Patent ID: 8743926

Claim:
An electrode for immersion in a molten medium, the electrode comprising: an elongated shaft; an electrode head (i) having an approximately teardrop shape with a smoothly rounded, corner-free outer contour, and (ii) being disposed at an end of the shaft opposite an attachment end of the shaft, the electrode head and the shaft being constructed out of one piece of material; and a cooling passage extending from an open end disposed at the attachment end of the shaft to a closed end disposed within the electrode head, wherein (i) the outer contour of the electrode head is defined by a cusp-free radial profile rotated about a centerline of the shaft, (ii) the radial profile has a center disposed at the closed end of the cooling passage and on the centerline of the shaft, (iii) the radial profile exhibits a single maximum value at an angle θ from a perpendicular to the centerline of the shaft, (iv) the single maximum value of the radial profile falls within a middle portion of the radial profile extending from an angle of 30° from the perpendicular to the centerline of the shaft to an angle of −30° from the perpendicular to the centerline of the shaft, and (iv) the middle portion of the radial profile is negatively curved.