Sliding gate valve plate

Abstract

A refractory sliding gate valve plate has a planar upper surface and a planar lower surface parallel to the planar upper surface. A connecting outer surface connects the upper surface to the lower surface, and a pouring channel fluidly connects the upper surface to the lower surface. Specified ratios of length between (a) specified longitudinal segments extending from the axis of symmetry of the pouring channel to the perimeter on the upper surface and the lower surface of the plate, respectively, and also between (b) specified latitudinal segments extending from the axis of symmetry of the pouring channel to the perimeter on the upper surface and the lower surface of the plate, respectively, increase the uniformity of thrust force applied to the plates and the contact area between the upper surfaces of two such plates within a valve.

Claims

1. Sliding gate valve plate for a molten metal gate valve having an upper surface, a lower surface, separated from the upper surface by a thickness of the sliding gate valve plate, said upper and lower surfaces being planar and parallel to one another, a connecting outer surface connecting the upper surface to the lower surface and a pouring channel fluidly connecting the upper surface to the lower surface, said pouring channel having a pouring axis of symmetry (Xp), the upper and lower surfaces having upper and lower longitudinal extents (LOu, LOl), respectively, which are parallel to each other and perpendicular to upper and lower latitudinal extents (LAu, LAl), respectively, wherein the upper longitudinal extent (LOu) is the longest segment connecting two points of a perimeter of the upper surface and intersecting the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp), wherein the longitudinal extents (LOu, LOl) are divided into two segments (respectively LOu1 and LOu2 and LOl1 and LOl2) connecting at the level of the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp), and wherein the segments LOu1 and LOl1 are on a first side of the pouring axis of symmetry, and the segments LOu2 and LOl2 are on a second side of the pouring axis of symmetry; wherein the latitudinal extents (LAu, LAl) are divided into two segments (respectively LAu1 and LAu2 and LAl1 and LAl2) connecting at the level of the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp), and wherein the segments LAu1 and LAl1 are on a first side of the pouring axis of symmetry, and the segments LAu2 and LAl2 are on a second side of the pouring axis of symmetry; wherein the following ratios are defined, LOl1/LOu1=R1, LOl2/LOu2=R2, LAl1/LAu1=R3, LAl2/LAu2=R4, wherein R1 has a value from and including 50% to and including 95%, wherein R2 has a value from and including 50% to and including 95%, wherein R3 is greater than or equal to 75%, and wherein R4 is greater than or equal to 75%.

2. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 1 wherein R3=R4.

3. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 1 wherein the connecting outer surface comprises a plurality of surface portions.

4. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 3 wherein the connecting outer surface comprises at least a cylindrical surface portion and at least one transition surface portion.

5. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 4 wherein the cylindrical surface portion connects the upper surface to an adjacent transition surface portion and the at least one transition surface portion connects the cylindrical surface portion to the lower surface.

6. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 3, wherein the connecting outer surface comprises a plurality of transition surface portions.

7. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 1, wherein R1 and R2 have values from and including 75% to and including 85%.

8. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 1, wherein R3 and R4 have values from and including 98% to and including 100%.

9. Sliding gate valve plate according to claim 1, wherein the plate comprises: a refractory element with an upper surface and a pouring channel corresponding respectively to the upper surface and pouring channel of the plate, a metal can with a bottom surface corresponding to the lower surface of the sliding gate valve plate, said bottom surface comprising an opening surrounding the pouring channel of the sliding gate valve plate, cement binding the refractory element to the metal can.

