Riserless transfer pump and mixer/pre-melter for molten metal applications
First Claim
1. A molten metal pump comprising:
- an elongated body having an internal cavity defined by an inner wall which terminates in a bottom end; and
a centrifugal impeller seated in an opening formed in the center of said bottom end, wherein molten metal ejected from the impeller is received by the inner wall adjacent the bottom end; and
a helical guidance vane formed by grooves in said inner wall starting proximate to said impeller;
whereby rotation of the impeller results in the ejected flow of molten metal to create an axially lifting vortex which climbs the body'"'"'s inner wall to an outlet opening passing through an upper portion of said body.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pump for processing molten metal having an enlarged tubular body which houses a centrifugal pump at its bottom end. The bottom end has a concave curved shape whose shape is a function of the particular type of vortex to be created for the application at hand. This curved portion of the body receives the ejected molten metal from the impeller and forms an uplifting axial vortex within the tubular section of the body. The pump is designed to cooperate synergistically with said body such that the uplifting axial vortex to climb up the inner wall of the body up to and out of an outlet formed in the upper end of the body. A radial vane impeller is formed in the back plate of the impeller. When the impeller is rotated, solid particles introduced into the body are accelerated radially by the back plate impeller into the vortex.
55 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A molten metal pump comprising:
- an elongated body having an internal cavity defined by an inner wall which terminates in a bottom end; and
a centrifugal impeller seated in an opening formed in the center of said bottom end, wherein molten metal ejected from the impeller is received by the inner wall adjacent the bottom end; and
a helical guidance vane formed by grooves in said inner wall starting proximate to said impeller;
whereby rotation of the impeller results in the ejected flow of molten metal to create an axially lifting vortex which climbs the body'"'"'s inner wall to an outlet opening passing through an upper portion of said body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- an elongated body having an internal cavity defined by an inner wall which terminates in a bottom end; and
-
7. A pump which is immersible in a bath of molten metal, comprising:
a vertical body having an inner wall which defines an internal cavity and having outlet means formed at an upper end of the body which fluidly connects the internal cavity to transfer means external to said body, said body having a bottom end which depends inwardly from said inner wall;
a centrifugal impeller rotatably seated coaxially within an opening formed in the center of said bottom end, wherein molten metal ejected from the impeller is received by said inner wall;
whereby rotation of the impeller results in the ejected molten metal to create an axially lifting vortex within said body and along said inner wall, said vortex climbs the inner wall to said outlet means.- View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
16. A method of processing molten metal, comprising the steps of:
providing a pump including a vertical tube-like body and a centrifugal impeller rotatably seated coaxially within an opening formed through a bottom end of said body, wherein said impeller has liquid inlets facing downwardly out of said body;
immersing said bottom end of said pump within a bath of molten metal;
rotating said impeller within said tube-like body to pull molten metal into said liquid inlets and accelerate said molten metal both radially and tangentially within said body such that molten metal ejected from the impeller forms an uplifting axial vortex along an inner wall of said body; and
controlling the speed of said impeller to cause said vortex to climb said inner wall up to and out of an outlet formed in an upper end of said body above a metal line of said molten metal bath.- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification