Vortexer apparatus

• US 20060180963A1
• Filed: 02/07/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruno H. Thut
• Original Assignee: Bruno H. Thut
• Inventors: Thut, Bruno H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 266/217
• CPC Class Codes: C21C 1/06 Constructional features of mixers for pig-iron
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 27/005 Pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 3/14 Charging or discharging liquid or molten material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling

Abstract

The present invention features a vortexer apparatus including a vessel comprising an exterior surface, an interior surface containing fluid and a mouth for receiving material at an upper end portion of the interior surface. In one application the material is metal scrap that is melted in molten metal as the fluid. All components that contact the molten metal are formed of refractory material. An outlet passageway extends downwardly from the interior surface. A vessel inlet opening is located between the exterior and interior surfaces above the outlet passageway. A center line passes through a center of the interior surface and the vessel inlet opening is disposed at a location offset from the center line. A pump is adapted to pump fluid into the vessel effective to form a vortex of fluid in the vessel. The base and impeller are configured and arranged effective to provide molten metal leaving the base outlet with a positive pressure. An outlet conduit extends from the base outlet to near the vessel inlet opening and can be maintained at a temperature above which molten metal solidifies, along its entire length. Instead of the vortexer vessel, the inventive vortexer apparatus may integrate a chamber of a furnace (e.g., a charge well). The chamber may be rectangularor include arcuate portions. Corner inserts may be used to provide the chamber with an oval or generally circular shape that may facilitate the vortex. One feature of the invention is a vortex vessel that includes an offset inlet opening and lower circulation opening. Also featured is a baffle impeller that may be vaned or barrel type. In addition, the invention features a pump having upper and lower impeller chambers separated by a web in the base, and impeller outlets that are isolated from fluid communication with each other.

Claims

1. A vortexer apparatus, comprising:

a vessel comprising an exterior surface, an interior surface for containing molten metal and a mouth for receiving material at an upper end portion of said interior surface, an outlet passageway extending downwardly from said interior surface, and a vessel inlet opening located between said exterior surface and said interior surface above said outlet passageway, wherein a center line passes through a center of said interior surface and said vessel inlet opening is disposed at a location offset from said center line; and

a pump adapted to pump molten metal into said vessel effective to form a vortex of molten metal in said vessel, comprising

a motor,

a shaft rotatably driven by said motor at an upper end,

an impeller connected to a lower end of said shaft,

a base adapted to be submerged in the molten metal, including an impeller chamber in which said impeller is rotatable, a base inlet into the impeller chamber, and a base outlet from the impeller chamber, said base and said impeller being configured and arranged effective to provide molten metal leaving said base outlet with a positive pressure, and

an outlet conduit extending from said base outlet to near said vessel inlet opening, wherein said outlet conduit has a length extending from said base outlet to near said vessel inlet opening and said outlet conduit is constructed and arranged effective to be maintained at a temperature above which the molten metal solidifies, along said entire length of said outlet conduit.

2. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said offset location is in proximity to said interior surface of said vessel where said interior surface is perpendicular to said center line.

4. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said interior surface is generally cylindrical.

5. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vessel includes a circulation passageway extending between the exterior surface at different locations of said vessel.

6. The vortexer apparatus of claim 5 wherein said base comprises a discharge passageway that extends from said impeller chamber to an exterior surface of said base at said base outlet and said base outlet is located near said circulation passageway of said vessel.

7. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base includes two impeller chambers stacked over one another and said impeller includes two impeller members each disposed in one of said impeller chambers.

8. The vortexer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said base includes a web located between said impeller chambers having a web opening formed therein and said impeller comprises an imperforate baffle disposed between said impeller members in said web opening, said web and said baffle being adapted to inhibit molten metal flow between said impeller chambers.

9. The vortexer apparatus of claim 8 wherein said impeller includes an upper circular end face and a lower circular end face, upper vanes disposed between said baffle and said upper end face and lower vanes disposed between said baffle and said lower end face, said upper end face and said lower end face being perforated.

10. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 comprising an adapter including a first end that contacts said vessel and a second end that contacts said outlet conduit effective to provide a conduit for molten metal to travel from said outlet conduit into said vessel inlet opening.

11. The vortexer apparatus of claim 6 comprising a first adapter including a first end that contacts said vessel and a second end that contacts said outlet conduit effective to provide a conduit for molten metal to travel from said outlet conduit into said vessel inlet opening, and a second adapter including a first end that contacts said vessel and a second end that contacts said base at said discharge passageway effective to provide a conduit for molten metal to travel from said discharge passageway into said circulation passageway of said vessel.

12. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said impeller chamber includes a wall that forms a volute.

13. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mouth is configured to receive metal scrap as said material.

14. The vortexer apparatus of claim 1 wherein all components of said vortexer apparatus that contact said molten metal are formed of refractory material.