10. A metal can for dressing a refractory element and therewith forming a sliding gate valve plate according to claim 9, said metal can comprising: a bottom surface which is planar and defined by a perimeter, and comprising an opening having a centroid point (xp), such that the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp) is the axis normal to the bottom surface and passing through the centroid point (xp); a peripheral surface extending transverse to the bottom surface from the perimeter of said bottom surface to a free end defining a rim of the metal can, said peripheral surface and bottom surface defining an inner cavity of geometry fitting the geometry of a refractory element to be adhered to the metal can by means of a cement, and wherein: the metal can has an upper longitudinal diameter (LCu) defined as the longest segment, connecting two points of the rim of the metal can and intersecting the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp), and has an upper latitudinal diameter (LDu) connecting two points of the rim of the metal can, and intersecting perpendicularly the upper longitudinal diameter (LCu) and the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp), the bottom surface (3M) has a lower longitudinal diameter (LCl), which is parallel to the upper longitudinal diameter (LCu) and has a lower latitudinal diameter (LDl), which is parallel to the lower longitudinal diameter (LDu), both lower longitudinal and latitudinal diameters intersecting the pouring axis of symmetry at the centroid point (xp); the upper and lower longitudinal diameters (LCu, LCl) being divided into two segments (respectively LCu1 and LCu2 and LCl1 and LCl2) connecting at the level of the pouring axis (Xp), and wherein the segments LCu1 and LCl1 are on a first side of the pouring axis of symmetry, and the segments LOu2 and LOl2 are on a second side of the pouring axis of symmetry; the upper and lower latitudinal diameters (LDu, LDl) being divided into two segments (respectively LDu1 and LDu2 and LDl1 and LDl2) connecting at the level of the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp), and wherein the segments LAu1 and LAl1 are on a first side of the pouring axis of symmetry, and the segments LDu2 and LDl2 are on a second side of the pouring axis of symmetry; wherein the following ratios are defined: Rc1=LCl1/LCu1, and has a value from and including 50% to and including 95%, Rc2=LCl2/LCu2, and has a value from and including 50% to and including 95%, Rc3=LDl1/LDu1, is greater than or equal to 75%, Rc4=LDl2/LDu2, is greater than or equal to 75%.

11. Sliding gate valve comprising a set of a first sliding gate valve plate according to claim 1 and a second sliding gate valve plate, wherein, the second sliding gate valve plate comprises a planar upper surface which is planar and has an upper area, AU, delimited by a perimeter enclosing an outlet of a pouring channel and of same geometry as the upper surface of the first sliding gate valve plate, and comprises a lower surface, which is planar and is delimited by a perimeter enclosing an inlet of the pouring channel, the planar upper and lower surfaces of the second sliding gate valve plate being parallel with one another, wherein said first and second sliding valve gate plates are mounted in a frame with their respective upper surfaces contacting and parallel to each other such that, the second sliding gate valve plate is fixedly mounted in the frame, the first sliding gate valve plate can reversibly move along a plane parallel to the upper surfaces of the first and second sliding valve plates from a pouring position wherein the pouring channel of the first sliding valve gate plate is in registry with the pouring channel of the second sliding valve gate plate, to a closed position, wherein the pouring channel of the first sliding valve gate plate is not in fluid communication with the pouring channel of the second sliding valve gate plate, said sliding gate valve further comprising several pusher units distributed about, and applying a pushing force onto the lower surface of the first sliding gate valve plate oriented normal to said lower surface of the first sliding gate valve plate, to press the upper surface of the first sliding gate valve plate against the upper surface of the second sliding gate valve plate.

12. Sliding gate valve according to claim 11, comprising a second sliding valve plate according to claim 1.

13. Sliding gate valve according to claim 11, wherein: the first sliding gate valve plate is supported by a carriage mounted on a sliding mechanism, such that the upper surface of the first sliding gate valve plate can slide between the pouring position and the closed position, said carriage comprising a lower surface, the pusher units apply a pushing force (F) onto the lower surface of the carriage, such as to press the upper surface of the first sliding gate valve plate against the upper surface of the second sliding gate valve plate, wherein said force (F) is oriented normal to the lower surface of the carriage.

14. Sliding gate valve according to claim 13, wherein (a) the carriage comprises an upper surface parallel to and recessed from the upper surface of the first sliding gate valve plate, (b) the pusher units are static and face the second sliding gate valve plate regardless of the position of the first sliding gate valve plate, (c) the lower surface of the carriage is permanently in contact with at least some of the pusher units, and has a geometry comprising chamfered portions, such that a pusher unit contacts the lower surface of the carriage only in case the projection on a longitudinal plane (XpL, LOu) defined by the pouring axis of the symmetry (XpL) and the upper longitudinal extent (LOu) of the first sliding valve plate of the force vector defining the force (F) applied by said pusher unit when in contact with the lower surface intersects the projection on said longitudinal plane of the first sliding gate valve plate.

