Vesuvius Crucible Company

Vesuvius USA Corporation

Vesuvius Group, S.a.

Arvedi Steel Engineering S.p.a.

Johan Richaud

Martin Kreierhoff

James Derek Dorricott

Lawrence John Heaslip

Christian Warmers

Giovanni Arvedi

Eric Hanse

Andrea Teodoro Bianchi

Dong Xu

William Chung

Waldemar Heinbichner

Frederic Caillaud

Abhishek Chakraborty

John Rogler

A casting nozzle for use in the casting of molten metal produces a stable flow pattern having an elongated section in the horizontal plane. The bore cross-sectional area contains, from entry to exit, at least two significant section area reductions to reduce turbulence, realign streamlines and affect flow distribution inside the nozzle. The bore cross-section has a local minimum value in a contraction section located between the entry section and an expansion section. Bore cross-sectional area decreases from the expansion section to the lower end of the nozzle. The two significant cross-sectional area reductions cooperate with other structures within the bore to stabilize flow.

Casting nozzle

A slab nozzle for use in a continuous slab casting installation is characterized by a specific geometry of the outer wall of a downstream portion thereof which is inserted in a slab mould cavity. The specific geometry promotes a 'round-about' effect whereby converging opposite streams of molten metal flowing towards two opposite flanks of the slab nozzle are each preferentially deviated towards one side of the slab nozzle where they can freely flow through the narrow channels formed between the slab nozzle and the slab mould cavity wall without impinging with one another. This prolongs the service life of the slab nozzle by substantially reducing the erosion rate of the outer wall thereof.

Asymmetric slab nozzle and metallurgical assembly for casting metal including it

A thin slab nozzle contains a central bore extending downstream along longitudinal axis Xfrom an inlet orifice at an upstream end. The central bore comprises an upstream bore portion with a height Ha, in communication with a converging bore portion of height He, in communication with a thin bore portion of height Hf ending at the upstream end of a divider, and first and second front ports separated from one another by the divider and coupled to the central bore portion at least partially at the converging bore portion. Xis a transverse axis, normal to X, along which the nozzle becomes thinner in a downstream portion. In a section of the thin slab nozzle along a symmetry plane &#x3a0;defined by Xand by X, the bore wall of the converging bore portion is curved at all points, and Hf/He&#x2264;1.

Thin slab nozzle for distributing high mass flow rates

A casting nozzle comprises an elongated body defined by an outer wall and comprising a bore defined by a bore wall and extending along a longitudinal axis, X, from a bore inlet to a downstream bore end, said bore comprising two opposite side ports, each extending transversally to said longitudinal axis, X, from an opening at the bore wall defining a port inlet adjacent to the downstream bore end, to an opening at the outer wall defining a port outlet which fluidly connects the bore with an outer atmosphere. Upstream from, and directly above each port inlet, one or two flow deflectors protrude out of the bore wall and extend from an upstream deflector end remote from the port inlet to a downstream deflector end close to the port inlet.

Casting nozzle comprising flow deflectors

A refractory block configured to surround an outlet modifies, within a refractory vessel, the flow of molten metal passing through the outlet. The block takes the form of a base through which a main orifice passes, and a wall extending upwards around the periphery of the base. Structural features that may be included in the block include a circumferential lip around the exterior of the wall, an interior volume in which the radius decreases downwardly towards the main orifice in a plurality of steps, and flow openings in the wall that are configured to induce swirling in the flow pattern in the interior volume of the block.

Tundish outlet modifier

A nozzle for casting steel contains an inlet portion, an elongated portion extending along a first longitudinal axis, an outlet portion and a pouring bore having a front port inlet. A planar cut of the nozzle outlet portion normal to the first longitudinal axis passing through the front port inlet contains the outline of the bore, the outline of the outer peripheral wall of the outlet portion of the nozzle, and a first transverse axis. In the planar cut, the bore centroid and wall centroid are distinct and separated by a distance, d&#x2260;0; and the segment extending along the first transverse axis, from the bore centroid, to the wall perimeter is longer than the segment extending from the wall centroid to the intersecting point between the first transverse axis and the wall perimeter.

Nozzle and casting installation

A pour tube for casting molten metal is adapted to reduce turbulence and mold disturbances, thereby producing a more stable, uniform outflow. The pour tube has a central longitudinal axis and includes a bore in communication with a port distributor having a greater radius with respect to the longitudinal axis than does the bore. Exit ports provide fluid communication between the port distributor and the exterior of the device. Each of a pair of larger exit ports has a larger cross-sectional area than does either of a pair of smaller exit ports.

Submerged entry nozzle

A metallurgical ladle, and more particularly the bottom of the ladle or a ladle block in the bottom of the ladle, have an outlet through which the molten metal can drain. The ladle bottom contains an open-end channel bounded by at least one wall with a major dimension perpendicular to a line joining the center of the outlet entrance to the center of the wall. In selected configurations, opposing faces of the walls bounding the open-end channel are convex in the horizontal plane and concave in the horizontal plane, respectively.

Double entry channel ladle bottom

A pour tube for casting molten metal is adapted to reduce turbulence and mold disturbances, thereby producing a more stable, uniform outflow. The pour tube includes a bore having a body in communication with an enlarged outlet portion. Exit ports in communication with the outlet portion have an offset design in which at least one wall of the exit port is tangent to a circle having a larger radius than the body of the bore.

The present invention relates to a ladle block for use in a bottom of a molten metal ladle. The ladle block reduces the amount of contaminants, particularly slag, exiting the ladle during casting operations. The ladle block includes a floor defining an outlet and sidewalls substantially orthogonal to the floor. The floor and sidewalls define a channel having dimensions of length, width and height. Channel dimensions are determined from the Froude number, which is based at least partially on the casting flow rate.

Ladle bottom

The present invention concerns a submerged entry nozzle for use in the continuous casting of liquid metal. The nozzle comprises a central bore and a plurality of pairs of discharge outlets. The cross-sectional area of the central bore decreases between pairs of discharge outlets, such that ratio of height to width of any outlet is one or less.

Multi-outlet casting nozzle

The present invention concerns stopper rod system for use in a metallurgical vessel, comprising a stopper rod and a nozzle. At least one of the stopper rod nose and the internal surface of the nozzle bore comprise a plurality of ripples that are arranged such that the size of a flow channel between the stopper rod nose and the internal stopper rod when the stopper rod system is in an open position discontinuously increases in size as a function of the distance downstream from the point of contact between the stopper rod and the nozzle.

Rippled surface stopper rod system

The invention concerns a pouring spout for the transfer of a molten metal from a tundish into a continuous-casting mold. The pouring spout includes a body comprising a tubular part defining an essentially vertical pouring channel and an essentially horizontal part defining a distribution channel. The tubular and horizontal parts are assembled together, notably by screwing. The vertical pouring channel has an upper end adapted to connect with a tundish and a lower end emptying into the distribution channel. The distribution channel includes at least two outlets adapted to distribute molten metal into the mold. An obstacle is located between the two channels and together with the lower part of the tubular part retains the molten metal in the pouring channel until transfer to the distribution channel.

Growing community of inventors

Cheval Blanc, France

Johan Richaud