Patent ID: 6074455
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: C22B,F27B,F27D,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of melting metal scrap in a molten melting media, the method comprising:(a) providing a source of molten melting media in a furnace, the melting media in said furnace having a first surface level;(b) providing a first melting bay in fluid communication with said furnace to receive molten melting media from said furnace to provide a body of molten melting media in said first melting bay for purposes of melting floatable metal scrap, the first melting bay having:(i) a bottom; and(ii) an outer wall connected to said bottom defining said first melting bay, said outer wall having a generally spiral shaped cross section terminating in a mouth of a channel for removing melting media and molten scrap to an adjacent bay, said spiral shaped cross section receding away from a generally central axis of said first melting bay;(c) supplying molten melting media to said first melting bay through an opening in said bottom, said supplying being achieved with an impeller mounted on a shaft projecting into said first melting bay, said impeller:(i) cooperating with said opening to force molten melting media into said first melting bay,(ii) positioned to rotate towards said mouth of said channel to direct molten melting media and molten scrap into said channel;(d) maintaining molten melting media in said first melting bay at a level higher than said first furnace level;(e) generating a vortex in said first melting bay for ingesting said floatable metal scrap into said media for enhanced melting;(f) adding said floatable metal scrap to said first melting bay and melting said metal scrap therein; and(g) directing molten melting media and molten metal scrap through said channel out of said first melting bay into an adjacent bay, said level of molten media in said adjacent bay maintained lower than the level in said first melting bay.