15. Sliding gate valve according to claim 14, wherein when a pusher unit does not face the first sliding gate valve plate, it does not contact the lower surface of the carriage, which is chamfered at said portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Various features and characteristics of the invention described in this specification may be more thoroughly understood by reference to the accompanying figures, in which,

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a plate according to an embodiment of the invention represented in top view, side and front elevation views;

(3) FIG. 2A is an isometric view of a plate according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 2B is an isometric view of a portion of a plate according to FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a plate according to FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 4 is a view of a transverse section of a plate having certain R3 and R4 values;

(7) FIG. 5 is a view of a transverse section of a plate having certain R3 and R4 values;

(8) FIG. 6A is a longitudinal section of two plates positioned with their respective upper surfaces in sliding contact, with their respective pouring axes aligned;

(9) FIG. 6B is a longitudinal section of two plates positioned with their respective upper surfaces in sliding contact, with their respective pouring axes offset;

(10) FIGS. 7A and 7B are three-dimensional isometric views of a metal can suitable for dressing a plate according to FIGS. 2 and 3;

(11) FIG. 7B is a three-dimensional isometric view of a metal can suitable for dressing a plate according to FIGS. 2 and 3;

(12) FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are projections on a horizontal plane, containing XpL and LOu, of an embodiment of a slide gate valve in communication with a pusher.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) FIGS. 1 to 3 show a refractory sliding gate valve plate 1 for a molten metal gate valve having an upper surface 2 and a lower surface 3. Both the upper and lower surfaces are parallel as is usually the case in a sliding gate valve and they are separated from one another by a thickness of the sliding gate plate. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the sliding gate plate is depicted naked, i.e., without metal can or band surrounding or protecting the plate. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the latitudinal extents of canned sliding gate valve plates are depicted. In FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, two identical canned plates according to the present invention are depicted in their respective position in use in a sliding gate valve: (a) in an open configuration, wherein the pouring channel of the first and second sliding gate valve plates are in registry, and (b) wherein they are almost out of fluid communication, thus reducing considerably the flow rate of pouring metal melt. Pusher units apply a force F onto the lower surface of the first sliding gate valve plate so that the upper surface thereof is pressed against the upper surface of the second sliding gate valve plate. In FIG. 7 a metal can is illustrated.

(14) The upper and lower surfaces 2, 3 of a sliding gate valve plate are connected by a connecting outer surface 4. Also visible on the plate 1 is a pouring channel 5 fluidly connecting internally the upper surface 2 to the lower surface 3. The pouring axis of symmetry Xp of the pouring channel 5 is also depicted. The upper and lower longitudinal extents (LOu, LOl) of the upper and lower surfaces 2, 3 are also represented and, perpendicular to the upper and lower longitudinal extents (LOu, LOl), there are the upper and lower surfaces latitudinal extents (LAu, LAl). The upper and lower longitudinal extents (LOu, LOl) are divided into two segments (respectively LOu1 and LOu2 and LOl1 and LOl2) connecting at the level of the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp). Similarly, the upper and lower latitudinal extents (LAu, LAl) are divided into two segments (respectively LAu1 and LAu2 and LAl1 and LAl2) connecting at the level of the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp). The following ratios are defined R1=LOl1/LOu1, R2=LOl2/LOu2, R3=LAl1/LAu1 and R4=LAl2/LAu2. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, R1 is about 80% (i.e. having a value from and including 65% to and including 90%), R2 is about 80% (i.e. having a value from and including 65% to and including 90%), R3=R4 is about 95% (i.e. greater than or equal to 90%).

(15) FIGS. 4 and 5 show two embodiments of sliding gate valve plates according to the invention wherein the plates 1 are formed by the combination of a refractory body, mortar or cement 6 and a metal can 7 surrounding the periphery and a part of a lower surface of the refractory body. In FIGS. 4 and 5, R3 and R4 are equal as the plate has been formed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis. In FIG. 4, R3 is equal to 100% and in FIG. 5, to about 95%. As visible on these figures, the lower surfaces of a sliding gate valve plate is are delimited by the outer boundary defining the perimeter of the planar surface of the metal can dressing the ceramic body.

