Gas-transfer foot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435343-B2
Application number	US-201514715435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	Jul 12, 2002
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

The present invention includes a molten metal pump and associated components that enable gas to be released into a stream of molten metal. The gas may be released into the molten metal stream (preferably into the bottom of the stream) flowing through a passage. Such a stream may be within the pump discharge and/or within a metal-transfer conduit extending from the pump discharge. The gas is released by using a gas-transfer foot that is positioned next to and is preferably attachable to the pump base or to the metal-transfer conduit. Preferably, the conduit (and/or discharge) in which the gas is released comprises two sections: a first section having a first cross-sectional area and a second section downstream of the first section and having a second cross-sectional area, wherein the second cross sectional area is larger than the first cross-sectional area. Preferably, the gas is released into or near the second section so that the gas is released into an area of relatively lower pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas-transfer foot for a molten metal pump having a pump base with a top surface, a bottom surface, and a notch in the bottom surface, the gas-transfer foot configured to be received in the notch and comprising:
(a) a top surface and a gas inlet port through which gas passes into the foot, the gas-inlet port in the top surface and configured to attach to a gas-transfer conduit; and
(b) a first end having a first outer cross-sectional area, and a second section that narrows from the first outer cross-sectional area to a second outer cross-sectional area, the first outer cross-sectional area being larger than the second outer cross-sectional area, and the gas-release port being formed at an end of the second section;
wherein when the gas-transfer foot is received in the notch the gas-release port can transfer gas into a flow of molten metal moving through the pump base.

2. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 , wherein the notch is formed in the molten metal pump such that when the gas-transfer foot is inserted into the notch it is in communication with a gas-release opening in communication with the flow of molten metal.

3. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the gas-transfer foot is comprised of graphite.

4. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the opening is threaded.

5. The-gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the opening has a surface area at least half as large as the surface area of the top surface.

6. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the second section has a side surface and the gas outlet port is in the side surface.

7. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 that further includes a gas-transfer conduit having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is received in the gas-inlet port.

8. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the gas-inlet port includes grooves for receiving an end of the gas-transfer conduit.

9. The gas-transfer foot of claim 7 wherein the inlet port includes grooves for receiving the second end of the gas-transfer conduit, and the second end of the gas-transfer tube is threaded; the second end of the gas-transfer tube being threadingly received in the gas-inlet port.

10. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the gas-inlet port is in the first section.

11. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the second outer cross-sectional area is 50% or less of the first outer cross-sectional area.

12. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the second end has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface, and the gas-release port is formed in the side surface.

13. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 wherein the gas-inlet port has a diameter that is at least twice the diameter of the gas-release port.

14. The gas-transfer foot of claim 1 that includes a passageway between the gas-inlet port and the gas-release port.

Assignees

• Molten Metal Equipment Innovations Llc
• Molten Meal Equipment Innovations Llc

Inventors

• Cooper Paul V

Classifications

• Y10T137/85978

  With pump · CPC title

• F04D7/00

  Pumps adapted for handling specific fluids, e.g. by selection of specific materials for pumps or pump parts (F04D11/005, F04D29/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• F17D1/04

  for distribution of gas · CPC title

• F04D29/708

  specially for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F04D7/065 Primary

  for liquid metal · CPC title