Cooling facility and method

A method of cooling an aluminum alloy rolling ingot after a metallurgical homogenization heat treatment of said ingot at a homogenization temperature, optionally between 450 to 600° C., and prior to hot rolling,

• wherein the aluminum alloy rolling ingot has a format of dimensions from 250 to 800 mm in thickness, from 1000 to 2000 mm in width, and from 2000 to 8000 mm in length;
• a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces, wherein the top and bottom surfaces have a larger surface area than the side surfaces;
• and a head and a foot corresponding to extremities in a longitudinal direction,
• wherein cooling, by a cooling value of 30 to 150° C., is performed at a rate of from 150 to 500° C./h, with a thermal differential of less than 40° C. over the entire ingot cooled from the homogenization temperature thereof, and
• wherein cooling is carried out in at least two phases:
• a first spraying phase in which the ingot is cooled in a chamber equipped with a spray system comprising ramps of nozzles for spraying cooling liquid or spray under pressure, divided into upper and lower parts of said chamber, so as to spray the larger top and bottom surfaces of said ingot, and
• a complementary phase of thermal equalization in still air, in a tunnel with interior reflective walls, lasting from about 2 to about 30 minutes, depending on the format of the ingot and the cooling value;
• and
• wherein the spray system guides the cooling liquid or spray under pressure to the ingot edges where the cooling liquid or spray under pressure is discharged in form of a cascade without touching the ingot's small side surfaces.