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US 5,160,693 AGranted
Impeller for treating molten metals
OwnerCharles E. Eckert, Nicholas G. Walkerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved impeller head is provided for treating molten metals and other liquid systems with a gas. A multiple-vaned impeller head is adapted for mounting on a hollow impeller shaft for rotation within the liquid. The edges of the impeller vanes are extended by an axial groove which intercepts the hub and the vanes of the impeller head. Extension of the trailing edge of the vanes creates greater turbulence in the liquid as the impeller is rotated in the liquid and increases the impeller's efficiency. The impeller vanes may also have canted leading surfaces which create an upward axial flow of liquid to discourage formation of a surface vortex. Multiple impellers may also be mounted on a shaft in the vessel and the gas may be introduced remotely.
Claims32
An impeller head adapted to be mounted on a rotary impeller shaft mounted in a vessel, the shaft having gas flow outlet opening for discharging a gas for treating liquid in said vessel, comprising:
- a hub having an central, axial bore for mounting said impeller head on said shaft adjacent said outlet opening, a first end surface adjacent said outlet opening, and a second end surface remote from said outlet opening, said surfaces defining therebetween a hub thickness;
- a predetermined number of vanes fixed to and extending radially beyond said hub, said vanes being generally equally spaced about the outer perimeter of said hub, each vane having an axial length and a circumferential dimension, first and second end surfaces defining therebetween the axial length of the vanes, and a leading surface and trailing surface defining therebetween the circumferential dimension of the vanes, said end surfaces and said leading and trailing surfaces defining edges at their junctions;
- an axial groove in one of said end surfaces, said groove intercepting said leading surface edge and said trailing surface edge to increase turbulence in said liquid upon rotation of said impeller head.
Apparatus for treating molten metal with a gas comprising:
- a vessel for containing the molten metal;
- a rotating impeller having an impeller head and an impeller shaft mounted for rotation in said vessel, said impeller head being mounted on the free end of said impeller shaft, said impeller shaft having a gas flow outlet opening for discharging the gas into said vessel adjacent said head for treating the molten metal, said impeller head having a hub with an central, axial bore for mounting said impeller head on said shaft adjacent said outlet opening, a first end surface adjacent said outlet opening, and a second end surface remote from said outlet opening, said surfaces defining therebetween a hub thickness;
- a predetermined number of vanes fixed to and extending radially beyond said hub, said vanes being spaced about the outer perimeter of said hub, each vane having an axial length and a circumferential dimension, first and second end surfaces defining therebetween the axial length of the vanes, and a leading surface and trailing surface defining therebetween the circumferential dimension of the vanes, said surfaces defining edges at their junctions;
- an axial groove in one of said end surfaces, said groove intercepting said leading surface edge and said trailing surface edge to increase turbulence in said molten metal upon rotation of said impeller head;
- a rotator connected to said impeller shaft;
- and
- a gas source for supplying the gas through said gas flow outlet opening.
4 more elements
Apparatus for treating molten metal with a gas comprising:
- a vessel for containing the molten metal;
- a rotating impeller having a predetermined number of impeller heads in a series and an impeller shaft mounted for rotation in said vessel, the first impeller head in said series being mounted on the free end of said shaft the other impeller heads in said series being mounted adjacent said first impeller head,
- a gas flow outlet opening for discharging the gas into said vessel adjacent said impeller heads for treating the molten metal, each of said impeller heads having a hub with a central, axial bore for mounting said impeller head on said shaft, a first end surface adjacent said outlet opening, and a second end surface remote from said outlet opening, said surfaces defining therebetween a hub thickness, a predetermined number of vanes fixed to and extending radially beyond said hub, said vanes being spaced about the outer perimeter of said hub, each vane having an axial length and a circumferential dimension, first and second end surfaces defining therebetween the axial length of the vanes, and a leading surface and trailing surface defining therebetween the circumferential dimension of the vanes, said end surfaces and said leading and trailing surfaces defining edges at their junctions, said vanes creating turbulence in said molten metal upon rotation of said impeller head;
- a rotator connected to said impeller shaft;
- and
- a gas source for supplying the gas through said gas flow outlet opening.
3 more elements
Apparatus for treating molten metal with a gas comprising:
- a vessel for containing the molten metal;
- a rotating impeller having an impeller head and an impeller shaft mounted for rotation in said vessel, said impeller head being mounted at the free end of said impeller shaft, said impeller head having a hub with an central, axial bore for mounting said impeller head on said shaft adjacent said free end, a first end surface adjacent said free end, and a second end surface remote from said free end, said surfaces defining therebetween a hub thickness;
- a predetermined number of vanes fixed to and extending radially beyond said hub, said vanes being spaced about the outer perimeter of said hub, each vane having an axial length and a circumferential dimension, first and second end surfaces defining therebetween the axial dimensions of the vanes, and a leading surface and trailing surface defining therebetween the circumferential dimension of the vanes, said end surfaces and said leading and trailing surfaces defining edges at their junctions;
- an axial groove in one of said end surfaces, said groove intercepting said leading surface edge and said trailing surface edge to increase turbulence in said molten metal upon rotation of said impeller head;
- a rotator connected to said impeller shaft;
- a gas injector remote from said impeller for introducing a gas into the molten metal;
- and
- a gas source for supplying the gas through said gas injector.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.