Molten aluminum refining apparatus
OwnerRavindra V. Tilakinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved molten aluminum refining apparatus in which the refining gas passageway is defined by a helical groove in the rotor shaft and sleeve for heating gas by contact with the sleeve as it flows toward the rotor to generally the temperature of the melt; which comprises a stator surrounding the sleeve and occupying a portion of the surface of the molten aluminum, and wherein the vessel comprises side walls that diverge upwardly at an angle of from about 5 degrees to about 16 degrees for permitting the gas bubbles to expand without substantial coalescence as the bubbles move upwardly in the melt reducing the metallostatic pressure on the respective bubbles.
Claims19
In a molten aluminum refining apparatus that comprises a vessel for holding molten aluminum during refining and at least one gas distributing means disposed in the vessel, said distributing means comprising a rotatable shaft extending through a cylindrical sleeve, said shaft being coupled to drive means at its upper end and attached to a rotor at its lower end and means defining passageway conveying refining gas to the rotor, the improvement:
- wherein the means defining the refining gas passageway comprises said shaft having formed in the surface thereof grooves that define a gas flow path that is greater in length than the length of the shaft, the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve further defining said refining gas passageway, said rotor and sleeve being so configured and constructed as to define said passageway for heating gas by contact with the sleeve as it flows toward the rotor to generally the temperature of the melt;
- further comprising a stator surrounding the sleeve and occupying a portion of the surface of the molten aluminum;
- and
- wherein the vessel is so configured and constructed as to define a floor and a side walls that diverge upwardly at an angle of from about 5 degrees to about 16 degrees for permitting the gas bubbles to expand without substantial coalescence as the bubbles move upwardly in the melt reducing the metallostatic pressure on the respective bubbles.
In a molten aluminum refining apparatus that comprises a vessel for holding molten aluminum during refining and at least one gas distributing means disposed in the vessel, said distributing means comprising a rotatable shaft extending through a cylindrical sleeve, said shaft being coupled to drive means at its upper end and attached to a rotor at its lower end and means defining passageway conveying refining gas to the rotor, the improvement further comprising a fluted, freely moveable, floating stator surrounding the sleeve and occupying a portion of the surface of the molten aluminum.
In a molten aluminum refining apparatus that comprises a vessel for holding molten aluminum during refining and at least one gas distributing means disposed in the vessel, said distributing means comprising a rotatable shaft extending through a cylindrical sleeve, said shaft being coupled to drive means at its upper end and attached to a rotor at its lower end and means defining passageway conveying refining gas to the rotor, the improvement wherein the vessel is so configured and constructed as to define a floor and a side walls that diverge upwardly at an angle of from about 5 degrees to about 16 degrees for permitting the gas bubbles to expand without substantial coalescence as the bubbles move upwardly in the melt reducing the metallostatic pressure on the respective bubbles.
In a molten aluminum refining apparatus that comprises a vessel for holding molten aluminum during refining and at least one gas distributing means disposed in the vessel, said distributing means comprising a rotatable shaft extending through a cylindrical sleeve, said shaft being coupled to drive means at its upper end and attached to a rotor at its lower end and means defining passageway conveying refining gas to the rotor, the improvement wherein the means defining the refining gas passageway comprises said shaft having formed in the surface thereof grooves that define a gas flow path that is greater in length than the length of the shaft, the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve further defining said refining gas passageway configured to expose greater surface areas of the process gas and cylindrical sleeve to each other thereby allowing greater heat transfer, said rotor shaft and sleeve being so configured and constructed as to define said passageway for heating gas by contact with the sleeve as it flows toward the rotor to generally the temperature of the melt and further comprising a fluted, freely moveable, floating stator surrounding the sleeve and occupying a portion of the surface of the molten aluminum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.