# US 2026/0131374 A1 · Integrated flow meter for aluminum castings > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0131374 A1 - Document ID: US20260131374A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/947,954 - Filed: 2024-11-14 - Published: 2026-05-14 - Earliest claimed: 2024-11-14 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Andrew Clay Bobel; John Patrick Spicer; David C. Gillengerten; Alireza Fatemi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260131374A1 ## CPC - B22D 37/00: Controlling or regulating the pouring of molten metal from a casting melt-holding vessel ({B22D11/18,} B22D39/00, B22D41/00 take precedence) - B22D 2/00: Arrangement of indicating or measuring devices, e.g. for temperature or viscosity of the fused mass - B22D 35/04: into moulds, e.g. base plates, runners - B22D 46/00: Controlling, supervising, not restricted to casting covered by a single main group, e.g. for safety reasons (controlling or regulating in general G05) - F04B 49/065: {and making use of computers} - B22D 21/007: {with low melting point, e.g. Al 659 degrees C, Mg 650 degrees C} - B22D 25/02: by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art {(cylinders, pistons B22D15/02)} - F04B 15/04: the fluids being hot or corrosive (for liquids near their boiling point, e.g. under subnormal pressure, F04B15/06) - F04B 2205/09: Flow through the pump - F04B 2205/10: Inlet temperature - B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract A molten metal laundering system includes a pump that draws molten metal from a reservoir. A heated raceway receives the molten metal from the pump and carries a flow of the molten metal. A conduit extends from the heated raceway and is exposed exterior the heated raceway. The conduit carries the flow. A temperature sensor senses a temperature of the molten metal in the conduit. An outlet at an end of the conduit directs the flow from the conduit into a casting mold. A flow meter is disposed along the conduit with the conduit extending through the flow meter. The flow meter senses a flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit. A control module adjusts operation of the pump based at least on the flow rate sensed by the flow meter and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A molten metal laundering system comprising: a pump configured to draw molten metal from a reservoir; a heated raceway configured to receive the molten metal from the pump and carry a flow of the molten metal; a conduit extending from the heated raceway and exposed exterior the heated raceway, the conduit configured to carry the flow of the molten metal; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the molten metal in the conduit; an outlet disposed at an end of the conduit and configured to direct the flow of the molten metal from the conduit into a casting mold; a flow meter disposed along the conduit, the conduit extending through the flow meter, the flow meter configured to sense a flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit; and a control module in communication with the pump, the control module configured to adjust operation of the pump to adjust the flow of the molten metal into the casting mold based at least on the flow rate sensed by the flow meter and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The molten metal laundering system of claim 1, wherein the flow meter includes a non-contact flow meter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The molten metal laundering system of claim 2, wherein the conduit includes a non-magnetic material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The molten metal laundering system of claim 1, wherein the flow meter includes a contact-based flow meter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The molten metal laundering system of claim 4, wherein the conduit includes a non-magnetic metallic material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The molten metal laundering system of claim 1, wherein the conduit is part of the heated raceway, a portion of the conduit extending from an end of the heated raceway to be exposed exterior of the heated raceway. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The molten metal laundering system of claim 1, wherein the conduit is part of the flow meter, a gasket disposed at an end of the conduit opposite the outlet configured to interface with the heated raceway. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The molten metal laundering system of claim 1, wherein an internal diameter of the conduit is different from an internal diameter of the heated raceway. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The molten metal laundering system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to adjust operation of the pump to achieve a target flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The molten metal laundering system of claim 1, wherein the molten metal includes molten aluminum, the casting mold being for a vehicular component. ### Claim 11 A computer-implemented method when executed on data processing hardware causes the data processing hardware to perform operations including: operating a pump of a molten metal laundering system to draw molten metal from a reservoir, a heated raceway receiving the molten metal from the pump and carrying a flow of the molten metal, a conduit extending from the heated raceway and exposed exterior the heated raceway, the conduit carrying the flow of the molten metal to an outlet at an end of the conduit, the outlet directing the flow of the molten metal from the conduit into a casting mold; receiving first sensor data from a temperature sensor, the first sensor data representative of a temperature of the molten metal in the conduit; receiving second sensor data from a flow meter, the flow meter disposed along the conduit, the conduit extending through the flow meter, the second sensor data representative of a flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit; and responsive to processing the first sensor data and the second sensor data, adjusting operation of the pump to adjust the flow of the molten metal into the casting mold based at least on the flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit and the temperature of the molten metal in the conduit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the flow meter includes a non-contact flow meter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the flow meter includes a contact-based flow meter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the conduit is part of the heated raceway, a portion of the conduit extending from an end of the heated raceway to be exposed exterior of the heated raceway. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting operation of the pump is based on a target flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit. ### Claim 16 A system comprising: memory hardware storing instructions that, when executed on data processing hardware in communication with the memory hardware, cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising: operating a pump of a molten metal laundering system to draw molten metal from a reservoir, a heated raceway receiving the molten metal from the pump and carrying a flow of the molten metal, a conduit extending from the heated raceway and exposed exterior the heated raceway, the conduit carrying the flow of the molten metal to an outlet at an end of the conduit, the outlet directing the flow of the molten metal from the conduit into a casting mold; receiving first sensor data from a temperature sensor, the first sensor data representative of a temperature of the molten metal in the conduit; receiving second sensor data from a flow meter, the flow meter disposed along the conduit, the conduit extending through the flow meter, the second sensor data representative of a flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit; and responsive to processing the first sensor data and the second sensor data, adjusting operation of the pump to adjust the flow of the molten metal into the casting mold based at least on the flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit and the temperature of the molten metal in the conduit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the flow meter includes a non-contact flow meter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the flow meter includes a contact-based flow meter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the conduit is part of the heated raceway, a portion of the conduit extending from an end of the heated raceway to be exposed exterior of the heated raceway. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein adjusting operation of the pump is based on a target flow rate of the flow of the molten metal in the conduit.