, the first region adjacent to the melt chamber can be adjusted to a pressure that is at least slightly greater than the melting pressure; the pressure in subsequent regions can be sequentially decreased and then sequentially increased. The pressure in the final region can be at least slightly greater than atmospheric pressure. The differential pressures can form a dynamic airlock between the melt chamber and the withdrawal chamber, which can prevent infiltration of the melt chamber by non-inert gas in the atmosphere, and thus can prevent contamination of reactive materials in the melt chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for melting and casting material, comprising:
a melt chamber structured to operably attain a melting pressure above atmospheric pressure;
a secondary chamber comprising:
a plurality of regions, wherein the plurality of regions comprises:
a first region positioned adjacent to the melt chamber;
a final region; and
a negative pressure seal positioned intermediate the first region and the final region;

a pumping system comprising at least one pump, the pumping system separately adjusting the melting pressure and a pressure in each region of the plurality of regions of the secondary chamber;
at least one pressure management element, wherein each pressure management element controls a flow of gas between adjacent regions of the plurality of regions, and wherein the first region is structured to operably attain a first differential pressure that is greater than the melting pressure;
a withdrawal chamber positioned adjacent to the secondary chamber, wherein the withdrawal chamber is structured to operably attain atmospheric pressure, and wherein the withdrawal chamber is moveably positionable relative to the secondary chamber; and
rollers configured to move between a first position retracted from cast material when the withdrawal chamber is positioned adjacent to the secondary chamber, and a second position extended toward the cast material when the withdrawal chamber is moved away from the secondary chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary chamber comprises an inner perimeter, and wherein each pressure management element comprises:
a baffle; and
a central aperture for receiving cast material therethrough, wherein the baffle of each pressure management element extends from the inner perimeter to the central aperture.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the melt chamber comprises a mold for casting material, and wherein the cast material is structured to pass from the mold, through the central aperture of the at least one pressure management element of the secondary chamber, and into the withdrawal chamber.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regions comprises a second region adjacent to the first region, and wherein the second region is structured to operably attain a second differential pressure that is less than the first differential pressure.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pumping system comprises a plurality of pumps structured to adjust the pressure in the plurality of regions of the secondary chamber.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the pump corresponding to the first region is structured to adjust the pressure of the first region from the melting pressure to the first differential pressure when a portion of cast material extends through the first region.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the final region is positioned adjacent to the withdrawal chamber, wherein the pump corresponding to the final region is structured to adjust the pressure in the final region from the melting pressure to a final differential pressure when a portion of cast material extends through the final region, and wherein the final differential pressure is greater than atmospheric pressure.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of regions comprises an intermediate region between the first region and the final region, wherein the pump corresponding to the intermediate region is structured to adjust the pressure in the intermediate region from the melting pressure to the intermediate differential pressure when a portion of cast material extends through the intermediate region, and wherein the intermediate differential pressure is less than the first and final differential pressures.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of pumps operably decreases the pressure between adjacent regions from the first region to the intermediate region and operably increases the pressure between adjacent regions from the intermediate region to the final region.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pumping system comprises a plurality of pumps structured to adjust a volume of a gas in each region of the plurality of regions to generate the pressure therein, and wherein the gas in the regions from the first region to the intermediate region consists essentially of inert gases.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising a withdrawal cart structured to move the withdrawal chamber away from the secondary chamber, wherein the withdrawal chamber is structured to attain atmospheric pressure upon moving away from the secondary chamber.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary chamber further comprises an intermediate region positioned intermediate the first region and the final region, wherein the first region comprises a first higher pressure region comprising a first operating pressure, wherein the final region comprises a second higher pressure region comprising a second operating pressure, and wherein the intermediate region comprises a lower pressure region comprising a third operating pressure that is less than the first operating pressure and the second operating pressure.

Assignees

• Ati Properties Llc

Inventors

• Arnold Matthew J

Classifications

• B22D27/15

  by using vacuum · CPC title

• B22D11/113 Primary

  by vacuum treating · CPC title

• B22D11/163

  for cutting cast stock · CPC title

• B22D11/142

  for curved casting · CPC title

• B22D11/141

  for vertical casting · CPC title