3. The vortexer apparatus of clam 1 wherein said vessel is adapted to be at least partially submerged in molten metal contained in a chamber larger than said vessel, the outlet passageway of said vessel being adapted to direct the molten metal from said vessel into said chamber.

15. A vortexer apparatus, comprising:

a vessel comprising an exterior surface, an interior surface for containing fluid and a mouth for receiving material at an upper end portion of said interior surface, an outlet passageway extending downwardly from said interior surface, and a vessel inlet opening located between said exterior surface and said interior surface above said outlet passageway, wherein a center line passes through a center of said interior surface and said vessel inlet opening is disposed at a location offset from said center line, a circulation passageway extending between said exterior surface at different locations of said vessel; and

a pump adapted to pump fluid into said vessel effective to form a vortex of fluid in said vessel, comprising

a motor,

a shaft driven by said motor at an upper end,

an impeller connected to a lower end of said shaft, said impeller including an upper impeller member and a lower impeller member, and

a base adapted to be submerged in the fluid, including upper and lower impeller chambers stacked over one another, wherein said upper impeller member and said lower impeller member are rotatably disposed in said upper impeller chamber and said lower impeller chamber, respectively, a base inlet into at least one of said first and second impeller chambers, a base outlet from said first impeller chamber, an outlet conduit extending from said base outlet to near said inlet opening of said vessel, and a discharge passageway that extends from said second impeller chamber to an exterior surface of said base, said discharge passageway being disposed near said circulation passageway.

16. The vortexer apparatus of claim 15 comprising a first conduit extending from said outlet conduit to said vessel at said vessel inlet opening, and a second conduit extending from said discharge passageway to said vessel at said circulation passageway of said vessel.

17. A vortexer apparatus, comprising:

a furnace chamber that is permanently disposed in a fixed position in fluid communication with a hearth of a furnace, said chamber comprising two side walls opposing each other, a front wall and a back wall that oppose each other and extend transverse to said side walls, wherein said side walls, said front wall and said back wall form a mouth for receiving scrap metal at an upper end portion of said chamber, a chamber outlet passageway is located in one of said side walls or said back wall, a chamber inlet opening is located in the front wall above said outlet passageway, said chamber includes a center line and said chamber inlet opening is disposed at a location offset from said center line, and said side walls, said front wall and said back wall are composed of refractory material adapted to withstand contact with the molten metal; and

a pump adapted to pump molten metal into said chamber inlet opening effective to form a vortex of molten metal in said chamber.

18. The vortexer apparatus of claim 17 wherein said chamber is rectangular.

19. The vortexer apparatus of claim 17 wherein said chamber includes arcuate portions.

20. The vortexer apparatus of claim 17 wherein said chamber is rectangular, comprising corner inserts located in corners of said chamber, each of said corner inserts including exterior surfaces that are affixed in said corners and an interior surface extending between said exterior surfaces.

21. The vortexer apparatus of claim 17 wherein said pump comprises

a motor,

a shaft driven by said motor at an upper end,

an impeller connected to a lower end of said shaft,

a base adapted to be submerged in the molten metal, including an impeller chamber in which said impeller is rotatable, an inlet into the impeller chamber, and an outlet from the impeller chamber, and

an outlet conduit extending from said outlet to near said chamber inlet opening.

22. The vortexer apparatus of claim 21 comprising a pump well in which said pump is disposed, wherein said front wall separates said pump well from said chamber.

23. The vortexer apparatus of claim 22 wherein said front wall includes a lower circulation opening disposed in a lower half of said front wall.

24. The vortexer apparatus of claim 23 wherein said base comprises a discharge passageway that extends from said impeller chamber to an exterior surface of said base and is located near said lower circulation opening.

25. A kit for adapting a rectangular furnace chamber to form a vortex of molten metal therein, comprising corner inserts formed of refractory material adapted to withstand contact with molten metal, each of said corner inserts including an exterior portion and an interior portion, said exterior portion having first and second surfaces that are orthogonal to each other and adapted to be affixed to a corner of said furnace chamber and said interior portion including an interior surface extending between said exterior surfaces, said corner inserts having lengths sufficient to extend above a level of molten metal said chamber is designed to contain.

26. The kit of claim 25 wherein said kit includes four corner inserts, said interior surface of each of said corner inserts has a shape effective to enable said corner inserts to provide said furnace chamber with a generally oval shape.

27. The kit of claim 25 wherein said corner inserts are formed of cast ceramic material.

28. A vortexer vessel formed of a block of refractory material adapted to withstand contact with molten metal comprising an exterior surface, an interior surface that can contain molten metal, an upper surface and a mouth near an upper portion of said interior surface leading to said upper surface, an outlet passageway extending downwardly from the interior surface, a circulation passageway extending between the exterior surface at different locations of said vessel, and a vessel inlet passageway extending from said exterior surface to said interior surface below said upper surface and above said outlet passageway, wherein a center line passes through a center of said interior surface and said inlet opening is disposed at a location offset from said center line.