(16) FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of metal can for dressing a refractory body to form, in combination, a sliding gate valve plate according to the present invention. The metal can comprises a bottom surface (3M) which is planar and defined by a perimeter, and comprising an opening (15) having a centroid point (xp), such that the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp) is the axis normal to the plane of the bottom surface and passing through the centroid point (xp). The phantom circle represented in FIG. 7 with a dotted line within the opening (15) represents the position of the pouring channel (5) running through the refractory body, when the can dresses said refractory body. A peripheral surface (4Ma, 4Mb) extending transverse to the bottom surface from the perimeter of said bottom surface to a free end defining a rim (4R) of the metal can, thus forming with the bottom surface, a cavity of geometry fitting the geometry of a refractory element to be adhered to the metal can by means of a cement. The upper longitudinal diameter (LCu) is defined as the longest segment connecting two points of the rim of the metal can and intersecting the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp). The upper latitudinal diameter (LDu) connects two points of the rim of the metal can, and intersects perpendicularly the upper longitudinal diameter (LCu) and the pouring axis of symmetry (Xp).

(17) The bottom surface (3M) has a lower longitudinal diameter (LCl), which is parallel to the upper longitudinal diameter (LCu) and has a lower latitudinal diameter (LDl), which is parallel to the lower longitudinal diameter (LDu), both lower longitudinal and latitudinal diameters intersect the pouring axis of symmetry at the centroid point (xp). The bottom surface of the metal can defines the lower surface of the sliding gate valve plate when coupled to a refractory body. The lengths of the longitudinal and latitudinal diameters are determined ignoring the opening (15).

(18) The following ratios are defined

(19) Rc1=LCl1/LCu1, has a value from and including 50% to and including 95%, or from and including 57% to and including 92%, or from and including 62.5 to and including 90%,

(20) Rc2=LCl2/LCu2, has a value from and including 50% to and including 95%, or from and including 57% to and including 92%, or from and including 62.5% to and including 90%,

(21) Rc3=LDl1/LDu1, is greater than or equal to 75%, or greater than or equal to 90%, or greater than or equal to 95%,

(22) Rc4=LDl2/LDu2, is greater than or equal to 75%, or greater than or equal to 90%, or greater than or equal to 95%.

(23) As illustrated in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, in use a first sliding gate valve plate (1L) according to the present invention is mounted in a sliding gate valve frame with its upper surface (2L) parallel and in contact with an upper surface (2U) of a second sliding gate valve plate (1U) comprising a pouring channel (5U). The sliding gate valve frame comprises a static receiving station for holding the second valve plate (1U) in a fixed position; when the frame is mounted at the bottom of a metallurgical vessel comprising an outlet, such as a ladle, the second sliding gate plate is fixed in a position such that the pouring channel (5U) is in registry with the metallurgical vessel outlet.

(24) As illustrated in FIG. 8A, the frame also comprises a dynamic receiving station comprising a carriage (10) for holding the first sliding valve plate with the upper surface (2L) thereof facing parallel to, and contacting the upper surface (2U) of the second sliding valve gate plate in a sliding relationship. The dynamic receiving station further comprising several pusher units (11) oriented and distributed so as to apply a pushing force (F) onto a lower surface of the carriage, which is transmitted to the lower surface (3L) of the first sliding gate valve plate (1L) and is oriented normal to said lower surface (3L) of the first sliding gate valve plate, to press the upper surface of the first sliding gate valve plate against the upper surface of the second sliding gate valve plate. The distribution of pusher units over the lower surface of the carriage and of the first sliding gate valve plate has been identified as being critical to the effective contact area achieved between the upper surfaces of the first and second sliding gate valve plates. With a geometry of the first sliding gate valve plate with the ratios R1 to R4 as defined supra, it has been surprisingly observed that the effective contact area could be enhanced and the mechanical stress peaks measured on the plate could be substantially reduced compared with a prior art sliding gate valve plate (cf. Tables 1 to III below).

(25) The frame comprises a sliding mechanism for moving the carriage holding the first sliding gate valve plate (1L) with respect to the second sliding gate valve plate (1U) by sliding the upper surface (2L) of the first sliding gate valve plate (1L) over the upper surface (2U) of the second sliding gate valve plate (1U), from a pouring position wherein the pouring channel (5U) of the first sliding valve gate plate (1U) is in registry with the pouring channel (5L) of the second sliding valve gate plate (1L), to a closed position, wherein the pouring channel of the first sliding valve gate plate (1U) is not in fluid communication with the pouring channel of the second sliding valve gate plate (1L).

