FURNACE

Abstract

A furnace as described in this invention comprises a temperature regulating portion to assist in melting a non-ferrous material, such as an aluminium, and to reserve said material for the subsequent casting or injection molding procedure. The furnace provides a mean to eliminate an oxide, such as iron oxide, which generally floats on the top layer of a molten material inside a melting portion and a heating portion by preventing the flow of said oxide into the temperature regulating portion. A sensor or any detector that can detect the level of the molten material is utilized to measure the surface level of said molten material. A temperature regulating burner, which is a flat flame type, is utilized on the ceiling of the temperature regulating portion in order to prevent any oxidation reaction to occur as well as to reduce the concentration of oxygen inside the portion.

Claims

1. A furnace wherein the furnace comprises the following components: a temperature regulating portion (3) for storing a molten material wherein the temperature regulating portion (3) comprises a lid (16) with a material insert channel (17); a heating portion (5) below the temperature regulating portion (3); a melting portion (6) below the heating portion (5) wherein a molten material from the melting portion (6) shall be sent to the temperature regulating portion (3) and be discharged from an exit channel (4); an inclined hearth (15) wherein the upper part of the inclined hearth (15) comprises a burner (9); a connecting passage (2) of the temperature regulating portion (3) which characterizes by an inclined or curved bottom and which receives the molten material (1a) from the melting portion (6) which is connected to the lower part of the heating portion (5) and a molten material heating portion (7) by the inclined hearth (15); and a separator (10) wherein the connecting passage (2) is formed and wherein the separator (10) comprises a lower edge (13) which is located below the molten material (1a) inside the molten material heating portion (7) and the molten material (1b) inside the temperature regulating portion (3).

2. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the exit channel (4) or the melting portion (6) or the molten material heating portion (7) or any part of the furnace that touches upon the molten material (1a) (1b) or (1c) further comprises a sensor (8) to control or detect the level of molten material surface (1a) (1b) or (l1) and to prevent an oxide (21a) from flowing out into the temperature regulating portion (3) or through the exit channel (4) wherein the sensor (8) is located within close proximity to the exit channel (4).

3. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating portion (3) comprises a ceiling lid (11) and a temperature regulating burner (12) and wherein the temperature regulating burner (12) is a flat flame burner.

4. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating portion (3) further comprises at least one of the following: a heat exchanger (20) on one part of the furnace wall or on the ceiling lid (11); and at least one hole penetrable through the lower edge (13) between the molten material heating portion (7) and the temperature regulating portion (3).

5. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating portion (3) is a closed system without a door and wherein the ceiling lid (11) or a side wall (18) or a floor (19) is light-weighted and fire resistant.

6. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating portion (3) comprises the temperature regulating burner (12) on the floor (19) or the side wall (18) or the ceiling lid (11).

7. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating burner (12) is chosen from: an immersion heating tube induced by gas or electricity; a metal-based burner or heater; a fiber-based burner or heater; and a porous, air-permeable burner or heater.

8. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein an inert gas is injected into the temperature regulating portion (3) to prevent oxidation reaction.

9. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating burner (12) controls the oxygen concentration to 1-5% of the total combustible gas and most preferably below 1% of the total combustible gas.

10. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the molten material heating portion (7) providing an oxide eliminating door (14a) (14b).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is showing the top view of the furnace of this invention;

[0009] FIG. 2 is showing the cross-sectional side view C of the furnace of this invention;

[0010] FIG. 3 is showing the cross-sectional side view A of the furnace of this invention;

[0011] FIG. 4 is showing the cross-sectional side view B of the furnace of this invention;

[0012] FIG. 5 is showing the top view of furnace in the prior arts;

[0013] FIG. 6 is showing the cross-sectional side view A of furnace in the prior arts;

[0014] FIG. 7 is showing the cross-sectional side view C of furnace in the prior arts; and

[0015] FIG. 8 is showing the cross-sectional side view B of furnace in the prior arts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] FIG. 1 is showing one embodiment of the top view of the furnace according to this invention which comprises various components as illustrated in the cross-sectional view C of FIG. 2, the cross-sectional view A of FIG. 3, and the cross-sectional view B of FIG. 4. The furnace comprises a material insert channel (17) and a lid (16) wherein once the material is inserted inside the channel (17), it will be moved into a heating portion (5). Below the heating portion (5) is a melting portion (6) and an inclined hearth (15). The upper side of the inclined hearth (15) comprises a burner (9) located on the top part of the heating portion (5) wherein the material will be melted by heat of the flame of the burner (9) in the melting portion (6) before flowing downward on the inclined hearth (15) into a molten material heating portion (7). The molten material heating portion (7) is used to maintain and to increase temperature of the molten material (Ia) and the portion (7) comprises an oxide elimination door (14a) and (14b). The molten material heating portion (7) further comprises a connecting passage (2) for a molten material (1a) to flow into a temperature regulating portion (3) which can hold a molten material (1b) before a molten material (1c) exits the furnace through an exit channel (4). The furnace according to this invention especially comprises the temperature regulating portion (3) wherein said portion (3) comprises the connecting passage (2) for holding the molten material (1a) and the exit channel (4) for discharging the molten material (1c). The connecting passage (2) further connects to the lower part of the heating portion (5), the melting portion (6), the inclined hearth (15) and. the molten material heating portion (7).

[0017] The connecting passage (2) can protect the furnace against an oxide generation (21a) that generally floats on top of the molten material (1a) which moves from the melting portion (6) and the heating portion (7) into the temperature regulating portion (3) wherein the connecting passage (2) is located below a lower edge (13) of a separator (10) and then flows into the temperature regulation portion (3). The lower base of connecting passage (2) is also a surface of the molten material heating portion (7) which is characterized by an inclined surface that plunges below the position of the lower edge (13). A molten material detector or a sensor (8) is located in proximity to the exit channel (4) or on any part of the furnace wherein the detector (8) can effectively detect and maintain the top surface level and, thus, the height of the molten material (1a), (1b), (1c) above the lower edge (13) of the separator (10) without pumping or discharging the material (1 c) from the exit channel (4) so that the oxide (21a) from the material heating portion (7) will not be mixed with the molten material (1b) within the temperature regulating portion (3).

[0018] Inside the temperature regulating portion (3) comprises a heat exchanger (20) to adjust the air or at least one hole in the lower edge (13) between the heating portion (7) and the temperature regulation portion (3) or at least one hole and one heat exchanger (20) that may have an effect on the reduction in the energy used in the combustion. Further a temperature regulating burner (12) is located on a ceiling lid (11) of the portion (3) wherein the burner (12) preferably emits a band of flat flame on the ceiling and wherein said flame will react with the molten material (1b) by means of eliminating the top layer of said material, which is the oxide layer that could cause the reduction of molten material quality, as well as the formation of oxide cluster on the furnace wall. The flat flame of the burner (12) can also control the oxygen concentration to 1-5%, more preferably less than 1%, of the total combustible gas inside the temperature regulating portion (3) to reduce the thickness of the molten material (1b).

[0019] Unlike the conventional temperature regulating portion (3) which needed to be cleaned up regularly and, thereby, required a temperature regulating door (24) as illustrated in FIG. 6 to eliminate the metal oxide from the furnace, this invention does not require an installation of temperature regulating door (24), but rather utilizes a temperature regulating burner (12) with flat flame which can control the amount of oxygen inside the furnace and which further comprises the detector or sensor to measure the molten material inside each portion to reduce the amount oxide produced. Such configuration as described can also reduce the weight of furnace and, at the same time, reduce energy consumption and manpower to clean-up the furnace.

[0020] The above process is only one of the variations of this invention and is, by no means, limited to the description as stated above. One can improve upon or modify the components if they are in line with the intention of this invention, such as by having the burner (12) located on the ground surface (19) of the temperature regulating portion (3) or by having an immersion heater or heating tube which is induced by electricity or fuel gas or by having a metal-based heater or burner on the ceiling lid (11) or by having a fiber or porous material based heater or burner which can provide a structure that enables the air to flow through the surface structure,

[0021] In an instance of utilizing the immersion heating tube or metal-based heater in the ceiling lid (11) inside the temperature regulating portion (3), to prevent or stop the molten material (1b) from quickly undergoing oxidation reaction, it may be necessary to inject an inert gas to reduce the oxygen concentration inside the temperature regulating portion (3).