Melting furnace purge system and method
AssigneeFives North American Combustion, Inc.
InventorsThomas F. Robertson, Douglas A. Clauss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A furnace has a melting chamber with a periphery defined by a surrounding wall structure. The furnace is provided with a purge system configured to direct inert gas to flow downward in the melting chamber in the configuration of a curtain that adjoins the wall structure and reaches only partially around the periphery of the melting chamber.
Claims10
-14. (canceled)
A method of operating a furnace having a melting chamber with a periphery defined by a surrounding wall structure, a charge port configured for entry of metal pieces into the melting chamber, and a discharge port configured to drain molten metal from the melting chamber;
- the method comprising:
- providing the melting chamber with an atmosphere including air;
- and
- directing inert gas to flow downward in the melting chamber in a configuration of a curtain that adjoins the wall structure and reaches only partially around the periphery of the melting chamber, to form an upper surface by flowing horizontally from a lower end of the curtain, and to increase in depth such that the upper surface rises in the melting chamber to displace the air from the melting chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.