Dual recycling/transfer furnace flow management valve for low melting temperature metals

• US 7,543,605 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jorge A. Morando
• Original Assignee: Jorge A. Morando
• Inventors: Morando, Jorge A.
• Primary Examiner(s): FOX, JOHN C
• Application Number:
  US12/131,983
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.47, 222/205, 222/318, 222/405, 222/554, 222/594, 266/236, 266/239, 266/266, 164/437
• US Class Current: 137/625.47
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 37/00 Controlling or regulating the pouring of molten metal from a casting melt-holding vessel B22D11/18, B22D39/00, B22D41/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 Plug

Abstract

A furnace flow control valve for use within a bath of molten metal. The flow control valve includes a vertically-disposed elongated tubular stator, which is configured to receive flow from a molten metal pump. The valve has a rotor which is sealing rotatable within the stator between: a full re-circulation position, where flow from the pump passes un-hindered through the valve; a full transfer position, where flow from the pump is redirected into the vertically disposed stator and out of the valve; and a partial re-circulation/partial transfer position where flow from the pump both passes through the valve and is transferred up and out of valve through the stator.

Claims

1. A furnace flow control valve, immersible in a flowing bath of molten metal, comprising:

a stator having an vertical cylindrical inner wall which defines an elongated cavity, wherein a lower end of said inner wall includes aligned recirculation inlet and outlet openings and an upper end of said inner wall includes a transfer opening; and

a rotor which is rotatably received within said cavity, said rotor including a recirculation passage running horizontally therethrough, and means for transferring said flowing bath by redirecting at least some of said flowing bath into said cavity and out of said transfer opening.

2. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotor is movable from:

a re-circulation position where said flowing bath enters said inlet opening, flows through said re-circulation passage, and exits out of said outlet opening; and

a partial re-circulation, partial transfer position where some of said flowing bath entering said inlet opening flows through said transferring means, while the remaining molten metal entering said inlet opening flows through said re-circulation passage and out of said outlet opening.

3. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 2, wherein said transferring means includes a vertical redirection channel traversing an outer face of said rotor.

4. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 3, wherein said rotor separates said cavity into an upper cavity and a lower cavity, and wherein said redirection channel is in fluid communication with both of said upper and lower cavities.

5. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 4, wherein said re-circulation passage bisects said rotor into an upstream transfer portion and a downstream transfer portion, and wherein said redirection channel is located in said upstream transfer portion, said transferring means further comprising:

an under-fill slot running vertically through said downstream transfer portion, said slot fluidly interconnecting said upper cavity with said lower cavity.

6. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 5, wherein said redirection channels directs some of said molten metal directly into said upper cavity and some of said molten metal into said lower cavity when said rotor is in said partial re-circulation, partial transfer position;

wherein said molten metal flows through said under-fill slot and into said upper cavity when said lower cavity is filled with molten metal.

7. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

sealing means, which slidably abut said inner wall and sealingly separate said cavity from said re-circulation passage and said re-circulation passage from said transferring means when said rotor is in said re-circulation position.

8. A furnace flow control valve, immersible in a flowing bath of molten metal, comprising:

a stationary housing having an elongated cavity defined by a vertical cylindrical inner wall, wherein a lower end of said cavity is in fluid communication with an inlet opening and a recirculation outlet opening, and an upper end of said cavity is in fluid communication with a transfer outlet opening, wherein said inlet opening receives said flowing bath;

a rotor having a generally cylindrical body which is rotatably received within said cavity, said body including a recirculation passage running horizontally therethrough and upstream and downstream transfer channels running substantially vertically through said rotor on opposite sides of said recirculation passage, wherein said upstream transfer channel is formed in the outer face of said rotor and said downstream transfer channel is contained internally within said body; and

means for rotating said rotor within said cavity from a full recirculation position where said recirculation passage is in fluid communication with only said inlet opening and said recirculation outlet opening to a transfer position wherein said upstream transfer channel is in fluid communication with said inlet opening.

9. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 8, further comprising a lip which extends from the radially innermost surface of said upstream transfer channel and separates said upstream transfer channel inner surface into upper and lower redirection channels.

10. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 9, wherein said rotor is mounted within said cavity such that said lower redirection channel is in fluid communication with said downstream transfer channel.

11. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 10, wherein said transfer position is a partial recirculation/partial transfer position wherein both said recirculation passage and said transfer channels are in fluid communication with said inlet opening.

12. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 9, further comprising a plurality of molten metal immersible seals mounted vertically along the outer surface of said rotor, wherein at least two seals are mounted adjacent to an inlet of said recirculation passage and fluidly separate said recirculation passage from said upstream transfer channel when said rotor is in said full recirculation position.

13. A furnace flow control valve as defined in claim 12, wherein said transfer position is a partial recirculation/partial transfer position wherein said rotor is positioned within said cavity such that one of said seals is directly downstream from said inlet opening such that said flowing bath passes the seal and both said recirculation passage and said transfer channels receive a portion of said flowing bath.

14. A system for selectively recirculating and transferring a bath of molten metal, comprising:

pump means that causes said bath of molten metal to flow;

an tubular vertical stator that is mounted adjacent to an outlet of said pump means, said stator including an elongated cavity defined by a cylindrical inner wall and a floor, an inlet opening fluidly couples the pump outlet to the cavity, said stator further including a recirculation outlet opening in said inner wall downstream from said inlet opening and a transfer outlet opening in said inner wall located vertically above both said inlet opening and said recirculation outlet opening;

a rotor that is rotatably and sealing mounted within said cavity, said rotor having a generally cylindrical outer surface and has a recirculation passage passing substantially horizontally therethrough, said rotor also including a bifurcated redirection channel formed in and running substantially vertically along the outer surface, an under-fill slot passing substantially vertically through the rotor on the opposite side of said recirculation passage from said redirection channel; and

means for selectively rotating said rotor within said cavity from a full recirculation position where said recirculation passage is in fluid communication with only said inlet opening and said recirculation outlet opening to a transfer position wherein said redirection channel is in fluid communication with said inlet opening.

15. A system as defined in claim 14, further comprising a plurality of seals mounted to the outer surface of the rotor, said seals abutting said inner wall when said rotor is in said cavity, wherein at least one of said seals is mounted adjacent to an inlet of said recirculation passage and fluidly separates said recirculation passage from said redirection channel when said rotor is in said full recirculation position.

16. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein said flow of molten metal passes said at least one seal adjacent to said recirculation passage inlet when said rotor is in said transfer position.

17. A system as defined in claim 14, wherein said rotor separates said cavity into an upper cavity and a lower cavity, and wherein said redirection channel is in fluid communication with both of said upper and lower cavities.

18. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein said redirection channel directs some of said molten metal directly into said upper cavity and some of said molten metal into said lower cavity when said rotor is in said transfer position;

wherein said molten metal flows through said under-fill slot and into said upper cavity when said lower cavity is filled with molten metal.