Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8178037?dq=6,907,387
Timestamp: 2014-04-19 17:34:11
Document Index: 600225000

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 08158682', 'Application No. 08158682', 'Application No. 99941032', 'Application No. 08158682', 'Application No. 98112356']

Patent US8178037 - System for releasing gas into molten metal - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA device for releasing gas into molten metal includes a base having a discharge. The discharge has a first section including a first cross-sectional area and a second section including a second cross-sectional area, wherein the first section is upstream of the second section and the first cross-sectional...http://www.google.com/patents/US8178037?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8178037 - System for releasing gas into molten metalAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS8178037 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/120,190Publication dateMay 15, 2012Filing dateMay 13, 2008Priority dateJul 12, 2002Also published asUS7402276, US7470392, US7906068, US8075837, US8110141, US8409495, US8440135, US8475708, US8501084, US8529828, US20050013713, US20050013714, US20050013715, US20050053499, US20080211147, US20080213111, US20080279704, US20080304970, US20090054167, US20110210232, US20110220771, US20120020794, US20130189079Publication number120190, 12120190, US 8178037 B2, US 8178037B2, US-B2-8178037, US8178037 B2, US8178037B2InventorsPaul V. CooperOriginal AssigneeCooper Paul VExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (102), Non-Patent Citations (78), Classifications (20), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetSystem for releasing gas into molten metalUS 8178037 B2Abstract A device for releasing gas into molten metal includes a base having a discharge. The discharge has a first section including a first cross-sectional area and a second section including a second cross-sectional area, wherein the first section is upstream of the second section and the first cross-sectional area is smaller than the second cross-sectional area. A gas-release opening is positioned so that it can release gas into one or more of the first section or the second section. As the molten metal moves from the first cross-sectional area to the second cross-sectional area gas is released into the molten metal and the molten metal flow helps to draw the gas into the flow, thereby lowering the pressure required to release gas into the molten metal. Metal-transfer conduits other than a discharge incorporated in a pump base are also disclosed, as are pumps including either a discharge or other metal-transfer conduit according to the invention.
RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/773,102 filed Feb. 4, 2004 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,402,276, issued Jul. 22, 2008), which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/619,405 filed Jul. 14, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,507,367, issued Mar. 24, 2009) and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/620,318 filed Jul. 14, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,731,891 issued Jun. 8, 2010), both of which claim priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/395,471, filed Jul. 12, 2002, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to releasing gas into molten metal and more particularly, to a device for releasing gas into a stream of molten metal utilizing the flow of the molten metal stream to assist in drawing the gas into the stream. In this manner, the gas may be released at a relatively low pressure as compared to known devices.
Known pumps for pumping molten metal (also called �molten-metal pumps�) include a pump base (also called a housing or casing), one or more inlets, an inlet being an opening to allow molten metal to enter a pump chamber (and is usually an opening in the pump base that communicates with the pump chamber), a pump chamber, which is an open area formed within the pump base, and a discharge, which is a channel or conduit communicating with the pump chamber (in an axial pump the pump chamber and discharge may be the same structure or different areas of the same structure) leading from the pump chamber to the molten metal bath in which the pump base is submerged. A rotor, also called an impeller, is mounted in the pump chamber and is connected to a drive shaft. The drive shaft is typically a motor shaft coupled to a rotor shaft, wherein the motor shaft has two ends, one end being connected to a motor and the other end being coupled to the rotor shaft. The rotor shaft also has two ends, wherein one end is coupled to the motor shaft and the other end is connected to the rotor. Often, the rotor shaft is comprised of graphite, the motor shaft is comprised of steel, and the two are coupled by a coupling, which is usually comprised of steel.
Molten metal pump casings and rotors usually employ a bearing system comprising ceramic rings wherein there are one or more rings on the rotor that align with rings in the pump chamber (such as rings at the inlet (which is usually the top of the pump chamber and bottom of the pump chamber) when the rotor is placed in the pump chamber. The purpose of the bearing system is to reduce damage to the soft, graphite components, particularly the rotor and pump chamber wall, during pump operation. A known bearing system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,681 to Cooper, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,243 and 6,093,000, each to Cooper, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, bearing rings can cause various operational and shipping problems and U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,000 discloses rigid coupling designs and a monolithic rotor to help alleviate this problem. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,524 to Sweeney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,584 to Mangalick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,681 to Cooper and U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,523 to Cooper (the disclosures of the afore-mentioned patents to Cooper are incorporated herein by reference) all disclose molten metal pumps. Furthermore, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/773,102 to Cooper, filed on Feb. 4, 2004 and entitled �Pump With Rotating Inlet� discloses, among other things, a pump having an inlet and rotor structure (or other displacement structure) that rotate together as the pump operates in order to alleviate jamming. The disclosure of this copending application is incorporated herein by reference.
