Refractory ceramic gas purging element

Abstract

Refractory ceramic gas purging element, comprising: a refractory ceramic body, a chamber is arranged at the first end (10u) of the refractory ceramic body (10), which chamber extends over at least 50% of the cross section of the refractory ceramic body at its first end, a gas feeding line enters into said chamber, at a distance to said refractory ceramic body, at a section towards the refractory ceramic body the chamber is at least partially permeable to gas, the chamber comprises at least one plate, which is freely moveable in an axial direction of the gas purging element between a first end position and a second end position, the plate is dimensioned, shaped and placed in the chamber such that a gas flow from the gas feeding line through said chamber up to the first end is even secured when the plate is in its second end position.

Claims

1. Refractory ceramic gas purging element, comprising the following features: a) the gas purging element has a refractory ceramic body (10), through which a gas can flow in an axial direction (A-A) of the gas purging element, between its first end (10u) and its second end (10o), b) a chamber (20) is arranged at the first end (10u) of the refractory ceramic body (10), which chamber extends over at least 50% of the cross section of the refractory ceramic body at its first end (10u), c) a gas feeding line (30) enters into said chamber (20), at a distance to said refractory ceramic body (10), d) at a section towards the refractory ceramic body (10) the chamber (20) is at least partially permeable to gas, e) in the chamber (20) at least one plate (50) is arranged, which is freely moveable in the axial (A-A) direction of the gas purging element between a first end position, being offset to the refractory ceramic body (10), and a second end position, being adjacent but at a distance to a section of the refractory ceramic body (10) which is permeable to gas, wherein f) the plate (50) one of: abuts one or more stoppers (20a) in its second end position, thereby forming a free space (20r) between said plate (50) and the first end (10u) of the refractory ceramic body (10), or has at least one protruding stopper at its side adjacent to the refractory ceramic body (10), thereby forming a free space (20r) between said plate (50) and the first end (10u) of the refractory ceramic body (10) in its second end position, and g) the plate (50) is dimensioned, shaped and placed in the chamber (20) in such a way, that a gas flow from the gas feeding line (30) through said chamber (20) up to the first end (10u) of the refractory ceramic body (10) is even secured when the plate (50) is in its second end position.

2. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the chamber (20) of which extends over at least 90% of the cross section of the refractory ceramic body (10) at its first end (10u).

3. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the chamber (20) of which is made from a metal box.

4. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the gas feeding line (30) of which merges into a section of the chamber (20), being opposite to the refractory ceramic body (10).

5. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the plate (50) of which covers the gas feeding line (30) in its first end position.

6. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the plate (50) abuts the one or more stoppers (20a) in its second end position, thereby forming the free space (20r) between said plate (50) and the first end (10u) of the refractory ceramic body (10).

7. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the one or more stoppers protruding from the first end of the refractory ceramic body (10) towards the plate (50).

8. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the one or more stoppers (20a) formed inside said chamber (20).

9. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the plate (50) has the at least one protruding stopper at its side adjacent to the refractory ceramic body (10), thereby forming the free space (20r) between said plate (50) and the first end (10u) of the refractory ceramic body (10) in its second end position.

10. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the plate (50) of which is at least partially gas permeable.

11. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the plate (50) of which is made of a refractory ceramic material.

12. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the chamber (20) of which is cooled.

13. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the chamber (20) of which has at least one wall (20b) being a part of a cooling device.

14. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 1, the plate (50) of which has at least one opening, which is penetrated by a bar (70), extending in the axial direction (A-A) of the gas purging element, wherein the opening has a cross section, which is slightly larger than the cross section of the bar.

15. Refractory ceramic gas purging element according to claim 14, wherein the bar (70) is part of a device to indicate a residual thickness of the gas purging element.

Description

(1) The invention will be further described in the following according to various embodiments, displaying, in a schematic wayin

(2) FIG. 1: a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of a gas purging element with no gas flow.

(3) FIG. 2: as before, but under normal gas pressure in use.

(4) FIG. 3: a representation according to claim 1, but for a second embodiment.

