Furnaces and methods of melting

A method of melting metal, the method including introducing a mass of solid metal to a furnace and introducing heat to the furnace to at least partially melt the metal, the furnace including a container for molten metal, the container having a periphery, the container providing a maximum depth for molten metal within the container, the furnace further including a first conduit connected to the container by an entrance from the first conduit and a second conduit connected to the container by an exit from the second conduit, the first conduit providing an inlet to a flow generator, the second conduit providing an outlet from the flow generator, the first conduit entrance being provided in the upper 60% of the maximum depth of the molten metal in the container and or the second conduit exit being provided in the lower 25% of the maximum depth of the molten metal in the container, the first conduit entrance portion being angled relative to the adjoining part of the periphery of the container by an angle of less than 30°, the flow generator moving molten metal through itself via the inlet and outlet conduits.

A method of melting metal, the method including introducing a mass of solid metal to a furnace and introducing heat to the furnace to at least partially melt the metal, the furnace including a container for molten metal, the container having a periphery adjacent to the walls forming the container and a centre, the furnace further including a first conduit connected to the container and a second conduit connected to the container, the first conduit providing an inlet to a flow generator, the first conduit entrance portion being angled relative to the adjoining part of the periphery of the container by an angle of less than 30°, the second conduit providing an outlet from the flow generator, the flow generator moving molten metal through itself via the inlet and outlet conduits, the first conduit receiving molten metal from along the periphery of the container and/or the second conduit directing molten metal towards the centre of the container.

A method of melting metal, the method including introducing a mass of solid metal to a furnace and introducing heat to the furnace to at least partially melt the metal, the furnace including a container for molten metal, the container having a centre, the furnace further including a first conduit connected to the container by an entrance portion and a second conduit connected to the container by an exit portion, the first conduit providing an inlet to a flow generator, the second conduit providing an outlet from the flow generator, at least the entrance portion of the first conduit being angled relative to the adjoining part of the container by an angle of less than 30° and at least the exit portion of the second conduit being angled relative to the adjoining part of the container by an angle of at least 60° and/or being angled relative to the centre of the container by an angle of less than 30°, the flow generator moving molten metal through itself via the inlet and outlet conduits.

A method of melting metal, the method including introducing a mass of solid metal to a furnace and introducing heat to the furnace to at least partially melt the metal, the furnace including a container for molten metal, the container having a periphery, the molten metal surface defining a plane, the furnace further including a first conduit connected to the container and a second conduit connected to the container by an exit portion, the first conduit providing an inlet to a flow generator, the first conduit entrance portion being angled relative to the adjoining part of the periphery of the container by an angle of less than 30°, the second conduit providing an outlet from the flow generator, at least the exit portion of the second conduit being angled downward by an angle of at least 2° relative to the plane of the molten metal surface, the flow generator moving molten metal through itself via the inlet and outlet conduits.