Shroud for billet casting
AssigneeNucor Corporation
InventorsDavid J. Sosinsky, Marcie M. Hinker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of billet casting are provided herein. The methods may include the steps of assembling a billet caster with a shroud extending from a tundish to above a mold such that the shroud does not reach molten metal in the mold, delivering molten metal from a ladle into the tundish, delivering molten metal from the tundish through the shroud to the mold, the shroud inhibiting contact between the molten metal and air, casting the molten metal into billets in the mold and cooling the billets below the mold with a coolant spray, and delivering the cooled billet to a runout table to be cut to length.
Claims16
A system for billet casting, the system comprising:
- a shroud and a mold, the shroud comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and an open bottom, the upper portion and the lower portion define an enclosed passage within the shroud wherein the upper portion forms a nozzle with a nozzle passage extending to the lower portion, the nozzle passage comprising a first nozzle end at a first end of the upper portion and a second nozzle end near the lower portion where the enclosed passage of the lower portion has a larger diameter than the nozzle passage of the enclosed passage at the second nozzle end near the lower portion;
- wherein the shroud extends from a tundish to above the mold for pouring a stream of molten metal within the shroud and configured to deliver the molten metal from the shroud to above a meniscus of the molten metal in the mold to inhibit contact between the molten metal and air;
- and
- wherein the shroud is maintained above the mold and does not contact the molten metal in the mold when the molten metal is delivered to the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.