29. The vortexer vessel of claim 28 comprising a floor from which said interior surface extends upwardly.

30. The vortexer vessel of claim 29 comprising a beveled annular surface defining a central opening in said floor.

31. The vortexer vessel of claim 30 wherein said outlet passageway extends from said annular surface.

32. The vortexer vessel of claim 28 comprising a groove at a lower portion of said interior surface.

33. The vortexer vessel of claim 32 wherein said groove includes a beveled annular surface extending downwardly and forming a central opening in said vessel.

34. The vortexer vessel of claim 33 wherein said outlet passageway extends from said annular surface.

37. The vortexer vessel of claim 28 wherein said interior surface is generally cylindrical.

35. The vortexer vessel of clam 34 wherein said circulation passageway is in fluid communication with said outlet passageway.

36. The vortexer vessel of clam 28 wherein said circulation passageway is in fluid communication with said outlet passageway.

38. A vaned impeller formed of refractory material comprising

a central hub portion centered around a rotational axis of the impeller;

a first end plate disposed at one end of the impeller and extending transverse to said axis;

a second end plate disposed at an opposite end of the impeller and extending transverse to said axis;

an imperforate baffle plate extending transverse to said axis and located between said first end plate and said second end plate;

first vanes extending outwardly from said hub between said first end plate and said baffle plate; and

second vanes extending outwardly from said hub between said second end plate and said baffle plate;

wherein said first end plate includes at least one first opening leaving to a cavity between said first vanes and said second end plate includes at least one second opening leaving to a cavity between said second vanes.

39. The impeller of claim 38 wherein said first plate includes a plurality of said first openings and said second plate includes a plurality of said second openings.

40. The impeller of claim 39 wherein said first vanes and said second vanes extend tangentially from said hub portion.

41. A barrel impeller formed of refractory material comprising

a generally cylindrical body including a central rotational axis, a first end face disposed at one end of the body and extending transverse to said axis, a second end face disposed at an opposite end of the body and extending transverse to said axis, and a side wall extending between said first end face and said second end face along said axis;

an imperforate baffle portion of said body extending transverse to said axis and located between said first end face and said second end face;

a plurality of first passages extending from said first end face to said side wall;

a plurality of second passages extending from said second end face to said side wall; and

wherein said baffle portion is located between said first passages and said second passages at said side wall and is effective to prevent fluid communication between said first passages and said second passages.

42. A pump for pumping molten metal, comprising:

a motor,

a shaft driven by said motor at an upper end,

an impeller connected to a lower end of said shaft, said impeller including an upper impeller member and a lower impeller member and an imperforate baffle disposed between said first impeller member and said second impeller member, and

a base adapted to be submerged in the molten metal, including upper and lower impeller chambers stacked over one another, a web disposed between said upper impeller chamber and said lower impeller chamber and including a web opening therein, wherein said upper impeller member and said lower impeller member are rotatably disposed in said upper impeller chamber and said lower impeller chamber, respectively, and said baffle of said impeller is received in said web opening, a base inlet into at least one of said first impeller chamber and said second impeller chamber, a first base outlet from said first impeller chamber and a second base outlet from said second impeller chamber, said first base outlet and said second base outlet being isolated from fluid communication with each other.

43. The pump of claim 42 wherein said upper impeller chamber includes a wall that forms a volute and said lower impeller chamber includes a wall that forms a volute.

44. The pump of claim 42 wherein said impeller is a vaned impeller formed of refractory material comprising

a central hub portion centered around a rotational axis of the impeller;

a first end plate disposed at one end of the impeller and extending transverse to said axis;

a second end plate disposed at an opposite end of the impeller and extending transverse to said axis;

said baffle being a plate extending transverse to said axis and located between said first end plate and said second end plate;

first vanes extending outwardly from said hub between said first end plate and said baffle plate; and

second vanes extending outwardly from said hub between said second end plate and said baffle plate;

wherein said first end plate includes a plurality of openings leaving to cavities between said first vanes and said second end plate includes a plurality of openings leaving to cavities between said second vanes.

45. The pump of claim 42 wherein said impeller is a barrel impeller formed of refractory material comprising

a generally cylindrical body including a central rotational axis, a first end face disposed at one end of the body and extending transverse to said axis, a second end face disposed at an opposite end of the body and extending transverse to said axis, and a side wall extending between said first end face and said second end face along said axis;

said baffle is a baffle portion of said body extending transverse to said axis and located between said first end face and said second end face;

a plurality of first passages extending from said first end face to said side wall;

a plurality of second passages extending from said second end face to said side wall; and

wherein said baffle portion is located between said first passages and said second passages at said side wall and is effective to prevent fluid communication between said first passages and said second passages.