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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907270-B2
Application number	US-202016989436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2017
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

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; energizing a primary inductive coil within the chamber to heat the mold via radiation from a susceptor, wherein the resultant electromagnetic field partially leaks through the susceptor coupled to the chamber between the primary inductive coil and the mold; determining a magnetic flux profile of the electromagnetic field; sensing a magnetic flux leakage past the susceptor within the chamber; generating a control field from a secondary compensation coil coupled to the chamber, wherein the control field controls the magnetic flux experienced by the cast part; and casting the material within the mold under the controlled degree of flux leakage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An induction furnace assembly comprising:
a chamber containing a mold;
a primary inductive coil coupled to said chamber;
a susceptor surrounding said chamber between said primary inductive coil and said mold;
at least one secondary compensation coil fixed to said chamber between said susceptor and said mold; said at least one secondary compensation coil configured to generate a control field configured to control a magnetic flux leakage past said susceptor from said primary induction coil; and
a controller coupled to at least one flux sensor located within said chamber, wherein said controller is configured to generate a control signal responsive to an input from at least one of a flux sensor and a flux set point; wherein said magnetic flux leakage is detectable by said at least one flux sensor at a predetermined location within said chamber.

2. The induction furnace assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a power amplifier coupled to said controller and said secondary compensation coil, wherein said power amplifier generates electrical power responsive to said control signal to said at least one secondary compensation coil to generate said control field.

3. The induction furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said controller comprises a set point comparator.

4. The induction furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one secondary compensation coil is coupled to a control system configured to control material casting.

5. 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 field leakage that passes a susceptor coupled to said chamber between said primary inductive coil and a mold;
controlling said magnetic field leakage entering said mold inside said chamber by use of an applied magnetic control field generated by at least one secondary compensation coil fixed between said susceptor and said mold in said chamber by employing a controller coupled to at least one flux sensor located within said chamber, wherein said controller is configured to generate a control signal responsive to an input from at least one of a flux sensor and a flux set point; wherein said magnetic field leakage is detectable by said at least one flux sensor at a predetermined location within said chamber;
sensing said magnetic field leakage past the susceptor within the chamber with said at least one flux sensor; and
casting a part within said mold from a molten material.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein said casting step further comprises:
at least one of increasing and decreasing said applied magnetic control field to control a stirring in the casting material to produce a predetermined microstructure.

7. The process of claim 5 , further comprising:
generating a control signal, said control signal being responsive to at least one of the flux sensor input and the flux set point input.

8. The process of claim 7 , further comprising:
transmitting electrical power to said at least one secondary compensation coil to generate said control field, responsive to said control signal.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F27D21/00 Primary

  Arrangement of monitoring devices; Arrangement of safety devices · CPC title

• B22D27/045

  Directionally solidified castings · CPC title

• F27B14/06

  heated electrically, e.g. induction crucible furnaces with or without any other source of heat (F27B14/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B6/36

  Coil arrangements · CPC title

• B22D27/02

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