Olin Corporation

International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation

Gary L Ungarean

John C Yarwood

Derek E Tyler

Peter J Kindlmann

Gerhart K Gaule

Michael J Pryor

Joseph Winter

Jonathan A Dantzig

William L Brenneman

Peter E Sevier

Phillip A Chatfield

A process for electromagnetically casting molten material into a thin strip having a substantially constant thickness. An inductor is provided for electromagnetically shaping the molten material. The material is electromagnetically shaped into a strip having a desired thickness. Variations in the thickness of the molten material are automatically reduced during the shaping step by selecting the frequency of the current applied to the inductor so that the thickness of the strip is about 1.8 to about 2.6 current penetration depth.

Regulation of the thickness of electromagnetically cast thin strip

An apparatus and process for electromagnetically forming a material into a desired thin strip shape. The apparatus comprises a first portion for electromagnetically containing and forming the material in molten form into a cross-sectional shape substantially the same as the desired thin strip shape. A second portion receives the molten material in the thin strip shape from the first portion. In addition, the second portion reduces the distortion in the cross-sectional shape due to surface tension. The second portion includes a device for providing an electromagnetic field having a reduced strength as compared to the strength of an electromagnetic field in the first portion. The electromagnetic field may be reduced in strength by providing an inductor having hollow inner surfaces facing the molten material so as to form substantially straight vertical surfaces in the molten material. In another embodiment, a shield is provided between the inductor and the molten metal to selectively reduce the strength of the electromagnetic field.

Apparatus and process for electro-magnetically forming a material into a

A process and apparatus for controlling the position of a cast ingot is provided so that unwanted distortions of the casting are substantially avoided. The instant process and apparatus also permit substantially uniform heat transfer about the casting periphery. A control system for maintaining the casting within a mold so that the casting outer periphery is substantially uniformly spaced from the mold inner wall comprises a casting supporting mechanism adjacent the mold exit and non-thermal position detectors.

Cast ingot position control process and apparatus

A process and apparatus for determining the value of parameters which affect emissivity of radiation from a metal load in an electromagnetic casting system. Infrared radiation being emitted from the surface of the load is sensed by an array of fiber optic filaments secured within elements of the electromagnetic casting system. Radiation signals are transmitted by the filaments to a signal processor which enables readout display of electromagnetic casting parameters such as liquid temperature, maximum load temperature, position of the liquid/solid interface, and head position.

Infrared imaging for electromagnetic casting

An apparatus and process for casting metals wherein the molten metal is contained and formed into a desired shape by the application of an electromagnetic field established by an inductor. The height of the liquid metal head, the location of the liquid-solid interface at the periphery of the forming ingot, and/or variations in the values of these parameters is displayed during the casting run by a system which monitors the in-phase component of the voltage across the inductor to determine variations in the total equivalent series resistance of the electromagnetic casting system as seen by the inductor.

Determination of liquid-solid interface and head in electromagnetic

A multi-strand apparatus and process is provided for casting molten materials into ingots of desired shape. The apparatus comprises a plurality of devices for receiving and electromagnetically forming the molten material into desired shape. Each of the receiving and forming devices includes an inductor for applying a magnetic force field to the molten material. The inductor in operation is spaced from the molten material by a gap extending from the surface of the molten material to the opposing surface of the inductor. An alternating current applying device sends current to its associated inductor to generate the magnetic force field. Circuitry associated with each of the inductors senses variations in their respective gaps. The improvement comprises a pulse width modulating circuit associated with said gap variation sensing circuitry being connected to the alternating current applying device for controlling the application of alternating current to the inductor. A device is connected to the pulse width modulating circuit for synchronizing turn-on of all of the current applying devices whereby beat frequencies due to interaction between the plurality of inductors are substantially eliminated.

Process and apparatus for synchronized electromagnetic casting of

An apparatus or process for casting metals by electromagnetically forming molten metal into a desired shape by applying a magnetic field to the molten metal. The magnetic field defines a containment zone for the molten metal. The hydrostatic pressure exerted by the molten metal in the containment zone is sensed and in response thereto the flow of molten metal into the containment zone is controlled. This minimizes changes in the hydrostatic pressure.