(26) The sliding mechanism may be an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic arm fixed at one end of the connecting outer surface (4) of a sliding gate valve plate (1L), and able to push, pull, or rotate the first sliding gate valve plate over the upper surface (2U) of the second, static, slide gate valve plate (1U).

(27) The sliding gate is formed by mounting a first sliding gate valve plate in the carriage of the dynamic receiving station, and a second sliding gate valve plate in the static receiving station. The ratio, AL/AU, of an area, AL, of the lower surface of the first sliding plate to an area, AU, of the upper surface of the first sliding plate is the ratio, has a value from and including 40% to and including 85%. The first sliding gate valve plate may be configured according to the present invention. The second sliding gate valve plate may also be configured according to the present invention. The second sliding gate valve plate can be similar or even identical to the first sliding gate valve plate.

(28) The sliding gate valve is designed so that the thrust force communicated by the sliding gate valve to a sliding gate valve plate used in that sliding gate valve is concentrated around the pouring orifice. More than 55%, or more than 60% of the surface of the plate (thus the lower surface) receiving the thrust force may be located at a distance from the pouring axis of symmetry Xp less than or equal to LaL1. With the plate illustrated in FIG. 1, 63% of the surface of the plate (thus the lower surface) receiving the thrust force is located at a distance from the pouring axis of symmetry Xp less than or equal to Lal1.

(29) A carriage (10) for holding a first plate in a dynamic receiving station comprises a lower surface and an upper surface. The upper surface is preferably parallel to and recessed from the upper surface of a first sliding gate valve plate mounted therein. As the carriage moves parallel to and relative to the upper surfaces of the second sliding gate valve plate, it also moves relative to the pusher units (11). In state of the art carriages, the pusher units are constantly in contact with the lower surface of the carriage irrespective of the position of the carriage relative to the pusher units. Because the upper surface of the carriage is recessed with respect to the upper surface of the first sliding gate valve plate, in case the carriage is in a position in which the first sliding gate valve plate does not face a pusher unit; the force of said pusher unit will apply a flexural stress in cantilever onto the dynamic receiving station. This creates stress concentrations at the edges of the sliding gate valve plates, which accelerates wear. It also releases the pressure around the pouring channel and thus reduces the tightness of the sliding gate valve.

(30) It has been found that this problem can be solved by designing the bottom surface of the carriage such that at all time it is in contact with at least one pusher unit, and such that a pusher unit contacts the lower surface of the carriage only in case the projection on a longitudinal plane (XpL, LOu) defined by the pouring axis of symmetry (XpL) and the upper longitudinal extent (LOu) of the first sliding valve plate (1L) of the force vector defining the force (F) applied by said pusher unit when in contact with the lower surface intersects the projection on said longitudinal plane of the first sliding gate valve plate. In certain configurations, the application of a force by a pusher unit onto the lower surface of the carriage requires the projection of the force vector on the longitudinal plane to intersect the projection on the longitudinal plane of the second sliding gate valve plate as well. Since both the pusher units and the second sliding gate valve plate are static in the sliding gate valve, the fulfillment of this conditions is independent of the position of the first sliding gate valve plate relative to the pusher units.

(31) A projected force vector is considered to intersect a projected sliding gate valve plate if said projected force vector either actually crosses the projected sliding gate valve plate, or falls within a tolerance of half the width of the pusher unit measured along the longitudinal plane. For example, if the pusher units comprise helicoidal springs, the tolerance would be half the diameter of the last coil, closest to the carriage, of said helicoidal springs. In certain configurations, the tolerance is within 20 mm, or within 10 mm from having an actual intersection between the projected force vector and the projected sliding gate valve plate.

