Vacuum arc remelting processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021102272-A1
Application number	US-201916590763-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 2, 2019
Publication date	Apr 8, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vacuum arc remelt apparatus comprising a crucible having a wall, said wall having an interior and an exterior opposite said interior; an electrode within the crucible proximate the interior; an ingot within the crucible and below the electrode, wherein said ingot includes a crown and shelf; and a vibration source at the exterior of the crucible proximate the crown and shelf.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vacuum arc remelt apparatus comprising:
a crucible having a wall, said wall having an interior and an exterior opposite said interior; an electrode within the crucible proximate the interior; an ingot within the crucible and below the electrode, wherein said ingot includes a crown and a shelf; and a vibration source at the exterior of the crucible proximate the crown and shelf.

2 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said vibration source comprises at least one of an ultrasonic transducer and a vibrator.

3 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said vibrator comprises a mechanical vibrator.

4 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said ultrasonic transducer is configured to break up the materials of the crown and shelf during the operation of the vacuum arc remelt apparatus responsive to a predetermined size of the crown and shelf.

5 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a microscale model coupled to the vibration source.

6 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said vibration source controls nucleation and growth mechanics of formation of the crown and shelf.

7 . A vacuum arc remelt apparatus comprising:
a crucible having a side wall, said side wall having an interior and an exterior opposite said interior, a bottom plate coupled to said side wall; an electrode coupled to a stinger, said stinger coupled to a ram configured to translate said electrode within said crucible; an ingot between said electrode and said bottom plate between said side wall proximate the interior, wherein said electrode forms a melt pool and a crown and a shelf responsive to an electrical arc with said ingot; and a vibration source coupled to said exterior and configured to control the nucleation and growth mechanics of formation of the crown and shelf.

8 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said vibration source comprises an ultrasonic transducer.

9 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said ultrasonic transducer is configured to excite portions of the melt pool and lead to the reduction of grain sizes in the ingot.

10 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said ultrasonic transducer is focused to ultrasonically load the crown and shelf.

11 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said vibration source comprises multiple vibration sources configured along the crucible to control the crown and shelf formation.

12 . The vacuum arc remelt apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said vibration source comprises a vibrator.

13 . A process for vacuum arc remelting comprising:
inserting an ingot between an electrode and a bottom of a crucible of the vacuum arc remelt apparatus, said crucible comprising a wall having an interior and an exterior, said wall being adjacent said bottom; melting said electrode with an arc between said electrode and said ingot; forming a melt pool on top of said ingot proximate said electrode; and vibrating a crown and shelf proximate said melt pool with a vibration source coupled to said crucible proximate said exterior.

14 . The process of claim 13 , wherein said vibration source comprises at least one of an ultrasonic transducer and a vibrator.

15 . The process of claim 13 , further comprising:
exciting portions of the melt pool with said vibration source to reduce grain sizes in the ingot.

16 . The process of claim 13 , further comprising:
breaking up the materials of the crown and shelf during the operation of the vacuum arc remelt apparatus with said vibration source.

17 . The process of claim 13 , further comprising:
focusing the vibration source to ultrasonically load the crown and shelf.

18 . The process of claim 13 , further comprising:
employing a microscale model; and determining ultrasonic frequencies for solidification of said melt pool in the absence of dirty white spots.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Borkowski Luke
• Staroselsky Alexander

Classifications

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title

• H05B7/07

  designed to melt in use · CPC title

• C22B9/026

  by acoustic waves, e.g. supersonic waves · CPC title

• C22B9/04

  Refining by applying a vacuum · CPC title