TWI806561B - Metal smelting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A metal smelting apparatus comprises a casting station. The casting station comprises a ladle, a first sensor and a control circuit. The ladle has a first detection position, a first gate and a first valve. The first valve is configured to open and close the first gate when activated. The first sensor is located at the first detection position. The first sensor is configured to detect a first electrical characteristic. The control circuit is configured to obtain a first electrical signal corresponding to the first electrical characteristic by continuously activating the first sensor. The control circuit is configured to activate the first valve to close the first gate when the first electrical signal meets a first condition.

Description

Metal Smelting Equipment

The invention relates to a metal smelting equipment, in particular to a metal smelting equipment with a casting station.

In the metal smelting process, metal raw materials are smelted into a molten metal solution for the subsequent casting process. According to the melting point of different metal raw materials, the metal smelting equipment needs to heat the metal raw material to the temperature corresponding to the melting point, so that the metal raw material is melted into a molten metal, and then the molten metal is refined and cast, and the impurities and oxidation in the metal raw material The material will form slag, because the slag has a low specific gravity, it will float and cover the upper layer of the molten metal, which can absorb non-metallic inclusions in the molten metal and have a thermal insulation effect on the molten metal. Among them, in the casting process, in order to ensure that the molten metal does not cool down too quickly, when necessary, additional slag is added to the molten metal, and the slag is used to cover the surface of the molten metal to maintain the temperature of the molten metal , so that the molten metal can flow into the casting mold at an appropriate temperature to make a billet (such as a steel anchor or a steel bar) to ensure that the casting process can be carried out smoothly. The traditional mold casting method is to pour the molten metal into the mold and then take it out one by one after solidification and cooling. The modern continuous casting method is to pour the molten metal into the mold with cooling water. When the surface is solidified into a shell, straighten it The machine is driven to pull out the mold, and the molded billet is straightened by the straightening machine, then cut according to the product requirements, and finally cooled in the cooling bed. However, during the casting process, if the slag is very close to the gate, part of the slag may flow into the casting mold due to the eddy current phenomenon, resulting in poor cleanliness of the casting billet.

With this in mind, in some embodiments, a metal smelting facility includes a casting station. The casting station includes a ladle, a first sensor and a control circuit. The ladle has a first sensing position, a first gate and a first valve, and the first valve is used to be driven to open and close the first gate. The first sensor is located at the first sensing position, and the first sensor is used for sensing a first electrical characteristic. The control circuit is used to continuously drive the first sensor to obtain a first electrical signal corresponding to the first electrical characteristic, and the control circuit is used to drive the first valve to close the first electrical signal when the first electrical signal meets an actuation condition. gate.

In some embodiments, the casting station further includes a branch tank and a second sensor. The sub-channel has a second sensing position, an entrance, a second gate and a second valve, the entrance corresponds to the first gate, and the second valve is used to be driven to open and close the second gate. The second sensor is located at the second sensing position, and the second sensor is used for sensing a second electrical characteristic. Wherein, the control circuit is used to continuously drive the second sensor to obtain a second electrical signal corresponding to the second electrical characteristic, and the control circuit is used to drive the second valve to close according to the second electrical signal.

In some embodiments, the casting station further includes a third sensor, the ladle further has a third sensing position, the third sensor is located at the third sensing position, and the third sensor is used for sensing a The third electrical characteristic. The control circuit is used to continuously drive the third sensor to obtain a third electrical signal corresponding to the third electrical characteristic, and the control circuit is used to drive the first valve to open the first valve when the third electrical signal meets an activation condition. gate.

