US 6,074,455 AGranted

Aluminum scrap melting process and apparatus

AssigneeMetaullics Systems Co., L.P.

InventorsJan H.L. van Linden, Chris T. Vild

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Abstract

A method of melting metal scrap in a molten melting media, the method comprising (a) providing a source of molten melting media in a furnace, the melting media in the furnace having a first surface level; (b) providing a first melting bay in fluid communication with the furnace to receive molten melting media from the furnace to provide a body of molten melting media in the first melting bay for purposes of melting floatable metal scrap, the first melting bay having: (i) a bottom; and (ii) an outer wall connected to the bottom defining the first melting bay, the outer wall having a generally spiral shaped cross section terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing melting media and molten scrap to an adjacent bay, the spiral shaped cross section receding away from a generally central axis of the first melting bay.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method of melting metal scrap in a molten melting media, the method comprising:

(a) providing a source of molten melting media in a furnace, the melting media in said furnace having a first surface level;
(b) providing a first melting bay in fluid communication with said furnace to receive molten melting media from said furnace to provide a body of molten melting media in said first melting bay for purposes of melting floatable metal scrap, the first melting bay having:
(i) a bottom;
and
(ii) an outer wall connected to said bottom defining said first melting bay, said outer wall having a generally spiral shaped cross section terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing melting media and molten scrap to an adjacent bay, said spiral shaped cross section receding away from a generally central axis of said first melting bay;
(c) supplying molten melting media to said first melting bay through an opening in said bottom, said supplying being achieved with an impeller mounted on a shaft projecting into said first melting bay, said impeller:
(i) cooperating with said opening to force molten melting media into said first melting bay,
(ii) positioned to rotate towards said mouth of said channel to direct molten melting media and molten scrap into said channel;
(d) maintaining molten melting media in said first melting bay at a level higher than said first furnace level;
(e) generating a vortex in said first melting bay for ingesting said floatable metal scrap into said media for enhanced melting;
(f) adding said floatable metal scrap to said first melting bay and melting said metal scrap therein;
and
(g) directing molten melting media and molten metal scrap through said channel out of said first melting bay into an adjacent bay, said level of molten media in said adjacent bay maintained lower than the level in said first melting bay.

10 more elements

A method of melting floatable aluminum scrap in a molten aluminum, the method comprising:

(a) providing a source of molten aluminum in a furnace, the molten aluminum in said furnace having a first surface level;
(b) providing a first melting bay in fluid communication with said furnace to receive molten aluminum from said furnace to provide a body of molten aluminum in said first melting bay at a level for purposes of melting floatable aluminum scrap, the first melting bay having:
(i) a bottom;
and
(ii) an outer wall connected to said bottom defining said first melting bay, said outer wall having a generally spiral shaped cross section terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing molten aluminum to an adjacent bay, said spiral shaped cross section receding away from a generally central axis of said first melting bay, said channel having a floor contiguous with said bottom to provide said channel with a depth extending from the level of the molten aluminum in said first melting bay to the bottom of said first melting bay;
(c) supplying molten aluminum to said first melting bay through an opening in said bottom, said supplying being achieved with an impeller mounted on a shaft projecting into said first melting bay, said impeller:
(i) cooperating with said opening to force molten aluminum into said first melting bay;
(ii) positioned to rotate towards said mouth of said channel to direct molten aluminum and molten scrap into said channel;
(d) maintaining molten aluminum in said first melting bay at a level higher than said first furnace level;
(e) generating a vortex in said first melting bay for ingesting scrap into said molten aluminum for enhanced melting;
(f) adding floatable scrap metal to said first melting bay and melting aluminum scrap therein;
and
(g) directing molten aluminum through said channel out of said first melting bay into an adjacent bay, said level of molten aluminum in said adjacent bay maintained lower than the level in said first melting bay.

10 more elements

A method for melting both floatable metal scrap and self-submerging metal scrap in a molten melting media, the method comprising:

