Apparatus for casting aluminum lithium alloys
AssigneeAlmex USA, Inc.
InventorsRavindra V. Tilak, Rodney W. Wirtz, Ronald M. Streigle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Direct chill casting that allows for the continuous or serial introduction of an inert fluid into the coolant stream during casting while allowing for stoppage of the coolant flow and introduction of only inert fluid as the coolant in the event of a “bleed out” or “run out”.
Claims18
An apparatus for direct chill casting of aluminum lithium alloys comprising a casting pit having a mold table supporting a mold, a coolant feed associated with the mold that allows coolant to impinge upon a solidification zone of an ingot being cast, the apparatus comprising a valve system comprising at least a first valve and a second valve, the first valve allowing for admission of a coolant into the coolant feed and the second valve allowing for admission of an inert gas into the coolant feed, wherein the valve system is located in the coolant feed such that coolant, a mix of coolant and inert gas or just inert gas can be selectively fed to the solidification zone of the ingot being cast.
A method for minimizing a potential for an explosion in the direct chill casting of aluminum lithium alloys comprising using an apparatus comprising a casting pit having a mold table supporting a mold, a coolant reservoir in the mold and a coolant feed fed by the reservoir which allows coolant to impinge upon a solidification zone of an ingot being cast, further including a valve system comprising at least a first and a second valve, the first valve allowing for the selective admission of coolant into the coolant feed and the second valve allowing for the selective admission of an inert gas into the coolant feed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.