In summary, according to some embodiments of the metal smelting equipment, when the first sensor touches the slag, the first sensor measures the first electrical characteristic, and when the second sensor touches the slag, the second sensor measures the first electrical characteristic. The sensor measures the second electrical characteristic, and the control circuit according to the corresponding first electrical characteristic According to the first electrical signal corresponding to the second electrical characteristic, the first valve is driven to close, and the second valve is driven to close according to the second electrical signal corresponding to the second electrical characteristic, so that the control circuit can automatically control the first valve or the second valve to close, so that Limit the amount of slag flowing out of the ladle or sub-steel tank to meet the cleanliness of the process, and the control circuit can continuously monitor the first electrical signal or The second electrical signal is used to control the opening and closing of the first valve or the second valve, thereby controlling the liquid level of the slag.

10: Metal smelting equipment

100: Casting station

110:Steel drum

111: the first sensing position

112: The first gate

113: The first valve

114: The third sensing position

115: barrel bottom

116: The first gate area

117: The first guide area

120: the first sensor

121: Voltage measurement circuit resistance

122: Control circuit resistance

123: Measuring object resistance

130: control circuit

140: sub-steel channel

141: second sensing position

142: The second gate

143: Second valve

144: Entrance

145: Groove bottom

146: The second gate area

147: Second guide area

150: Second sensor

160: The third sensor

200: transfer table

300: Refining station

310: Converter

320: vacuum furnace

D1: first distance

D2: second distance

D3: third distance

L1~L4: vertical height

m1, m2: molten metal

n1, n2: slag

P1: first liquid level

P2: second liquid level

P3: The third liquid level

P4: The fourth liquid level

P5: fifth liquid level

T1: first time interval

T2: Second time interval

[ Fig. 1 ] is a sectional view of a ladle of a casting station of a metal smelting facility according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ Fig. 2 ] is a circuit composition diagram (1) of a casting station of a metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ FIG. 3A ] is a circuit for measuring a first electrical characteristic of a first sensor according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ FIG. 3B ] is a voltage-time characteristic curve of the first electrical signal measured by the first sensor according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ Fig. 4 ] is a cross-sectional view of a steel ladle and a steel distribution channel of a casting station of a metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ Fig. 5 ] is a circuit composition diagram (2) of a casting station of metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ Fig. 6 ] is a schematic cross-sectional view of a ladle of a metal smelting facility according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ Fig. 7 ] is a schematic cross-sectional view of sub-steel channels of metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[ FIG. 8 ] is a block diagram of a casting station and a refining station of a metal smelting facility according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Various embodiments are proposed below for detailed description. However, the embodiments are only used as examples for illustration and will not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, some components are omitted from the drawings in the embodiments to clearly show the technical characteristics of the present invention. The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar elements.

Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ladle of a casting station of a metal smelting facility according to some embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a circuit composition diagram (1) of a casting station of a metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, metal smelting facility 10 includes a casting station 100 . The casting station 100 includes a ladle 110 , a first sensor 120 and a control circuit 130 . The ladle 110 has a first sensing position 111 , a first gate 112 and a first valve 113 . Wherein, the first valve 113 is used to be driven to open and close the first gate 112 . The first sensor 120 is located at the first sensing position 111 (described later), and the first sensor 120 is used for sensing a first electrical characteristic (described later). The control circuit 130 is used to continuously drive the first sensor 120 to obtain a first electrical signal corresponding to the first electrical characteristic (described later), and the control circuit 130 is used to, when the first electrical signal meets an operating condition, The first valve 113 is driven to close the first gate 112 .

The metal smelting equipment 10 is used to smelt a molten metal to cast a required slab. The metal raw material cast by the metal smelting equipment 10 can be, for example but not limited to, carbon steel, stainless steel or For metals such as aluminum, the metal raw material is heated to a preset melting point temperature to obtain a molten metal. Among them, different types of metals have different melting points. Pour into the ladle 110 and transport the ladle 110 containing the molten metal to the casting station 100 . The casting station 100 may include a continuous casting process or a mold casting process. In the continuous casting process performed by the casting station 100, it is used to continuously cast high-temperature molten metal into a mold with a certain cross-sectional shape or a certain size specification. billet. In some embodiments, a high-temperature molten metal in the ladle 110 is continuously delivered to a sub-steel tank (described later), and the sub-steel tank may have one or more gates (or sprues) , the molten metal is poured into a casting mold (not shown in the figure) through the sprue and cast into a billet with a certain cross-sectional shape or a certain size specification. In some other embodiments, the high-temperature molten metal in the ladle 110 is continuously injected into the casting mold and cast into a billet with a certain cross-sectional shape or a certain size specification.

