SHAFT AND POST ASSEMBLIES FOR MOLTEN APPARATUS

Abstract

A molten metal pump post that includes an elongated rod of a first material that is heat resistant and an inner member at least partially surrounding the elongated rod. The inner member is of a second material. The elongated rod is operable due to a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion between the elongated rod and the inner member which creates a compressive force.

Claims

1. A molten metal pump post comprising: an elongated rod of a first material that is heat resistant; an inner member at least partially surrounding the elongated rod wherein the inner member is of a second material; and wherein the elongated rod is operable due to a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion between the elongated rod and the inner member which creates a compressive force.

2. The molten metal pump post of claim 1 wherein the first material of the elongated rod provides no compressive force at room temperature and provides compressive force at a temperature above 500? C.

3. The molten metal pump post of claim 1 wherein the first material of the elongated rod comprises steel or a steel alloy.

4. The molten metal pump post of claim 1 wherein the second material of the inner member comprises tungsten and/or titanium.

5. The molten metal pump post of claim 4 wherein the elongated rod is preloaded with tension at room temperature and does not unload at a temperature about 500? C.

6. The molten metal pump post of claim 1 where in the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion is at least 0.001852 ppm/? C.

7. The molten metal pump post of claim 1 wherein the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion is at least 0.011109 ppm/? C.

8. The molten metal pump post of claim 1 wherein the elongated rod comprises carbon-carbon.

9. The molten metal pump post of claim 8 wherein the elongated rod is preloaded with tension at room temperature and does not unload at a temperature about 500? C.

10. The molten metal pump post of claim 8 further comprising a stainless steel flange coupled to the elongated rod.

11. The molten metal pump of claim 1 further comprising an outer sheath.

12. The molten metal pump of claim 11 wherein the inner member is disposed between the rod and the outer sheath.

13. An assembly for attaching an associated molten metal pump post to a component of a molten metal pump, the assembly comprising a rod having a first end that accommodates an elongated refractory element and an opposed end at least partially surrounded by an inner member wherein the assembly uses thermal expansion to create a compressive force.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the rod comprises steel or a steel alloy.

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising an outer sheath.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the inner member is disposed between the rod and the outer sheath.

20. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the inner member comprises carbon-carbon and a packing material, such as a ceramic fiber, provided to reduce exposure of the inner member to an external atmosphere.

21. A molten metal pump comprising: an elongated rod of a first material that is heat resistant; an inner member at least partially surrounding the elongated rod wherein the inner member is of a second material; and wherein the elongated rod is operable due to a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion between the elongated rod and the inner member which creates a compressive force.

22. The molten metal pump of claim 21 further comprising a cap and a base.

23. The molten metal pump post of claim 22 wherein the cap is removably coupled to the base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The following is a brief description of the drawings, which are presented for the purposes of illustrating the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein and not for the purposes of limiting the same.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view, partially in cross-section, of a molten metal pump in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, also partially in cross-section, of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view, partially in cross-section, of the rod of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view, in cross-section, of the outer sheath of FIG. 1;

[0023] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view, in cross-section, of an alternative post embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 6A is a side view, in cross-section, of an alternative post configuration;

[0025] FIG. 6B is a post configuration similar conceptually to the embodiment of FIG. 6A with added engineering detail;

[0026] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional side view of a further post configuration;

[0027] FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the post of FIG. 7A;

[0028] FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a post configuration; and

[0029] FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the post of FIG. 8A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] A more complete understanding of the components, processes and apparatuses disclosed herein can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings. These figures are merely schematic representations based on convenience and the ease of demonstrating the present disclosure, and are, therefore, not intended to indicate relative size and dimensions of the devices or components thereof and/or to define or limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0031] Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of the embodiments selected for illustration in the drawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings and the following description below, it is to be understood that like numeric designations refer to components of like function.

[0032] The singular forms a, an, and the include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0033] As used herein, the terms about, generally and substantially are intended to encompass structural or numerical modifications which do not significantly affect the purpose of the element or number modified by such term.

[0034] As used in the specification and in the claims, the term comprising may include the embodiments consisting of and consisting essentially of. The terms comprise(s), include(s), having, has, can, contain(s), and variants thereof, as used herein, are intended to be open-ended transitional phrases, terms, or words that require the presence of the named ingredients/steps and permit the presence of other ingredients/steps. However, such description should be construed as also describing compositions or processes as consisting of and consisting essentially of the enumerated ingredients/steps, which allows the presence of only the named ingredients/steps, along with any impurities that might result therefrom, and excludes other ingredients/steps.

