Device to detect the level of liquid metal in a casting apparatus and relative method
First Claim
1. A device to detect the level of liquid metal (M) in a casting apparatus which comprises at least a crystallizer, wherein said crystallizer has lateral walls, or is of a tubular shape, and comprises an upper edge which, with respect to one of its inner corners, defines an open top through which the liquid metal (M) to be cast is discharged, wherein the device comprises a box-like structure associated in correspondence with the upper end of the crystallizer and extending along the aforesaid upper edge, for at least a part of said box-like structure'"'"'s perimeter, said box-like structure having a peripheral cavity inside which, for at least a substantial part of a perimeter extension, at least a means is disposed, protruding at least partly toward the inside of said crystallizer, for the generation and detection of a variable magnetic field, wherein said generation and detection means extends for at least a segment thereof beyond said inner corner of the crystallizer so as to face directly into the open top of the crystallizer, said generation and detection means being suitable to generate a variable magnetic field (L) which is propagated at least partly in said liquid metal (M), in order to generate induced currents therein, and to detect a signal of a reaction magnetic field (K), generated by said induced currents, and to render said signal available to a command and control unit suitable to process said signal and to determine the level of liquid metal (M) present in the crystallizer.
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Abstract
A device to detect the level of liquid metal (M) in a casting apparatus includes a box-like structure associated in correspondence with an upper end of a crystallizer. The box-like structure has a peripheral cavity inside in which a device for the generation and detection of a variable magnetic field is disposed. The device for the generation and detection extends for a segment beyond an inner corner of the crystallizer so as to face directly into the open top of the crystallizer.
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Citations
12 Claims
- 1. A device to detect the level of liquid metal (M) in a casting apparatus which comprises at least a crystallizer, wherein said crystallizer has lateral walls, or is of a tubular shape, and comprises an upper edge which, with respect to one of its inner corners, defines an open top through which the liquid metal (M) to be cast is discharged, wherein the device comprises a box-like structure associated in correspondence with the upper end of the crystallizer and extending along the aforesaid upper edge, for at least a part of said box-like structure'"'"'s perimeter, said box-like structure having a peripheral cavity inside which, for at least a substantial part of a perimeter extension, at least a means is disposed, protruding at least partly toward the inside of said crystallizer, for the generation and detection of a variable magnetic field, wherein said generation and detection means extends for at least a segment thereof beyond said inner corner of the crystallizer so as to face directly into the open top of the crystallizer, said generation and detection means being suitable to generate a variable magnetic field (L) which is propagated at least partly in said liquid metal (M), in order to generate induced currents therein, and to detect a signal of a reaction magnetic field (K), generated by said induced currents, and to render said signal available to a command and control unit suitable to process said signal and to determine the level of liquid metal (M) present in the crystallizer.
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11. A method to detect the level of liquid metal in a casting apparatus comprising at least a crystallizer in which said liquid metal (M) is cast, wherein said crystallizer has lateral walls, or is of a tubular shape, and comprises an upper edge which, with respect to an inner corner, defines an open top through which the liquid metal (M) to be cast is discharged, wherein the method comprises generating a variable magnetic field having field lines (L) which are at least partly propagated in said molten metal (M) so as to induce induced currents therein, said variable magnetic field being generated by means of at least a means for the generation and detection of a variable magnetic field, disposed in a box-like structure which is associated in correspondence with the upper end of said crystallizer and which extends, together with said magnetic field generation and detection means, along the upper edge of said crystallizer for at least a substantial part of its perimeter, wherein at least part of said generation and detection means protrudes with respect to the inner corner of said upper edge so as to directly face the metal liquid (M) present inside the crystallizer;
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detecting a signal of a reaction magnetic field generated by said induced currents in order to supply the signal to a command and control unit which processes said signal and determines the level of the liquid metal (M) present in the crystallizer. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification