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US 4,398,700 AGranted
Annealing furnace with an improved cooling section
AssigneeMidland-Ross Corporation
InventorWilliam L. Thome
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The cooling section of an annealing furnace is described as having the capabilities of maintaining, increasing, or decreasing the temperature of a strip of metal as it passes through the section. Moreover, special means are provided for forming around the cooling device, used in the cooling of the gas impinged against the traveling strip of metal, a cold sink which traps and prevents the backflow of cooled gas through the cooling device into the section, thereby eliminating the formation in the section of undesirable cold spots which adversely affect temperature uniformity in the section.
Claims13
In combination:
- (a) a housing having a vertically elongated chamber sealed from the ambient atmosphere;
- (b) means for passing a continuous element, to be cooled, vertically through the chamber;
- (c) means for allowing gas in and out of the chamber;
- (d) means disposed in the chamber for heating gas therein;
- (e) means for impinging streams of cooling gas against the element as it passes vertically through the chamber;
- (f) means disposed adjacent and in communicating relation with the chamber for removing heated gas from the chamber and cooling such gas as such gas passes in a forward direction through said cooling means, prior to the impingement of such cooling gas against the element;
- and
- (g) means forming a gas impervious barrier between the chamber and the gas cooling means to prevent gas, cooled by passage through the gas cooling means in an opposite backward direction, from flowing into the chamber.
5 more elements
An annealing furnace, comprising a heating section, a soaking section and a cooling section through which a continuous strip of metal is successively passed, the cooling section including:
- (a) a vertically elongated chamber having at least one pair of oppositely extending wings which project laterally from the chamber and which are defined by at least three sidewalls and a floor;
- (b) means for directing a continuous strip of metal vertically through the chamber;
- (c) a plurality of nozzles horizontally disposed on opposite sides of the strip of metal for impinging streams of gas against adjacent sides of the strip of metal;
- (d) a pair of vertically disposed plenums communicating with the nozzles, the plenums positioned between the nozzles and the laterally extending wings, the plenums each including a communicating supply duct which extends horizontally into the closest adjacent wing and a compartment that is formed in the wing and sealed from the chamber, except for a fluid inlet through which gas from the chamber enters the compartment, the fluid inlet being spaced vertically above the floor of the wing in which the compartment is located, each compartment also having a fluid outlet through which gas passes from the compartment into an adjacent supply duct;
- (e) a heat exchanger horizontally disposed in each compartment in spaced vertical relation above the fluid inlet, the heat exchanger being smaller, in size, than the fluid inlet so that a bypass opening is formed for allowing gas to enter the fluid inlet and bypass the heat exchanger as the gas moves into the compartment;
- (f) means for continuously circulating cooling liquid through the heat exchanger during operation of the cooling section of the furnace;
- (g) two sets of dampers positioned between the inlet opening and heat exchanger and bypass opening and capable of alternately (i) closing the inlet opening, (ii) allowing gas to enter the compartment via the inlet opening and heat exchanger where the gas is brought into heat exchanging relation with the cooling liquid circulating through the heat exchanger, and (iii) allowing gas to enter the compartment via the fluid inlet and bypass opening;
- (h) a solid, gas impervious baffle extending vertically from the floor of each wing in horizontal spaced relation from the adjacent compartment formed in the wing, each baffle being closer the chamber than the adjacent compartment and terminating vertically above the heat exchanger in the adjacent compartment, the baffles forming with the compartments and floors and sidewalls of the wings, fluid passageways leading to the inlet openings in the compartments, the baffles also forming in each of the wings, a cold sink to prevent the backflow of gas from the compartment through the heat exchanger into the chamber;
- and
- (i) a fan coacting with each horizontal supply duct for drawing gas from the communicating compartment through the fluid inlet into the supply duct for circulation, under pressure to the plenum and communicating nozzles.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.