[0035] Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a molten metal transfer pump 1 is provided. The molten metal pump 1 includes a base assembly 3 having a pumping chamber 5 with an impeller 7 disposed therein. Bearing rings 9 provide mating surfaces between the impeller 7 and the base assembly 3. Rotation of the impeller 7 forces molten metal 11 through outlet 13 and up riser tube 15 for transport to another location.

[0036] Rotation of impeller 7 is achieved when motor 17 rotates shaft 19 by turning shaft coupling 21 provided therebetween. The motor 17 is positioned above the base assembly 3 on a platform assembly 22 having an insulation layer 23, a motor mount bracket 25 and a motor mount plate 26.

[0037] In an embodiment as depicted in FIG. 1, two post assemblies 27 are shown. However, any number of post assemblies could be used in the present invention, preferably one, two or four. In one embodiment, two post assemblies 27, comprised of a rod 29 constructed of a heat resistant alloy material disposed within an inner member 30 and an outer sheath 31 suspend the base assembly 3 below the platform 22. The inner member 30 is disposed between the rod 29 and the outer sheath 31. The inner member can be a material to wet out molten metal that may penetrate the outer sheath. The inner member can comprise Tungsten, Titanium or other similar material.

[0038] In one embodiment, the rod will be constructed of an alloy such as MSA 2000 or MSA 2001 available from Pyrotek, Inc. of Spokane, WA. The optional outer sheath 31 includes a ceramic shield for additional protection against oxidation, erosion, corrosion, etc. The lower end of rod 29 includes cap 35. Cap 35 is disposed within a cavity 37 in base assembly 3. A graphite or refractory plug 39 is cemented into the lowermost portion of the cavity 37 to seal the area from molten metal. Plug 39 is such that its diameter is sufficiently large to include the rod 29 and cap 35, while still sealing the connection within the housing. The upper end of the rod 29 extends through the insulation layer 23 and is secured with nut 41 to motor mount plate 26. The inner member 30 is disposed between the motor mount platform 25 and insulation layer 23.

[0039] Turning now to FIG. 3, a detailed depiction of rod 29 is provided. In this embodiment, cap member 35 is welded at weld lines 47 to the lower most end of the rod. Of course, other mechanisms of attachment, including but not limited to, threaded or swaged, are appropriate joining techniques. FIG. 4 provides a detailed cross-sectional view of rod 29 surrounded by inner member 30 and outer sheath 31.

[0040] Turning now to FIG. 5, an alternative post embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the post 101 again includes a rod 103 protected from the molten metal environment by an inner member 104. Rod 103 passed through a bore/cavity 106 in a base member 107 and is retained by the cap 109. A compressive force is generated wherein the elongated rod 103 is operable due to a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion between the elongated rod 103 and the inner member 104.

[0041] Table 1 below discloses examples of the length/thickness (inches) and expansion coefficients/K for an embodiment of FIG. 5, including the outside materials growth (inner member), inside materials growth (rod), and the difference, i.e. the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The CTE is shown at various temperature changes, ranging from 25? C. to 200? C. In other words, the materials used in preparing the rod 103 and the inner member 104 generate compression by using the differences in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the different materials. Of course, other materials with corresponding CTE differences could also be used. This improvement offers the advantage over the known use of springs, which can be subject to mechanical failure over time.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Length Expansion ?T Thickness Coefficient (C.) (IN) (K) 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 Outside Materials Growth A36 Steel 7.158 0.0000117 0.002094 0.004187 0.006281 0.008375 0.010469 0.012562 0.014656 0.01675 304 Stainless Steel 0.75 0.0000178 0.000334 0.000668 0.001001 0.001335 0.001669 0.002003 0.002336 0.00267 N-14 1.5 0.000007 0.000263 0.000525 0.000788 0.00105 0.001313 0.001575 0.001838 0.0021 FS59AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 304 Stainless Steel 1 0.0000178 0.000445 0.00089 0.001335 0.00178 0.002225 0.00267 0.003115 0.00356 Total Growth 0.003135 0.00627 0.009405 0.01254 0.015675 0.01881 0.021945 0.02508 Inside Materials Growth Tungsten 11.408 0.0000045 0.001283 0.002567 0.00385 0.005134 0.006417 0.0077 0.008984 0.010267 Titanium 11.408 0.0000088 0.00251 0.00502 0.007529 0.010039 0.012549 0.015059 0.017568 0.020078 Difference (Outer ? Inner) Tungsten 0.001852 0.003703 0.005555 0.007406 0.009258 0.011109 0.012961 0.014813 Titanium 0.000625 0.00125 0.001876 0.002501 0.003126 0.003751 0.004376 0.005002

[0042] It is also contemplated by the present disclosure that CTE can be used to provide compression in a preassembled post configuration. Moreover, CTE can be used without reliance on the motor mount or pump base. For example, the CTE assembly can replace the spring element utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 10,641,270, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.