Electromagnetic casting process and apparatus

Apparatus and process for electromagnetically forming a material into a

An apparatus and process for casting metals wherein the molten metal is contained and formed into a desired shape by the application of an electromagnetic field. The apparatus includes an inductor and a non-magnetic shield. Changes in the location or the location of the top surface of the molten metal head are continuously displayed during the casting run by monitoring electrical parameters of the electromagnetic casting system including at least one electrical parameter of the non-magnetic shield.

Head top surface measurement utilizing screen parameters in

An apparatus and process are provided for forming molten thin strip material into a desired thin strip shape. The apparatus comprises a device for electromagnetic forming of the molten material. This device includes a first and second inductor disposed on either side of the molten thin strip material for generating first and second magnetic fields about the first and second edges of the thin strip material. Third and fourth inductors are disposed adjacent opposite edges of the thin strip material for generating third and fourth magnetic fields which interact with the first and second magnetic fields, respectively. Structure regulates the strength of the fields induced by the inductor device to form the molten material into the desired thin strip shape.

Electromagnetic edge control of thin strip material

An electromagnetic casting process and apparatus utilizing an active transformer-driven copper shield. The shield is actively driven with a voltage out of phase with the voltage in the containment inductor with the result that a bucking current is produced in the shield which is out of phase with the current induced in the shield by the inductor. An active transformer-driven duplex variable impedance shield is also disclosed.

Transformer-driven shield for electromagnetic casting

A method and apparatus for electromagnetic casting of metal and alloy ingots of desired shape having portions of small radius of curvature. A modified shield is provided which provides for a reduction of the electromagnetic field intensity at the corners of the forming ingot by increasing local screening of the field at the corners. Increased local screening at the corners is achieved by locally increasing shield depth, by providing for deeper displacement of the shield, by changing the shield section, or by changing the shield orientation. Also disclosed is a modified inductor which is shaped so as to be located at a greater distance from the portions of small radius of curvature of the ingots than from portions of the ingots adjacent to the portions of small radius of curvature. The modified shield may be combined with the modified inductor and/or with a coolant manifold to simultaneously modify and control coolant application elevation such that the elevation is a minimum at the corners of the ingot.

Electromagnetic casting shape control by differential screening and

A multi-strand process is provided for casting molten materials into ingots of desired shape. The process uses two inductors for receiving the molten material and applying the first and second electromagnetic force fields to form the molten material into the ingots. The inductors are located adjacent each other so that the first and second force fields interact with each other. A first device is associated with one of the inductors for applying a first alternating current at a first desired frequency to an associated inductor to generate the first magnetic force field. A second device is associated with the other of the inductors for applying a second alternating current at a second desired frequency to generate the second magnetic force field. The second frequency is set to a desired value in relation to the first frequency in order to control the first and second resulting containment currents circulating in the molten material. The containment currents are due to the first and second force fields and their interaction with each other. The containment currents each have a frequency above a lower established limit so as to prevent formation of substantial melt stirring and containment instabilities in either of the first or second inductors.

Process and apparatus for selecting the drive frequencies for individual

A multi-strand apparatus and process for casting molten material into at least two ingots of desired shape. Structure is provided for receiving and electromagnetically forming the molten material into ingots of desired shape. Each of the receiving and forming structures includes an inductor for applying an electromagnetic force field to the molten material. When the inductor is in operation, it is spaced from the molten material by a gap extending from the surface of the molten material to the opposing surface of the inductor. The improvement comprises a device for distributing a common alternating current to the inductors to generate the magnetic fields. A device is provided for minimizing variations in the gaps during operation of the casting apparatus. A feedback control is operatively associated with the minimizing variation device regulating the distribution device to generate substantially constant alternating current whereby changes in the force field generated by one of the inductors does not substantially effect the force field generated by another of the inductors.

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Woodbridge, CT, United States of America

Gary L Ungarean