Method and system for sensing ingot position in reduced cross-sectional area molds
AssigneeRetech Systems LLC
InventorsRobert E. Haun, Paul G. Meese
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for sensing the position of an ingot within a segmented mold of a vacuum metallurgical system. An inductive sensory system measures the variations in current between a power source and load of an induction heating coil. The system and method is particularly suitable for determining the position of an ingot within a melting system mold where the mold has a relatively reduced or small cross-sectional area.
Claims18
A method to determine the position of an ingot within a vacuum metallurgical system mold, comprising:
- providing a metal and/or alloy into a segmented mold, the segmented mold being an open-top and open-bottom mold;
- heating the metal and/or alloy within the segmented mold with a heating induction coil, wherein the heating induction coil and a high frequency power supply are electrically connected to a tuning capacitor;
- maintaining the molten metal and/or alloy in a molten state and melting any solid portion of the metal and/or alloy within the segmented mold to a molten state;
- forming an ingot within the segmented mold with the molten metal and/or alloy;
- determining the position of the ingot within the segmented mold with a sense coil;
- and
- tuning an electrical circuit comprised of the heating induction coil, the mold and its contents, and the power supply to optimize a power level for melting within the mold.
A method to determine the position of an ingot within a vacuum metallurgical system mold, comprising:
- providing a metal and/or alloy into a segmented mold, the segmented mold being an open-top and open-bottom mold;
- heating the metal and/or alloy within the segmented mold with an heating induction coil;
- maintaining the molten metal and/or alloy in a molten state and melting any solid portion of the metal and/or alloy within the segmented mold to a molten state;
- forming an ingot within the segmented mold with the molten metal and/or alloy;
- and
- determining the position of the ingot within the segmented mold with a sense coil, wherein the sense coil is connected in series with an electronic position controller configured to measure changes in electrical current detected by the sense coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.