The steel ladle 110 is used to contain a molten metal m1 (such as molten steel) that has been smelted at a high temperature. Therefore, the ladle 110 must have appropriate fire-resistant properties so that the ladle 110 can withstand the high-temperature working environment of the process. When the metal After the molten metal m1 is injected into the ladle 110 to a predetermined height (described later), the ladle 110 can transfer the molten metal m1 through the first gate 112 at an appropriate temperature. Inject into a casting mold to perform a casting process. During the casting process, in order to ensure that the molten metal m1 in the ladle 110 is maintained at an appropriate temperature, after the molten metal m1 is injected into the ladle 110, a slag n1 can be added to the interior of the ladle 110, because the slag The specific gravity of n1 is lower than that of the molten metal m1, so the slag n1 will be located on the surface of the molten metal m1, so that the slag n1 can cover the surface of the molten metal m1 and slow down the loss of temperature of the molten metal m1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control circuit 130 is electrically connected to the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 120. A valve 113 . Wherein, the control circuit 130 may be, but not limited to, a programmable logic controller (programmable logic controller, PLC) or a complex programmable logic device (complex programmable logic device, CPLD). The control circuit 130 is used to generate a closing signal and an opening signal, and can transmit the opening signal or the closing signal to the first valve 113, so that the first valve 113 can open the first gate 112 according to the opening signal, and close the second gate 112 according to the closing signal. A gate 112 . In the operating state, the control circuit 130 can continuously receive the first electrical signal sent by the first sensor 120, and the control circuit 130 can judge whether the first electrical signal meets the actuation condition, when the first electrical signal meets the actuation condition When conditions are met, the control circuit 130 can transmit a closing signal to the first valve 113, so that the first valve 113 can switch to a closed state according to the closing signal. The aforementioned "the first electrical signal meets the operating condition" may mean that the first electrical signal is less than or equal to the operating condition. The aforementioned "the first electrical signal does not meet the operating condition" may mean that the first electrical signal is greater than the operating condition. In some embodiments, the control circuit 130 can send the shutdown signal after the first electrical signal meets the activation condition and maintains for a judgment time. The judgment time can be, for example, but not limited to ten seconds. For example, the control circuit 130 When an electrical signal meets the actuation condition and maintains the actuation condition for ten seconds, the control circuit 130 sends a closing signal to the first valve 113 .

The first valve 113 may be an electric valve, and the first valve 113 is disposed on the first gate 112 to close or open the first gate 112 . In some embodiments, the first valve 113 can be preset to be closed. For example, when the ladle 110 is about to hold molten metal m1, the control circuit 130 can first transmit a closing signal to the first valve 113, so that the first The valve 113 is in a closed state, and when the molten metal m1 is injected into the ladle 110 , the molten metal m1 can be kept in the ladle 110 . When the casting process of the casting station 100 starts, the control circuit 130 can transmit the start signal to It is sent to the first valve 113 (details will be described later), and the first valve 113 is switched to an open state, so that the molten metal m1 in the ladle 110 can be output through the first gate 112 .

