Method for magnetic flux compensation in a directional solidification furnace utilizing an actuated secondary coil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10589351-B2
Application number	US-201715797823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2017
Priority date	Oct 30, 2017
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A process for directional solidification of a cast part comprises energizing a primary inductive coil coupled to a chamber having a mold containing a material; generating an electromagnetic field with the primary inductive coil within the chamber, wherein said electromagnetic field is partially attenuated by a susceptor coupled to said chamber between said primary inductive coil and said mold; determining a magnetic flux profile of the electromagnetic field after it passes through the susceptor; sensing a component of the magnetic flux in the interior of the susceptor proximate the mold; positioning a mobile secondary compensation coil within the chamber; generating a control field from a secondary compensation coil, wherein said control field controls said magnetic flux; and casting the material within the mold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for directional solidification of a cast part comprising:
energizing a primary inductive coil coupled to a chamber having a mold containing a material;
generating an electromagnetic field with the primary inductive coil within the chamber, wherein said electromagnetic field is partially attenuated by a susceptor coupled to said chamber between said primary inductive coil and said mold;
determining a magnetic flux profile of the electromagnetic field;
sensing a component of the magnetic flux proximate the mold within the chamber;
positioning a mobile secondary compensation coil within the chamber:
generating a control field from said mobile secondary compensation coil, wherein said control field controls said magnetic flux; and
casting the material within the mold.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said component of magnetic flux comprises a portion of the total electromagnetic field passing through said mold that is not attenuated by the susceptor.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein said control field is increased or decreased to control a stirring in the material to produce a predetermined microstructure.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the control field modifies a portion of the electromagnetic field produced by the primary induction coil that is not attenuated by the susceptor.

5. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a control signal, said control signal being responsive to at least one of a flux sensor input and a flux set point input, and determining said flux set point input at least one of empirically and via physics-based modeling.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein said control signal is sent to a power amplifier that generates the electrical power sent to the mobile secondary compensation coil for generating the control field and said control signal is sent to an actuator coupled to the mobile secondary compensation coil and configured to position the mobile secondary compensation coil relative to the mold.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said mobile secondary compensation coil is mobile relative to the susceptor.

8. A process for directional solidification of a cast part comprising:
generating an electromagnetic field from a primary inductive coil coupled to a chamber of an induction furnace, wherein said electromagnetic field includes a magnetic flux that passes a susceptor coupled to said chamber between said primary inductive coil and a mold;
controlling a predetermined amount of magnetic flux that enters said mold inside said chamber by use of a control field generated by at least one mobile secondary compensation coil between said susceptor and said mold in said chamber; and
casting a part within said mold from a molten material.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein said casting step further comprises:
cooling said molten material in the presence of said modified magnetic field.

10. The process of claim 8 , further comprising:
generating a control signal, said control signal being responsive to at least one of a flux sensor input and a flux set point input.

11. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
energizing said mobile secondary compensation coil to generate said control field, responsive to said control signal.

12. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating a control signal input to said mobile secondary compensation coil, said control signal input comprising at least one of a control signal input to nullify the magnetic flux experienced by the mold, and a control signal input to amplify the magnetic flux experienced by the mold.

13. The process of claim 8 , further comprising:
sensing said magnetic field flux past the susceptor within the chamber with at least one flux sensor.

14. The process of claim 8 , further comprising:
positioning the at least one mobile secondary compensation coil coupled to an actuator configured to position the at least one mobile secondary compensation coil relative to the mold.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Rebbecchi Thomas Anthony
• Mantese Joseph V
• Breneman Ryan C
• Boyne Andrew
• Marcin John Joseph
• Davis Dustin W
• Furrer David Ulrich
• Auxier James Tilsley

Classifications

• B22D27/045 Primary

  Directionally solidified castings · CPC title

• B22D27/02

  Use of electric or magnetic effects {(for continuous casting B22D11/015, B22D11/11)} · CPC title

• F27B2014/066

  Construction of the induction furnace · CPC title

• F27B14/14

  Arrangements of heating devices · CPC title

• F27B14/061

  Induction furnaces · CPC title