Gas-release pumps, such as gas-injection pumps, circulate molten metal while releasing a gas into the molten metal. In the purification of molten metals, particularly aluminum, it is frequently desired to remove dissolved gases such as hydrogen, or dissolved metals, such as magnesium, from the molten metal. As is known by those skilled in the art, the removing of dissolved gas is known as �degassing� while the removal of magnesium is known as �demagging.� Gas-release pumps may be used for either of these purposes or for any other application for which it is desirable to introduce gas into molten metal. Gas-release pumps generally include a gas-transfer conduit having a first end that is connected to a gas source and a second submerged in the molten metal bath. Gas is introduced into the first end and is released from the second end into the molten metal. The gas may be released downstream of the pump chamber into either the pump discharge or a metal-transfer conduit extending from the discharge, or into a stream of molten metal exiting either the discharge or the metal-transfer conduit. Alternatively, gas may be released into the pump chamber or upstream of the pump chamber at a position where it enters the pump chamber. A system for releasing gas into a pump chamber is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,523 to Cooper.
The advantage of a system for releasing gas into molten metal within the confines of a metal-transfer conduit is that the gas and metal should have a better opportunity to thoroughly interact. One problem with releasing gas into a metal-transfer conduit is that, in some systems, the conduit that transfers the gas from a gas source into the molten metal stream (called a gas-transfer conduit) typically extends into the metal-transfer conduit, usually extending downward from the top of the metal-transfer conduit, and disrupts the flow of molten metal passing through the conduit thereby creating a low-pressure area behind the portion of the gas-transfer conduit extending into the metal-transfer conduit. The low-pressure area can interfere with the released gas mixing with molten metal passing through the metal-transfer conduit because, among other things, the gas immediately rises into the low-pressure area instead of mixing with molten metal throughout the metal-transfer conduit. This can create a phenomenon known as �burping� because large gas bubbles build up in the low pressure area and are released from the discharge instead of thoroughly mixing with the molten metal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention includes a pump and components that enable gas to be released at a relatively low pressure into molten metal passing through a metal-transfer conduit. As used in the context of describing and claiming the invention, unless specifically stated otherwise, the term metal-transfer conduit refers to a pump discharge, a metal-transfer conduit attached to the pump discharge or any conduit through which a stream of molten metal flows. The metal-transfer conduit may be either totally enclosed or partially enclosed. The metal-transfer conduit has at least two sections, a first section having a first cross-sectional area and a second section having a second cross-sectional area. The first cross-sectional area is upstream of and smaller than the second cross-sectional area. A gas-release opening is positioned in the second section, preferably near the first section, or is positioned in the first section, preferably near the second section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pump for pumping molten metal, which includes a pump base according to the invention.
FIG. 12 b is a partial side view of a gas-transfer conduit positioned in a metal-transfer at a location other than the one shown in FIG. 12 a. FIG. 12 c is a partial side view of a gas-transfer conduit positioned at a location other than the ones shown in FIGS. 12 a and 12 b. FIG. 12 d is a partial side view of a gas-transfer conduit positioned at a location other than the ones shown in FIGS. 12 a-12 c. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing where the purpose is to illustrate and describe different embodiments of the invention, and not to limit same, FIG. 1 shows a molten metal pump 20 that includes a device 100 in accordance with the present invention. When in operation, pump 20 is usually positioned in a molten metal bath in a pump well, which is usually part of the open well of a reverbatory furnace.
Pump 20 can be any structure or device for pumping or otherwise conveying molten metal, such as the pump disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,681 to Cooper, or an axial pump having an axial, rather than tangential, discharge. Preferred pump 20 has a pump base 24 for being submersed in a molten metal bath. Pump base 24 preferably includes a generally nonvolute pump chamber 26, such as a cylindrical pump chamber or what has been called a �cut� volute, although pump base 24 may have any shape pump chamber suitable of being used, including a volute-shaped chamber. Chamber 26 may be constructed to have only one opening, either in its top or bottom, if a tangential discharge is used, since only one opening is required to introduce molten metal into pump chamber 26. Generally, pump chamber 24 has two coaxial openings of the same diameter and usually one is blocked by a flow blocking plate mounted on the bottom of, or formed as part of, device 100. As shown, chamber 26 includes a top opening 28, bottom opening 29, and wall 31. Base 24 further includes a tangential discharge 30 (although another type of discharge, such as an axial discharge may be used) in fluid communication with chamber 26. Base 24 has sides 112, 114, 116, 118 and 120 and a top surface 110. The top portion of wall 31 is machined to receive a bearing surface, which is not yet mounted to wall 31 in this figure. The bearing surface is typically comprised of ceramic and cemented to wall 31.