(5) FIG. 4: as FIG. 3, but in use under normal gas pressure.

(6) In the figures identical or similar acting parts are displayed with the same numerals.

(7) The refractory ceramic gas purging element according to FIGS. 1, 2 represents the following features:

(8) A refractory ceramic body 10 of frustoconical shape, only the lower part of which is displayed, and which extends in an axial direction A-A of the gas purging element between a first (lower) end 10u and an upper end (schematically displayed by 10o).

(9) In said axial direction A-A channels 12 extend trough the ceramic body 10, which therefore features a directed porosity.

(10) A chamber is arranged at a first end 10u of the body 10, which extends over the full cross-section of said body 10 at the lower end 10u and which is made of metal.

(11) The chamber 20 comprises a closed bottom 20b, a circumferential wall 20w and a ceiling 20d with openings 20o in an extension of said channels 12.

(12) In a transition region between wall 20w and ceiling 20d a circumferentially extending stopper (body stop) 20a is displayed on the inner side.

(13) A gas feeding line enters into the middle part of bottom 20b.

(14) At a distance to said gas feeding pipe 30 a further gas feeding pipe 40 is displayed, which is closed towards the inner part of chamber 20, as displayed in particular in FIG. 2, but which can be open as well.

(15) Within said chamber 20 a refractory ceramic plate 50 is arranged, which lies on the bottom 20b of said chamber 20 according to FIG. 1 and which is dimensioned such that peripherally a gap exists between said plate 50 and said wall 20w.

(16) The plate 50 features a so-called random porosity, i. e. a sponge-like inner structure, such that a gas, flowing in via said pipe 30, flows through the open porosity of plate 50.

(17) The plate 50 is pushed upwardly (FIG. 2) under corresponding gas pressure, until it reaches its highest upper position, when said plate 50 abuts said stopper 20a.

(18) As displayed in FIG. 2 even then a distance (clearance) exists between the upper side of plate 50 and the ceiling 20d of chamber 20, to allow a gas, which has flown into said space 20r through the plate 50 or between plate 50 and wall 20w may continue further from there through the openings 20o and channels 12 towards the (not displayed) metal melt.

(19) If a chamber without cover/ceiling 20d is used, the distance between plate 50 and body 10 may be achieved by knobs, which protrude from the lower surface of body 10 between said channels 12.

(20) The axial movability (articulation) of said plate 50 is assisted by a bar-shaped (rod-shaped) thermal element (thermocouple), which penetrates corresponding openings in said bottom 20b, in said plate 50, in said ceiling 20d and in said ceramic body 10 and finally ends there at a distance to the upper (not displayed) end 10o of the gas purging element.

(21) The opening within said plate 50 is dimensioned such that the plate 50 can move without any problems in an axial direction A-A when the gas pressure is increased or lowered.

(22) FIG. 2 displays the gas purging installation in a functional (use) position, FIG. 1 displays the situation if no gas flows in; the plate 50 then fulfills a security function by covering the gas feeding pipe 30.

(23) The closure (cap) of the gas feeding pipe 40 can be dimensioned such it melts or will be disturbed when a certain temperature is exceeded in the area of the gas distribution chamber so that a cooling gas may flow via said pipe 40 into said chamber 20 to freeze the melt in case of a sudden temperature increase, for example caused by an infiltrating metal melt.

(24) The thermal element 70 allows to measure the temperature at corresponding sections within the ceramic body 10. It may further be used to detect a certain wear situation or a metal infiltration in an indicative manner.

(25) The embodiments according to FIGS. 3, 4 differ from said examples according to FIGS. 1, 2 insofar as an additional cooling space 60 follows said chamber 20, which space extendsas chamberover the full cross-section of the lower end 10u of body 10, wherein the gas feeding pipe 40 has an open end in this embodiment. This allows to continuously cool the space 60 and at the same time to cool the bottom 20b of the chamber 20. Similarly to chamber 20 the cooling space 60 is defined by a metal box.

(26) In the FIGS. 3, 4 the return pipes for the cooling gas are not displayed.