Molten metal containment structure having flow through ventilation
First Claim
1. A molten metal containment structure comprising:
- a refractory molten metal containment vessel having an external surface; and
a metal casing for the vessel, the casing having a bottom wall, side walls, a top, and an internal surface at least partially surrounding the external surface of the vessel at a distance therefrom forming a spacing between the vessel and the casing;
wherein the spacing includes an unobstructed upwardly extending gap and wherein said causing has upper openings formed in or adjacent to the top of casing and openings formed in or adjacent to the bottom wall of the casing, wherein said gap communicates with the upper and lower openings for venting said gap to the external atmosphere such that, when the vessel external surface is heated by molten metal contained within the vessel, external air entering said gap through the lower openings passes upwardly through the upper owing to convention caused by heating of the air and passes out of said gap through the upper openings thereby to provide passive cooling that removes heat from the interior of the structure adjacent to the internal surface of the casing; and
wherein the metal casing comprises separate metal plates forming the side walls and the bottom wall of the causing, wherein the plates are positioned to create channels between the bottom wall and each of the walls and wherein the channels form the lower openings.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a molten metal containment structure including a refractory molten metal containment vessel having an external surface, and a metal casing for the vessel having an internal surface at least partially surrounding the external surface of the vessel at a distance therefrom forming a spacing between the vessel and the casing. The spacing includes an unobstructed upwardly extending gap that is vented to the exterior of the structure by upper and lower openings in the casing. A layer of insulating material is preferably positioned in the spacing between the internal surface of the casing and the external surface of the vessel, with the layer of insulating material being narrower than the spacing at least at upwardly extending sides of the casing, thereby forming the unobstructed gap. The vessel may be a metal conveying trough, a housing for a metal filter, a container for a metal degasser unit, a crucible, or the like.
12 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A molten metal containment structure comprising:
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a refractory molten metal containment vessel having an external surface; and a metal casing for the vessel, the casing having a bottom wall, side walls, a top, and an internal surface at least partially surrounding the external surface of the vessel at a distance therefrom forming a spacing between the vessel and the casing; wherein the spacing includes an unobstructed upwardly extending gap and wherein said causing has upper openings formed in or adjacent to the top of casing and openings formed in or adjacent to the bottom wall of the casing, wherein said gap communicates with the upper and lower openings for venting said gap to the external atmosphere such that, when the vessel external surface is heated by molten metal contained within the vessel, external air entering said gap through the lower openings passes upwardly through the upper owing to convention caused by heating of the air and passes out of said gap through the upper openings thereby to provide passive cooling that removes heat from the interior of the structure adjacent to the internal surface of the casing; and wherein the metal casing comprises separate metal plates forming the side walls and the bottom wall of the causing, wherein the plates are positioned to create channels between the bottom wall and each of the walls and wherein the channels form the lower openings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A molten metal containment structure comprising:
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a refractory molten metal containment vessel having an external surface; and a metal casing for the vessel having an internal surface at least partially surrounding the external surface of the vessel at a distance therefrom forming a spacing between the vessel and the casing; wherein the spacing includes an unobstructed upwardly extending gap that is vented to the exterior of the structure by upper and lower openings in the casing, wherein a layer of insulating material is positioned in the spacing between the internal surface of the casing and the external surface of the vessel, said layer of insulating material being narrower than the spacing at least at upwardly extending sides of the casing, thereby forming said unobstructed gap in the spacing, and wherein said layer of insulation material adjacent to a bottom of the casing is narrower than the spacing, said unobstructed gap thereby extending across said bottom of the casing as well as at said upward extending sides of the casing.
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15. A molten metal containment structure comprising:
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a refractory molten metal containment vessel having an external surface; and a metal casing for the vessel having an internal surface at least partially surrounding the external surface of the vessel at a distance therefrom forming a spacing between the vessel and the casing; wherein the spacing includes an unobstructed upwardly extending gap that is vented to the exterior of the structure by upper and lower openings in the casing, wherein the casing has a bottom wall, side walls and a top, and wherein said upper and lower openings in the casing are formed in or adjacent to the top and the bottom wall of the casing, and wherein the metal casing comprises separate metal plates forming the sides and bottom of the casing, said plates being positioned to create channels between said bottom wall and each of said side walls, said channels forming said lower openings.
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Specification