A motor 40, which can be any structure, system or device suitable for driving pump 20, but is preferably an electric or pneumatic motor, is positioned on superstructure 36 and is connected to an end of a drive shaft 42. A drive shaft 42 can be any structure suitable for rotating an impeller, and preferably comprises a motor shaft (not shown) coupled to a rotor shaft. The motor shaft has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the motor shaft connects to motor 40 and the second end of the motor shaft connects to the coupling. Rotor shaft 44 has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the coupling and the second end is connected to device 100 or to an impeller according to the invention. A preferred coupling, rotor shaft and connection between the rotor shaft and device 100 are disclosed in a copending application entitled �Molten Metal Pump Components,� invented by Paul V. Cooper and filed on Feb. 4, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The preferred device 100 is disclosed in a copending application entitled �Pump with Rotating Inlet,� invented by Paul V. Cooper and filed on Feb. 4, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, structure 100 can be any rotor suitable for use in a molten metal pump and the term �rotor,� as used in connection with this invention, means any device or rotor used in a molten metal pump chamber to displace molten metal.
Section 32 is preferably about 1″ in length, 3″ in height and 4� in width for a pump utilizing a 10″ diameter rotor, and has a substantially flat top surface 32A, a substantially flat bottom surface, 32B, a first radiused side surface 32C and a second radiused side surface 32D. Section 32 defines a passage through which molten metal may pass, and any shape or size passage suitable for efficiently conveying molten metal may be used. In fact, section 32 may not even be completely enclosed; for example, it may not have a bottom surface.
Second section 33 is preferably 10″ in length (although any suitable length may be utilized) and has a top surface 34A, a bottom surface 33B, a first side surface 33C and second side surface 33D. Section 33 defines a passage through which molten metal passes and any shape or size passage suitable for efficiently conveying molten metal may be used. Section 33 preferably has a height of about 4″ and width of about 5�″ for a pump utilizing a rotor with a diameter of 10″. Section 33 has a height of about 4″ and width of about 6�″ for a pump utilizing a rotor having a diameter of 16″, and preferably has a cross-sectional area between about 110% and 350% larger than the cross-sectional area of section 32. However, all that is necessary for the proper functioning of the invention is that the cross-sectional area of section 33 be sufficiently larger than the area of section 32 to reduce the amount of pressure required for gas to be released into the molten metal stream as compared to the pressure required to release gas into a metal-transfer conduit that has substantially the same cross-sectional area throughout.
Passage 112 is dimensioned to receive end 124 of gas-transfer conduit 120. End 124 of conduit 120 has an opening in passage 126 through which gas is released into discharge 30. It is preferred that the opening in end 124 be positioned about �-� of the way between surface 100 and wall 34B, although it can be positioned in any suitable location to allow for the transfer of gas into discharge 30. Second end 124 is positioned in passage 112 and any method of connection suitable for making the connection in such a way that gas can be transferred to discharge 30 may be used. Further, gas-transfer conduit 120 could be positioned so as to introduce gas at any suitable place in a metal-transfer conduit, such as discharge 30, including the bottom, top and/or either side.
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No. 12/880,027.Classifications U.S. Classification266/239International ClassificationF04B17/00, F04D7/06, F04D29/02, F04D13/02Cooperative ClassificationF04D13/021, F04D29/2216, F04D29/4213, F04D7/065, F04D29/2227, F04D7/00, F04D29/026, F04D15/0044European ClassificationF04D7/06B, F04D15/00C4, F04D29/22B4B, F04D29/22B3, F04D13/02B, F04D29/02P, F04D29/42C2Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionSep 21, 2012ASAssignmentEffective date: 20120910Owner name: MOLTEN METAL EQUIPMENT INNOVATIONS, LLC, OHIOFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MOLTEN METAL EQUIPMENT INNOVATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:029006/0458Owner name: MOLTEN METAL EQUIPMENT INNOVATIONS, INC., OHIOFree format text: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT;ASSIGNOR:COOPER, PAUL V.;REEL/FRAME:029006/0307RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google