[0043] Turning now to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the spring element utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 10,641,270 can be replaced with an alternate material composition 200 that relies on CTE to provide compression in a preassembled post configuration. In this embodiment, the alternate material composition 200 is designed to ensure that at ambient temperature, material A 203 and material B 206 are in compression, while material C 209 is in tension. This can be expressed with the equation L.sub.A+L.sub.B=L.sub.C. Materials A, B, and C are chosen so that their expansion properties ensure that at elevated temperatures, material A and material B remain in tension while material C remains in tension. This can be expressed with the following equations:

L.sub.A+E.sub.A+L.sub.B+E.sub.B>L.sub.C+E.sub.C

(L.sub.A+L.sub.B)+E.sub.A+E.sub.B>L.sub.C+E.sub.C

L.sub.C+E.sub.A+E.sub.B>L.sub.C+E.sub.C

E.sub.A+E.sub.B>E.sub.C

[0044] This alternate material composition ensures that the goal of maintaining material B in compression is achieved.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6B, the top block 220 is chosen for its high CTE. It does not need to survive full furnace temperatures. The middle block 223 material is chosen for its endurance to molten aluminum, a ceramic material is an example material. The middle block 223 benefits from compression applied axially. The bottom block 226 comprises material chosen for its high CTE. The bottom block 226 material must survive full furnace temperatures. The expansion tube 229 comprises a material chosen for its high CTE, it must survive full furnace temperatures. The tension tube 232 comprises a material chosen for its low CTE, it must survive full furnace temperatures. The tension rod 235 comprises a material chosen for its low CTE, it must survive full furnace temperatures. Accordingly, the use of these materials as shown in FIG. 6B with the appropriate CTE allow the CTE to be used to provide compression in a preassembled post configuration, thus allowing CTE to be used without reliance on a motor mount, a pump base, or springs, as done so in the prior art.

[0046] In various embodiments and with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a post 300 comprises a tube 350, an elongated rod 342, a base assembly 346, and a flange 344. The elongated rod 342 may at least be partially surrounded by an inner wall 350. In one embodiment, the rod 342 comprises a carbon-carbon rod and the support post 300 comprises a ceramic material due to its endurance to molten aluminum. In this embodiment, the inner wall 350 comprises silicon carbide ceramic. In this embodiment, the base assembly 346 comprises graphite and is configured to receive, engage, retain, and/or otherwise mate to the first end of the tube 350. The elongated rod 342, by comprising a carbon-carbon material, can be pre-loaded with pressure that will not unload at an increased temperature. In other words, the use of CTE negates the need for the prior art use of a spring, which is subject to mechanical failure over time. Also shown is a grafoil gasket 360, a stainless steel nut 363, a stainless steel bolt 365, an electrical leak detector 366, a ceramic electrical isolator 370, and ceramic wool packing 373, as are routinely used in the field in conventional manners known to those of skill in the art. The base assembly 346 may comprise graphite a graphite cap 376, and could include a stainless steel nut 363 to secure the elongated rod 342.

[0047] In various embodiments and with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B, a post 400 is disclosed which comprises tube 450, an elongated rod 442, and a flange 444, which is removably coupled to a base assembly 446. The elongated rod 442 may at least be partially surrounded by an inner wall 450. In one embodiment, the rod 442 comprises a carbon-carbon rod and the support post 400 comprises a ceramic material due to its endurance to molten aluminum. In this embodiment, the inner wall 450 comprises silicon carbon. In this embodiment, the removably coupled base assembly 446 comprises graphite and is configured to receive, engage, retain, and/or otherwise mate to the cap 476. The elongated rod 442, by comprising a carbon-carbon material, can be pre-loaded with pressure that will not unload at an increased temperature. In other words, the use of CTE negates the need for the prior art use of a spring, which is subject to mechanical failure over time. Also shown is a grafoil gaskets 460, a graphite block 461, a stainless steel split ring 463, a stainless steel stopper 464 a stainless steel bolt 465, an electrical leak detector 466, a ceramic electrical isolator 470, and ceramic wool packing 473, as are routinely used in the field in conventional manners known to those of skill in the art.

[0048] Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention, a molten metal pump that fully satisfies the objects, aims, and advantages as set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art like of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.