First gas nozzles installed using new system - 1997. This was of a previously proven design. These will each be returned to ASL at regular intervals for retesting on the water bench to ensure absolutely predictable and consistent performance is maintained. ASL progress with GE licence - 1997. To progress this programme, our Senior Research Metallurgist, Brett Telford, and Research Associate, James Shone, visited the USA in December for discussions with GE Labs in Schenectady, and to visit several clients interested in gas atomisation.
Plans are now in hand to manufacture the special nozzles in Sheffield.
However, our experience has been that the more closely the gas exit and the melt tube are placed together, the more difficult it is to predict the nozzle's behaviour. Unfortunately, it is found that the results of this test do not allow accurate predictions of metal flow rate in practice. This system runs the nozzle at a range of pressures while atomising water in place of metal. To reduce costs, electronic sensors are used to monitor the nozzle characteristics, feeding into a computer which can then, after a test lasting less than a minute, print out a characteristic curve that permits good predictions of metal flowrate. ASL signs licence agreement with GE of USA - 1996.