Systems and methods of controlling gas flow in a mold in aluminum casting
AssigneeNovelis Inc.
InventorsJohn Robert Buster McCallum, John S. Tingey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are gas control systems and associated methods of controlling gas in a mold in casting, such as aluminum casting. The system may have a first mass controller, a second mass controller, and a control device capable of switching the gas control system between a first operating state and a second operating state. The first mass controller and the second mass controller may have different flow rate ranges. In the first operating state, the gas control system may deactivate one of the first or second mass controllers, and in the second operating state, the gas control system may activate both first and second mass controllers.
Claims20
A gas control system for a casting device, the gas control system comprising:
- a first mass controller configured to supply a gas into a casting mold at a first flow rate that is within a first flow rate range;
- a second mass controller configured to supply the gas into the casting mold at a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is within a second flow rate range that is different from the first flow rate range;
- and
- a control device configured to control the first mass controller and the second mass controller such the gas is continuously supplied into the casting mold during a casting process.
A gas control system for a casting device, the gas control system comprising:
- a plurality of mass controllers, each mass controller of the plurality of mass controllers configured to supply a gas into a casting mold at a flow rate, wherein a flow rate range of at least one mass controller of the plurality of mass controllers is different from a flow rate range of another mass controller of the plurality of mass controllers;
- and
- a control device communicatively coupled to the plurality of mass controllers and configured to control the plurality of mass controllers such that at least one mass controller of the plurality of mass controllers is always active and supplying the gas into the casting mold during a casting process.
A gas control system for controlling a flow of a first gas and a second gas in a casting process, the gas control system comprising:
- a first mass controller configured to supply gas into a casting mold at a first flow rate that is within a first flow rate range;
- a second mass controller configured to supply gas into the casting mold at a second flow rate, wherein the second flow rate is within a second flow rate range that is different from the first flow rate range;
- and
- a control device configured to control the first mass controller and the second mass controller such that, for each of the first gas and the second gas, the gas control system is in at least one of a first operating state or a second operating state,
- wherein, for a selected gas comprising the first gas or the second gas:
- in the first operating state, at least one of the first mass controller or the second mass controller is deactivated and the other one of the first mass controller or the second mass controller is activated such that the deactivated first mass controller or the deactivated second mass controller does not supply the selected gas into the casting mold, and
- in the second operating state, both the first mass controller and the second mass controller are activated such that both the first mass controller and the second mass controller supply the selected gas into the casting mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.