Rotary degassers and components therefor
AssigneeMolten Metal Equipment Innovations, LLC
InventorPaul V. Cooper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are degassers, couplings, impeller shafts and impellers for use in molten metal. One such coupling transfers gas into an impeller shaft, the coupling having a smooth, tapered internal surface to align with a corresponding surface on the impeller shaft and help prevent gas leakage and to assist in preventing damage to the impeller shaft. Improved impellers for shearing and mixing gas are also disclosed, as is a degasser including one or more of these components.
Claims17
An impeller having a top surface and a bottom surface, the impeller for dispersing gas into molten metal and comprising:
- a continuous, axially aligned passage through the impeller, and through which gas can be transferred from the top surface to the bottom surface;
- the passage terminating at an opening in the bottom surface through which gas can be released;
- and
- at least one open channel on the bottom surface of the impeller in communication with the opening in the bottom surface of the impeller, the at least one open channel for directing the gas;
- and at least one cavity comprising a top surface and at least one curved side surface defined by a radius and terminating at an edge, and the at least one channel extending from the center of the impeller through the center of the at least one curved side surface of the cavity to direct gas therein;
- wherein the edge is a shearing structure that shears gas existing the at least one cavity.
An impeller for use in a rotary degasser, the impeller comprising:
- a bottom opening in the bottom of the impeller through which gas can escape;
- and
- a plurality of first cavities for capturing at least some of the gas released from the bottom opening, wherein each of the plurality of first cavities has a top surface, a concave curved side surface and a cavity opening and an outer edge juxtaposed the cavity opening, wherein at least some of the gas that is released from the bottom opening enters the plurality of first cavities and is sheared by each outer edge of each of the plurality of first cavities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.