Unevenly spaced induction coil for molten alloy containment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258688-A1
Application number	US-201615154848-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	Oct 15, 2012
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various embodiments provide an apparatus and methods for containing the molten materials within a melt zone during melting. The apparatus may include a vessel configured to receive a material for melting therein and an induction coil with unevenly spaced turns along its length. Induction coil can have a series of turns acting as a first (e.g., load) induction coil and a series of turns acting as a second (e.g., containment) induction coil. The material in the vessel can be heated and contained by the separated turns of the induction coil. A plunger can also assist in containing material during melting. Once the desired temperature is achieved and maintained for the molten material, operation of the induction coil can be stopped and the molten material can be ejected from the vessel into a mold using the plunger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a vessel configured to receive a material for melting therein; a first induction coil and a second induction coil configured to melt and contain movement of the material in the vessel; wherein the first induction coil and the second induction coil are a single induction coil, and wherein the apparatus is configured to form the material into a BMG part.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first induction coil and the second induction coil are configured for operation at the same frequency.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second induction coil is positioned in line with the first induction coil.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a combination of the first induction coil and the second induction coil is configured to function as a gate or a valve for containing movement of the molten material in a horizontal direction within the vessel.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first induction coil comprises a first predetermined number of turns positioned substantially around the vessel and wherein the second induction coil comprises a second predetermined number of turns positioned substantially around the vessel.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first predetermined number of turns of the first induction coil is asymmetrical relative to a number of the second predetermined number of turns of the second induction coil.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first predetermined number of turns of the first induction coil comprises a smaller number relative to a number of the second predetermined number of turns of the second induction coil.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein single induction coil further comprises a plurality of spaced turns between the first induction coil and the second induction coil.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of spaced turns are spaced a distance relative to each other that is larger than distances between each of the first and second predetermined number of turns of the first and second induction coils.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a relative distance between each of the spaced turns between the first induction coil and the second induction coil is substantially equal.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a distance between the first induction coil and an adjacent spaced turn from the plurality of spaced turns is substantially similar to a distance between the second induction coil and another adjacent spaced turn from the plurality of spaced turns.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second induction coil is positioned near an injection end of the vessel.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vessel further comprises one or more temperature regulating channels, wherein the one or more temperature regulating channels are configured to flow a fluid therein for regulating a temperature of the vessel during melting of the material.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plunger positioned adjacent to the vessel and configured to function as a gate or a valve to assist in containing movement of the molten material.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plunger is configured to control movement the molten material from the vessel through an injection path.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a mold, and wherein the plunger is further configured to move the molten material into the mold to form a BMG part.

17 . A method of melting a material; the method comprising:
inserting meltable material into a vessel; and operating an induction coil at an RF frequency to form molten material, wherein the induction coil comprises a first induction coil and a second induction coil configured to melt and contain the meltable material in the vessel.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising: regulating a temperature of the vessel during the operation of the induction coil, wherein the vessel comprises one or more temperature regulating channels therein, and wherein the regulating includes flowing a fluid in the one or more temperature regulating channels of the vessel.

19 . A method of operating an apparatus, the method comprising:
inserting meltable material into a vessel; operating an induction coil at an RF frequency to form molten material in the vessel; and stopping operation of the induction coil, wherein the induction coil comprises a first section and a second section that are operatively connected, the first section and the second section being positioned relatively away from each other along an axis of the vessel such that a space is formed therebetween, and wherein the induction coil imposes forces on the molten material in the vessel within the space between the first and second sections of the coil during operation.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
injecting the molten material from the vessel into a mold; and molding the molten material into a BMG part.

21 . An apparatus comprising:
a vessel configured to receive a material for melting therein; and an induction coil positioned substantially around the vessel, the induction coil comprising a plurality of coil turns configured to operate at an RF frequency to form molten material in the vessel, wherein the induction coil is separated into a first section and a second section and having at least one turn between the first section and the second section, the at least one turn being spaced a distance from both of the first section and the second section.

22 . The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first section comprises a first predetermined number of turns and wherein the second section comprises a second predetermined number of turns, the first predetermined number being different that the second predetermined number.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein each turn in the first predetermined number of turns and in the second predetermined number of turns of the first and second sections are equidistantly spaced relative to adjacent turns in the respective section.

Assignees

• Crucible Intellectual Prop Llc

Inventors

• Verreault Adam A
• O'Keeffe Sean T
• Stevick Joseph W
• Yahata Brennan D

Classifications

• F27D3/14

  Charging or discharging liquid or molten material · CPC title

• C22C45/00

  Amorphous alloys (making amorphous non-ferrous alloys C22C1/11) · CPC title

• H05B6/367

  for melting furnaces · CPC title

• F27D11/12

  with electromagnetic fields acting directly on the material being heated · CPC title

• C22C45/003

  with one or more of the noble metals as major constituent · CPC title