(a) providing a source of molten melting media in a furnace, the melting media in said furnace having a first surface level;
(b) providing a first melting bay in fluid communication with said furnace to receive molten melting media from said furnace to provide a body of molten melting media in said first melting bay for purposes of melting floatable metal scrap, the first melting bay having:
(i) a bottom;
and
(ii) an outer wall connected to said bottom defining said first melting bay, said outer wall having a generally spiral shaped cross section terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing melting media and molten scrap from said first melting bay, said spiral shaped cross section receding away from a generally central axis of said first melting bay;
(c) supplying molten melting media to said first melting bay through an opening in said bottom, said supplying being achieved with an impeller mounted on a shaft projecting into said first melting bay, said impeller:
(i) cooperating with said opening to force molten melting media into said first melting bay;
(ii) positioned to rotate towards said mouth of said channel to direct molten melting media and molten scrap into said channel;
(d) maintaining molten melting media in said first melting bay at a level higher than said first furnace level;
(e) generating a vortex in said first melting bay for ingesting floatable metal scrap into said media for enhanced melting;
(f) adding floatable metal scrap to said first melting bay and melting said metal scrap therein;
(g) providing a second melting bay in fluid communication through said channel with said first melting bay;
(h) directing molten melting media and molten metal scrap through said channel out of said first melting bay into said second melting bay;
and
(i) adding self-submerging metal scrap to said second melting bay and melting said self-submerging metal scrap therein.

12 more elements

In an improved melting process for melting floatable metal scrap in a molten melting media wherein molten melting media is provided in a furnace to provide a source of molten melting media, wherein a first melting bay is provided having a body of melting media and in fluid communication with said furnace and wherein a supply of floatable metal scrap is provided for adding to said first melting bay for melting therein, the improvement comprising:

(a) providing said first melting bay with:
(i) a bottom having an opening therein;
and
(ii) an outer wall connected to said bottom for containing said melting media, said outer wall having a generally spiral shaped cross section terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing melting media and molten scrap to an adjacent bay, said spiral shaped cross section receding away from a generally central axis of said first melting bay, said opening adapted for supplying molten melting media to said first melting bay using an impeller mounted on a shaft projecting into said first melting bay, said impeller:
(1) cooperating with said opening to force molten melting media into said first melting bay;
(2) positioned to rotate towards said mouth of said channel to direct a portion of said molten melting media and molten scrap into said channel;
and
(3) adapted for generating a vortex in said melting media in said first melting bay for ingesting said floatable metal scrap and for directing molten melting media and molten scrap into an adjacent bay.

5 more elements

A system for melting both floatable metal scrap and self-submerging metal scrap in a molten melting media, the system comprised of:

(a) a furnace for providing a source of molten melting media, the melting media maintained in said furnace at a first surface level;
(b) a first melting bay in fluid communication with said furnace to receive molten melting media from said furnace to provide a body of molten melting media in said first melting bay for purposes of melting metal scrap, the first melting bay defined by:
(i) a bottom;
and
(ii) a sidewall, said sidewall in cross section having a generally spiral shape terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing melting media and molten scrap, said first melting bay having a generally central vertical axis and said sidewall having said spiral shape receding away from said central axis;
(c) an impeller mounted on a shaft projecting into said first melting bay, said impeller adapted to supply molten melting media to said first melting bay through an opening in said bottom, said impeller:
(i) cooperating with said opening to force molten melting media into said first melting bay;
(ii) positioned to rotate toward said mouth of said channel to direct molten melting media into said channel;
(iii) designed to maintain molten melting media in said first melting bay at a level higher than said first furnace level;
(d) means for generating a vortex in said first melting bay for ingesting scrap into said media for enhanced melting;
and
(e) means for adding floatable metal scrap to said first melting bay.

9 more elements

A system for melting both floatable metal scrap and self-submerging metal scrap in a molten melting media, the system comprised of:

(a) a furnace for providing a source of molten melting media, the melting media maintained in said furnace at a first surface level;
(b) a first melting bay in fluid communication with said furnace to receive molten melting media from said furnace to provide a body of molten melting media in said first melting bay for purposes of melting metal scrap, the first melting bay defined by:
(i) a bottom;
and
(ii) a sidewall, said sidewall in cross section having a generally spiral shape terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing melting media and molten scrap, said first melting bay having a generally central vertical axis and said sidewall having said spiral shape receding away from said central axis;
(c) an impeller mounted on a shaft projecting into said first melting bay, said impeller adapted to supply molten melting media to said first melting bay through an opening in said bottom, said impeller:
(i) cooperating with said opening to force molten melting media into said first melting bay;
(ii) positioned to rotate toward said mouth of said channel to direct molten melting media into said channel;
(iii) designed to maintain molten melting media in said first melting bay at a level higher than said first furnace level;
(d) means for generating a vortex in said first melting bay for ingesting scrap into said media for enhanced melting;
(e) means for adding floatable metal scrap to said first melting bay;
(f) a second melting bay in fluid communication with said first melting bay through said channel;
and
(g) means for adding self-submerging metal scrap to said second melting bay.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.