(32) As illustrated in the cut views along the longitudinal plane of FIG. 8, said geometry may comprise chamfered portions. It can be seen that the sliding gate valve of FIG. 8 is designed such that the pusher units face the second sliding gate valve plate. Because both are static, this situation is maintained regardless of the position of the first sliding gate valve plate. In FIG. 8(a), the first sliding gate valve plate is in pouring position, with the upper and lower pouring channels forming a single, continuous channel. It can be seen that of the five pusher units (11) represented, only four of them face the first sliding gate valve plate (1L). These four pusher units in contact are also in contact with the lower surface of the carriage and apply thereon a vertical force, transmitted to the first sliding gate valve plate. The fifth pusher unit on the left-hand side of FIG. 8(a) does not face the first sliding gate valve plate and is also not in contact with (or does not apply a substantial force to) the lower surface of the carriage, which is chamfered at said portion. This way, the fifth pusher unit does not apply a bending force onto the carriage, which would tend to reduce the distance between the upper surfaces of the carriage and of the second sliding gate valve plate.

(33) In FIG. 8(b), the sliding gate valve is in a first closed position, wherein the upper and lower pouring channels are not in fluid communication, but are separated from one another by a short distance only. The tightness of the sliding gate valve therefore depends on a maximum compressive force concentrated around the upper and lower pouring channels, respectively. In this position, all five pusher units represented in FIG. 8(b) are in contact with the lower surface of the carriage applying a high compressive pressure concentrated around the pouring channels.

(34) In FIG. 8(c), the sliding gate channel is in closed position, with a large distance separating the upper and lower pouring channels. The pusher unit represented on the right-hand side of FIG. 8(c) does not face the first sliding gate valve plate, and does not contact (or does not apply a substantial force to the lower surface of the carriage, which is chamfered at said portion. This way, as discussed in reference with FIG. 8(a), the right-hand side pusher unit does not apply a bending force onto the carriage, which would tend to reduce the distance between the upper surfaces of the carriage and of the second sliding gate valve plate.

(35) A carriage (10) as discussed supra in reference with FIG. 8 is advantageous in use with any type of sliding gate valve plates, as it extends the service life of the sliding gate valve plates. It is also advantageous with a first sliding gate valve plate according to the present invention and also advantageous with a second sliding gate valve plate according to the present invention, as the forces applied by the pusher units in contact with the lower surface of the carriage are more homogeneously distributed over a larger area of the upper surfaces of the first and second sliding gate valve plates, said area extending around the pouring channel. This better distribution of the pressure over a larger area has two advantages. First, it prevents pressure peaks which are detrimental to the integrity of the sliding gate valve plates, thus extending their service life. Second, it prevents areas of lower pressures, inevitable when pressure peaks are present, thus increasing the tightness of the sliding gate valve. This is important to reduce both oxygen ingress and molten metal ingress between the first and second sliding gate valve plates.

(36) In order to demonstrate the effects of the invention, the inventors have performed a number of finite element analysis computations of the actual and theoretical contact areas of two sliding gate valve plates mounted in a sliding gate valve. These computations do not take into account the effect of heat. In a first series, a sliding gate valve corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,268 B2 was designed. This model comprises a base plate, a carrier plate, a door, two refractory sliding gate valve plates and a ladle bottom. A thrust force is applied on the plates by a plurality of springs in order to keep the plates in compression and increase the contact area between the two plates. A first output of the computations is the maximum contact pressure (MPa) that is the highest peak of pressure at the contact surface between the refractory sliding gate valve plates. The effective contact area is the ratio (in %) of the actual contact area (ignoring any hole in the periphery) between the sliding gate valve plates as computed by finite element analysis to the theoretical contact area (assuming that the contact is perfect), when the pouring channels of both plates are perfectly in registry. For example, if the sliding gate valve plates theoretical contact area is equal to 1000 mm.sup.2 and the computed actual contact area is 250 mm.sup.2. The effective contact area (%) is then 250/1000=0.25=25%. The computation was made with the plate described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,268 B2 (prior art: wherein R1=R2=R3=R4=100%; for the sake of comparison) and with plates according to the invention. The results are reported in tables I to III below. In these example, R4 was kept equal to R3. The observed (and calculated) deviations between the actual and theoretical contact areas are due to, on the one hand, the mechanical stresses applied by the molten metal flowing through the pouring channel and, on the other hand, the substantial thermal gradients created over the volumes of the sliding gate valve plates.

