A melting furnace includes a melting portion to which a metal material is supplied; a burner for melting the metal material in the melting portion; a heating portion that receives the molten material from the melting portion; a temperature regulating portion that receives the molten material from the heating portion; a separator that separates the heating portion and the temperature regulating portion, wherein the lower portion of the separator is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator, an inlet; an immersion heater wherein at least part of the immersion heater is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; and a gas introduction path that is formed in the separator, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; wherein the burner is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

A melting furnace includes a melting portion to which a metal material is supplied; a burner for melting the metal material in the melting portion; a heating portion that receives the molten material from the melting portion; a temperature regulating portion that receives the molten material from the heating portion; a separator that separates the heating portion and the temperature regulating portion, wherein the lower portion of the separator is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator, an inlet; an immersion heater wherein at least part of the immersion heater is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; and a gas introduction path that is formed in the separator, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; wherein the burner is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

The present invention provides a melting furnace capable of suppressing oxidation of molten materials and improving the quality of the molten materials. As shown in FIG. 3, a melting furnace 1 includes a melting portion 2 to which a metal material is supplied; a burner 4 for melting the metal material in the melting portion 2 into a molten material; a heating portion 5 that receives the molten material from the melting portion 2 to raise the temperature of the molten material; a temperature regulating portion 6 that receives the molten material from the heating portion 5 and stores the molten material; a separator 7 that separates the heating portion 5 and the temperature regulating portion 6, wherein the lower portion 70 of the separator 7 is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator 7, an inlet 71 that allows the introduction of the molten material from the heating portion 5 into the temperature regulating portion 6; an immersion heater 10 wherein at least part of the immersion heater 10 is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6 to thereby heat the molten material; and a gas introduction path 72 that is formed in the separator 7, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner 4 into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6; wherein the burner 4 is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

The present invention provides a melting furnace capable of suppressing oxidation of molten materials and improving the quality of the molten materials. As shown in FIG. 3, a melting furnace 1 includes a melting portion 2 to which a metal material is supplied; a burner 4 for melting the metal material in the melting portion 2 into a molten material; a heating portion 5 that receives the molten material from the melting portion 2 to raise the temperature of the molten material; a temperature regulating portion 6 that receives the molten material from the heating portion 5 and stores the molten material; a separator 7 that separates the heating portion 5 and the temperature regulating portion 6, wherein the lower portion 70 of the separator 7 is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator 7, an inlet 71 that allows the introduction of the molten material from the heating portion 5 into the temperature regulating portion 6; an immersion heater 10 wherein at least part of the immersion heater 10 is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6 to thereby heat the molten material; and a gas introduction path 72 that is formed in the separator 7, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner 4 into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6; wherein the burner 4 is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

A scrap melting system and method includes a vessel that is configured to retain molten metal and a raised surface about the level of molten metal in the vessel. Solid metal is placed on the raised surface and molten metal from the vessel is moved upward from the vessel and across the raised surface to melt at least some of the solid metal. The molten metal is preferably raised from the vessel to the raised surface by a molten metal pumping device or system. The molten metal moves from the raised surface and into a vessel or launder.

A system and method for filling a mold with molten aluminum includes a molten metal pump, a vessel configured to contain molten metal, a mold for receiving molten metal, and a conduit between the vessel and the mold. Molten metal is pumped in the vessel until it reaches a level at which it flows through the conduit and into the mold. The flow of molten metal into the mold is stabilized to maintain a level of molten metal in the mold. A skin of solid metal forms between the mold and the conduit, at which time the pumping of molten metal can cease. The mold with solid metal in it can be moved.

A smart molten metal pump system and method automatically controls the operating speed of the pump rather than requiring an operator to control the speed. The system includes a pump, a controller for controlling the speed of the pump and one or more vibration sensors (such as an accelerometer) to measure vibration. The controller receives input about the vibration of the pump or one or more pump components, and possibly other data, such as the temperature of the molten metal, and/or the depth of the molten metal, ad/or parameters related to the operation of the pump. The controller analyzes the one or more inputs to vary the speed of the pump, turn the pump off, and/or send a communication to an operator.

The present invention relates to a plasma furnace which can efficiently treat various types of waste in large amounts. The plasma furnace comprises a melting chamber 101 for accommodating a melt, an upper surface forming the upper portion of the melting chamber 101 with a horizontal upper surface 111 and an inclined upper surface 112 having a slope with respect to the horizontal upper surface 111, a melt discharge portion 130 formed through a bottom surface of the melting chamber for discharging molten material therethrough, and an input apparatus 120 having a slope for inputting waste into the melting chamber 101, and the mixed type plasma torch 191, 192 provided on the inclined upper surface 112 with a slope for generating melting heat in the melting chamber 101.

A scrap melting system and method includes a vessel that is configured to retain molten metal and a raised surface about the level of molten metal in the vessel. Solid metal is placed on the raised surface and molten metal from the vessel is moved upward from the vessel and across the raised surface to melt at least some of the solid metal. The molten metal is preferably raised from the vessel to the raised surface by a molten metal pumping device or system. The molten metal moves from the raised surface and into a vessel or launder.

Aluminum scrap having organic adhesions is processed to recover aluminum. A hearth of scrap chamber of a multi-chamber melting furnace is batchwise loaded with aluminum scrap where it is heated in low oxygen to convert the organic adhesions on the aluminum scrap into a pyrolysis gas. In a second pretreatment phase, the scrap chamber is heated to the auto-ignition temperature of the pyrolysis gas, wherein at least one air flow is provided in the scrap chamber to produce an ignitable substoichiometric pyrolysis gas/combustion air mixture which is reacted in the scrap chamber in a combustion process. The atmosphere from the scrap chamber is transferred to a post-combustion. A corresponding multi-chamber melting furnace is also provided.