Alcan International Limited

Yves Caron

Marc Auger

Thierry Bourgeois

Andre Gendron

Ghyslain Dube

Joseph Langlais

Friedrich Muller

A method of measuring the quenchability of a liquid coolant used to cool objects such as ingots produced by direct-chill casting. The method involves providing a sample of the liquid coolant; providing a probe for immersion in the sample, the probe having a temperature-sensing electrical device contained therein which generates an electrical response corresponding to temperature sensed; heating the probe in a gas, preferably by means of electrical resistance heating by a circuit which is electrically connected to the temperature-sensing electrical device, to a predetermined temperature measured by the electrical response of the temperature sensing device, immersing the probe into the sample and measuring the electrical response for a predetermined measurement period, and comparing the measured electrical response to a response of a reference liquid measured under equivalent conditions, to thereby determine the quenchability property of the liquid coolant. The invention also relates to apparatus for carrying out the method, as well as a method and apparatus for controlling the cooling of the object based on the measured quenchability of the coolant. In an alternative, the probe may be heated by means other than the electrical resistance heating at a rate of at least about 40&deg; C./second.

Method and apparatus for measuring quenchant properties of coolants

A method of controlling a temperature of a surface of a direct chill cast ingot cast in an open-ended mold provided with a bottom block during early stages of casting as the ingot emerges from the open-ended mold. The method involves the steps of directing a flow of a coolant onto at least one surface of an ingot emerging from an open-ended mold to impinge on the surface at a normal impingement point and to cool the surface, measuring a surface temperature on the emerging ingot at at least one measurement location which is at a predetermined position close enough to the normal impingement point to be affected by the secondary coolant, to generate a measured surface temperature, determining the displacement of the bottom block of the casting machine from its initial position at the start of the cast, corresponding to each the surface temperature measurement, and using the measured surface temperature to control a casting variable and thereby to control the temperature of the surface. The invention also relates to apparatus for carrying out the above method and to a method of measuring the surface temperature.

Method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of an ingot during

Apparatus for measurement of a temperature of a moving metal slab to provide a measured temperature indication corresponding to an actual temperature at a location on the surface of the slab. The apparatus comprises a first temperature measuring sensor mounted to move out of contact with a surface of the slab, and then into contact with the surface at the location, the first sensor generating an output corresponding to a detected temperature when the contact is made with the surface; at least one additional temperature measuring sensor mounted adjacent to the first sensor to move out of contact with the surface of the slab, and then into contact with the surface at the location, the second sensor generating an output corresponding to a detected temperature when the contact is made with the surface; and a comparator for determining whether or not the detected temperatures at the location differ by less than a particular amount, and for providing a measured temperature indication representing the actual temperature of the surface at the location based on one or more of the outputs, only if the detected temperatures differ by less than the predetermined amount. The invention also relates to a corresponding method of measuring the surface temperature.

Apparatus and method for measuring the temperature of a moving surface

A method of measuring the quenchability of a liquid coolant used to cool objects such as ingots produced by direct-chill casting. The method involves providing a sample of the liquid coolant; providing a probe for immersion in the sample, the probe having a temperature-sensing electrical device contained therein which generates an electrical response corresponding to temperature sensed; heating the probe in a gas, preferably by means of electrical resistance heating by a circuit which is electrically connected to the temperature-sensing electrical device, to a predetermined temperature measured by the electrical response of the temperature sensing device, immersing the probe into the sample and measuring the electrical response for a predetermined measurement period, and comparing the measured electrical response to a response of a reference liquid measured under equivalent conditions, to thereby determine the quenchability property of the liquid coolant. The invention also relates to apparatus for carrying out the method, as well as a method and apparatus for controlling the cooling of the object based on the measured quenchability of the coolant. In an alternative, the probe may be heated by means other than the electrical resistance heating at a rate of at least about 40.degree. C./second.

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Chicoutimi, Canada

Yves Caron