(37) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE I (effect of R3 (= R4)) Examples Prior Art 1 2 3 4 R1 100% 80% 80% 80% 80% R2 100% 80% 80% 80% 80% R3 100% 95% 97% 99% 100%  Effective contact area (%) 38.4 68.3 64.5 61.7 60.1 Maximum Contact 12.8 6.1 6.7 7.2 7.6 pressure (MPa)

(38) As can be seen in table I, with plates according to the invention, the effective contact area is raised from 38.4% for a plate of the prior art to up to 68.3% (example 1). At the same time, the maximum contact pressure is lowered from 12.8 MPa to 6.1 MPa. Keeping R1 and R2 constant, increasing R3 (and R4) from 95% to 100% has a very slightly negative effect on the effective contact area (decreasing from 68.3% to 60.1%) and on the maximum contact pressure (increasing from 6.1 to 7.6 MPa). All the measured values are still acceptable and far better than what can be observed with the prior art plate.

(39) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE II (effect of R2) Examples Prior Art 5 6 7 8 R1 100% 80% 80% 80% 80% R2 100% 90% 90% 90% 90% R3 100% 95% 97% 99% 100%  Effective contact area (%) 38.4 60.9 57.1 53.9 52.2 Maximum Contact pressure 12.8 7.1 7.7 8.2 8.8 (MPa)

(40) Table II is based on examples similar to table I with R2 changed to 90% (instead of 80% in table I). The same trends can be observed for the effect of R3 (and R4). Moreover, it can be observed that raising R2 from 80% to 90% has a negative effect both on the effective contact area and the maximum contact pressure (conclusion can be made by comparing the pairs of examples 1-5, 2-6, 3-7, 4-8). Therefore, according to the invention, R2 should not go beyond 90%.

(41) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE III (effect of R1) Examples Prior Art 9 10 11 12 R1 100% 90% 90% 90% 90% R2 100% 80% 80% 80% 80% R3 100% 95% 97% 99% 100%  Effective contact area (%) 38.4 67.3 64.2 60.7 59.1 Maximum Contact pressure 12.8 6.8 6.9 7.7 7.9 (MPa)

(42) Table III is based on examples similar to table I with R1 changed to 90% (instead of 80% in table I). The same trends can be observed for the effect of R3 (and R4). Moreover, it can be observed that raising R1 from 80% to 90% has a negative effect both on the effective contact area and the maximum contact pressure (conclusion can be made by comparing the pairs of examples 1-9, 2-10, 3-11, 4-12). Therefore, according to the invention, R1 should not go beyond 90%.

(43) In a second series of finite element analysis computation, in order to mimic a thermal shock, a boundary condition simulating the heat flux transmitted by molten steel flowing through the pouring channel of the plate is applied to the system at the level of the wall of the pouring channel. The same analysis is performed on the prior art plate mentioned above, on a naked refractory sliding gate valve plate according to the invention (R1=R2=80%, R3=R4=95%), on an isolated canned plate (i.e. the combination of a refractory plate, mortar or cement and a metal envelope surrounding the periphery and a part of a surface; R1=R2=80%, R3=R4=95%) and on a canned plate in a sliding gate valve (same plate). The comparison between these models permits quantifying the thermal stress as well as the thermo-mechanical stress. The computation has been repeated for a number of examples wherein the connecting outer surface is varying. These finite element analysis computations confirm the trend observed within the first series.

(44) Various features and characteristics of the invention are described in this specification and illustrated in the drawings to provide an overall understanding of the invention. It is understood that the various features and characteristics described in this specification and illustrated in the drawings can be combined in any operable manner regardless of whether such features and characteristics are expressly described or illustrated in combination in this specification. The Inventor and the Applicant expressly intend such combinations of features and characteristics to be included within the scope of this specification, and further intend the claiming of such combinations of features and characteristics to not add new matter to the application. As such, the claims can be amended to recite, in any combination, any features and characteristics expressly or inherently described in, or otherwise expressly or inherently supported by, this specification. Furthermore, the Applicant reserves the right to amend the claims to affirmatively disclaim features and characteristics that may be present in the prior art, even if those features and characteristics are not expressly described in this specification. Therefore, any such amendments will not add new matter to the specification or claims, and will comply with the written description requirement under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a). The invention described in this specification can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the various features and characteristics described in this specification.