Methods, systems and apparatus for producing continuous basalt fibers, microfibers, and microspheres from high temperature melts are disclosed. A cold crucible induction furnace is used to super heat crushed basalt rock to form a melt. The melt is cooled prior to forming a fiber. The fiber produced from the superheated melt possesses superior properties not found with conventional basalt fibers produced in gas furnaces. In some implementations, the superheated melt is spun into continuous basalt fibers. In some implementations, the superheated melt is blown into microfibers and microspheres.

A system (5) and method (800) for unit cell casting of titanium or titanium-alloys is disclosed herein. The system (5) comprises an external chamber (45), a crucible (10) positioned within the external chamber (45), an induction coil (15) positioned around the crucible, an internal chamber (40) positioned within the external chamber (45), and a mold (30) positioned within the internal chamber (40). The external chamber (45) is evacuated and a pressurized gas is injected into the evacuated external chamber (45) to create a pressurized external chamber (45). An ingot (20) is melted within the crucible utilizing induction heating generated by the induction coil (15). The internal chamber (40) is evacuated to create an evacuated internal chamber (40). The titanium alloy material of the ingot (20) is completely transferred into the mold (30) from the crucible (10) using a pressure differential created between the external chamber (45) and the internal chamber (40).

The invention relates to a levitation melting process and a device for producing castings with movable induction units. In this process, induction units are used in which the opposite ferrite poles with the induction coils are movable and move in opposite directions. In this way, the induction units for melting the batches can be arranged close together in order to increase the efficiency of the induced magnetic field. When casting the molten batch, the induced magnetic field is reduced by increasing the distance between the ferrite poles with the induction coils, thus preventing the melt from touching the ferrite poles or the induction coils.

The invention relates to a levitation melting process and a device for producing castings with movable induction units. In this process, induction units are used in which the opposite ferrite poles with the induction coils are movable and move in opposite directions. In this way, the induction units for melting the batches can be arranged close together in order to increase the efficiency of the induced magnetic field. When casting the molten batch, the induced magnetic field is reduced by increasing the distance between the ferrite poles with the induction coils, thus preventing the melt from touching the ferrite poles or the induction coils.

A cold crucible usable in the field of high-temperature production of monocrystalline materials. The cold crucible includes: a cold cage which has sectors made of a material having good electrical conductivity and in which a charge is melted, and a cooling device with heat transfer fluid, configured to cool each segment of the cold cage from the inside. The cold crucible is essentially such that it further includes at least one device for generating a static magnetic field, each generating device being housed inside one of the sectors of the cold crucible. Each static magnetic field thus generated having the effect of slowing down the electromagnetic stirring of the molten charge, such that it is possible to produce monocrystalline ingots of significantly larger diameter than the diameter of the seed initiating their growth.

A cold crucible usable in the field of high-temperature production of monocrystalline materials. The cold crucible includes: a cold cage which has sectors made of a material having good electrical conductivity and in which a charge is melted, and a cooling device with heat transfer fluid, configured to cool each segment of the cold cage from the inside. The cold crucible is essentially such that it further includes at least one device for generating a static magnetic field, each generating device being housed inside one of the sectors of the cold crucible. Each static magnetic field thus generated having the effect of slowing down the electromagnetic stirring of the molten charge, such that it is possible to produce monocrystalline ingots of significantly larger diameter than the diameter of the seed initiating their growth.

A cold crucible having application in the field of making monocrystalline materials at high temperature. The cold crucible includes: a cold cage having sectors made of a good electrical conductor material and in which a charge is molten, and a cooling device with a heat-transfer fluid, configured so as to cool down, from inside, each segment of the cold cage. At least one sector of the cold crucible includes a housing and is removable, the housing being proper and intended to accommodate at least one so-called functionalising device of the cold crucible. Henceforth, it is possible to functionalise each sector independently of the others, by accommodating therein, a functionalising device configured, inter alia, so as to modify and/or analyse at least one property of the charge, in particular the molten charge, in the cold cage.

Provided is a supporting structure for an induction heating coil and an induction heating device in which a surface of an induction heating coil is not formed of a coating film for insulation that generates a gas, and movement of the induction heating coil when the induction heating coil is energized can be suppressed. A supporting structure 4 of an induction heating device 1 includes a supporting column 20 and a plurality of restricting members 21. The supporting column 20 is disposed at an outer side in a radial direction of winding portions 13 of the induction heating coil 3, and extends in an axial direction S1. The restricting members 21 receive the induction heating coil 3 to restrict movement of the induction heating coil 3 in the axial direction S1 in an insulated state, and are supported by the supporting column 20.

The functional condition of an induction crucible furnace is checked by first establishing a set-point parameter corresponding to an optimum functional condition of the induction crucible furnace and characterizing the vibratory behavior of same. Then, during normal operation of the furnace, an actual-value parameter of the vibratory behavior is determined. These two parameters are then compared and, if a magnitude of a difference therebetween exceeds a threshold, an alarm is generated.

The functional condition of an induction crucible furnace is checked by first establishing a set-point parameter corresponding to an optimum functional condition of the induction crucible furnace and characterizing the vibratory behavior of same. Then, during normal operation of the furnace, an actual-value parameter of the vibratory behavior is determined. These two parameters are then compared and, if a magnitude of a difference therebetween exceeds a threshold, an alarm is generated.