Induction melting furnace with metered discharge
AssigneeInductotherm Corp.
InventorsOleg S. Fishman, Hans G. Heine, Joseph T. Belsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An induction melting furnace comprises a melt chamber for heating a melt either directly by magnetic induction, or indirectly by magnetic induction heating of the melt chamber, or a combination of the two, and a meter chamber connected to the melt chamber for providing a metered discharge of the melt from the furnace. A gas can be injected into the furnace to provide a blanket over the surface of the melt in the melt chamber and a pressurized flush of the metered discharge of the melt from the meter chamber.
Claims17
An induction melting furnace for heating a melt and discharging a metered amount of the melt, the induction melting furnace comprising:
- a feed chamber having a sealable supply opening for placing a charge of the melt in the feed chamber, the feed chamber having a sealable delivery opening;
- a melt chamber for heating the melt in the melt chamber, the melt chamber connected to the feed chamber by the sealable delivery opening, the melt chamber having a melt chamber outlet for discharge of the melt;
- an at least one induction coil at least partially surrounding the melt chamber;
- a meter chamber having a meter chamber inlet and a meter chamber outlet, the meter chamber inlet connected to the melt chamber outlet by a connecting passage;
- a means for opening and closing the connecting passage to control the flow of the melt through the connecting passage;
- and
- a means for opening and closing the meter chamber outlet, whereby opening the connecting passage while the meter chamber outlet is closed fills the meter chamber with the melt, and opening the meter chamber outlet while the meter chamber is filled with melt and the connecting passage is closed discharges a metered amount of the melt from the meter chamber through the meter chamber outlet.
A method of heating a melt and discharging a metered amount of the melt, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing the melt in a melt chamber having a melt chamber outlet;
- surrounding the melt chamber at least partially with a one or more induction coils;
- flowing an ac current through the one or more induction coils to inductively heat the melt chamber or the melt in the melt chamber;
- connecting an inlet of a meter chamber to the melt chamber outlet by a melt chamber outlet valve;
- connecting an outlet of the meter chamber to a meter chamber outlet value;
- closing the meter chamber outlet valve and opening the melt chamber outlet value to fill the meter chamber with melt from the melt chamber;
- and
- closing the melt chamber outlet valve and opening the meter chamber outlet valve to discharge the metered volume of melt in the meter chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.