Method for submerging entraining, melting and circulating metal charge in molten media

An improved method of melting aluminum scrap in a recirculating system that has a closed heating bay and an open charging and fluxing bay in which scrap is charged and entrained in molten aluminum by the action of a molten metal circulator;

• molten aluminum at a temperature in the range of 1200.degree. to 1600.degree. F. is circulated from said open bay to and through said heating bay and thence to said open bay, said open bay having a wall interposed between said closed bay and said open bay, said wall having integral therewith a wall segment extending into said open bay, said interposed wall further having two openings through said interposed wall one of said openings on either side of said wall segment, said molten metal circulator positioned to one side of said wall segment, said improved method comprising:
• (a) introducing a supply of said scrap to said open bay in the vicinity of said molten metal circulator to initiate melting of said scrap in said molten aluminum,
• (b) simultaneously with melting said scrap, continuously circulating said molten metal from said closed heating bay into said open bay by drawing molten metal from said closed heating bay through said opening in said wall in the immediate vicinity of said molten metal circulator, said initial scrap melting and drawing of molten aluminum from said heating bay being induced directly by said molten metal circulator which has a spaced apart bottom plate and top plate, said top plate having a circular opening centrally disposed therein, said bottom plate having centrally disposed an integrally secured thereto at its base a frusto conical hub with a central axis coincident with the center axis of said top plate circular opening, said hubs having a drive shaft secured thereto radially extending vanes secured to said hub and along the entire radial length thereof to said bottom plate, said top plate central circular opening having an inside diameter greater than that of said frusto conical hub, said vanes secured at the ends thereof to said top plate;
• rotation of said drive shaft creating by the cooperation of said molten metal with said circulator vanes, frusto conical hub, top and bottom plate, a mild vortex in said molten metal to thereby entrain said scrap and deliver vertically downward entrained scrap into and through said central opening in said top plate and through the space between said plates and create a horizontal fluid current path in said molten metal which draws said molten metal from said closed heating bay into said open bay and from said open bay through said opening remote from said molten metal circulator to said closed heating bay.