Hybrid recycling furnace using immersion melting equipment
AssigneeTesla, Inc.
InventorJan Steglich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Examples of the present disclosure relate to a recycling furnace that may include a heating chamber configured to receive solid metal and an immersion heating unit adjacent to the heating chamber. The solid metal may undergo a thermolysis pre-treatment in the heating chamber, and the heating chamber may include a furnace that is configured to create liquid metal by melting the solid metal after the thermolysis pre-treatment. The immersion heating unit is configured to receive and heat the liquid metal, and each immersion heater is immersed in liquid metal.
Claims20
A recycling furnace comprising:
- a heating chamber configured to receive solid metal, the solid metal undergoing a thermolysis pre-treatment in the heating chamber, wherein the heating chamber comprises a furnace configured to create liquid metal by melting the solid metal after the thermolysis pre-treatment;
- and
- an immersion heating unit adjacent to the heating chamber and comprising a plurality of immersion heaters, the immersion heating unit configured to receive and reheat the liquid metal, wherein each immersion heater is immersed in liquid metal.
A method of operating a recycling furnace comprising:
- receiving, by a heating chamber, solid metal;
- applying, in the heating chamber, a thermolysis pre-treatment to the solid metal;
- melting, in the heating chamber and via a furnace, the solid metal to create liquid metal;
- circulating the liquid metal to an immersion heating unit adjacent to the heating chamber wherein the immersion heating unit comprises a plurality of immersion heaters;
- and
- reheating the liquid metal via the plurality of immersion heaters, each immersion heater immersed in the liquid metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.