Please refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B together. FIG. 3A is a circuit for measuring a first electrical characteristic of a first sensor according to some embodiments of the present invention. 3B is a voltage-time characteristic curve of the first electrical signal measured by the first sensor according to some embodiments of the present invention. The first sensor 120 is suitable for working in a high temperature environment. Therefore, the first sensor 120 can be selected from a sensor material whose temperature resistance reaches the melting point of the metal used. For example, when the casting temperature is 1100 degrees C, it can be Use a carbon steel sensor, the melting point of carbon steel is 1145°C to 1250°C, and for example, when the casting temperature is 1250°C, you can use a sensor made of ceramic material, the melting point of ceramic is 2000°C, but not limited to the aforementioned materials The sensor. Accordingly, according to different metal melt manufacturing processes, sensors corresponding to the temperature resistance can be selected according to requirements, so that the first sensor 120 can continuously detect during the manufacturing process of the casting station 100 . The first sensor 120 is used for detecting the first electrical characteristic of the substance corresponding to its sensing position. In this embodiment, the substance of the sensing position may be air, molten metal, and/or slag. The first electrical characteristic may be, but is not limited to, a resistance value. The following takes the first electrical characteristic as a resistance value as an example for description. The control circuit 130 may drive the first sensor 120 by giving the first sensor 120 a certain current or a certain voltage, and then the control circuit 130 measures the electrical signal of the first sensor 120 , such as voltage or current. The way that the control circuit 130 continuously drives the first sensor 120 can be that the control circuit 130 continuously provides a constant current or a constant voltage to the first sensor 120, or intermittently provides a constant current or a constant voltage to the first sensor. device 120. "The control circuit 130 intermittently provides a constant current or constant voltage to the first sensor 120" may be to periodically provide a constant current or constant voltage to the first sensor 120, that is, the control circuit 130 every predetermined time The section provides constant current or constant voltage to the first sensor 120 and after obtaining the corresponding first electrical signal, suspend providing constant current or constant voltage to the first sensor 120, as shown in FIG. 3A, the first sensor 120 includes a voltage measurement loop resistance 121, a The control circuit resistance 122 and a measurement object resistance 123, wherein, the voltage measurement loop resistance 121 is assumed to be 5.1 ohms (Ω), the control circuit resistance 122 is assumed to be 3.6 ohms (Ω), and the measurement object resistance 123 is assumed to be R (Ω ), after giving a constant voltage of 10 volts (V), V=10V/(3.6+5.1+R)×5.1 can be obtained according to Ohm’s law. The current of the measurement circuit resistance 121 is small, and the voltage measured by the voltage measurement circuit resistance 121 is small. The obtained voltage value is 0.475 volts (V), and it can be deduced that the resistance value R of the measured object resistor 123 is about = 98.6 ohms (Ω), that is, the resistance value of the slag n1 is 98.6 ohms (Ω). Conversely, when the measured object resistance 123 is molten metal m1 (molten steel) with a small resistance value, the current of the voltage measurement circuit resistance 121 is relatively large, and the voltage measured by the voltage measurement circuit resistance 121 is relatively large, and the quantity When the molten metal m1 (molten steel) of the measured object resistance 123 is R ohm (Ω), the voltage value measured at the voltage measurement circuit resistance 121 is 0.495V, and the resistance value of the measured object resistance 123 can be inferred R is 94.3 ohms (Ω), that is, the resistance value of slag n1 is 94.3 ohms (Ω). The above are examples only, and are not intended to limit the measurement of the first electrical signal of the first sensor 120 .

As shown in Figure 1, after the first sensor 120 is driven, the first sensor 120 can continuously detect the first electrical characteristic, please also refer to the voltage-time characteristic curve in Figure 3B, the horizontal axis of the graph is Time (each division is ten seconds), and the vertical axis is the voltage value (the unit can be millivolt mV). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the first sensor 120 takes a constant voltage as an example. When the molten metal m1 is at a first liquid level P1, the molten metal m1 has not yet touched the first sensor 120. No. The substance detected by a sensor 120 is air, and since the resistance of air can be regarded as infinite, the voltage value of the first electrical signal is about 0 millivolt (mV).

When the liquid level of the molten metal m1 continues to rise to a second liquid level P2 or a third liquid level P3, the molten metal m1 has touched the sensing position of the first sensor 120, and the first sensor 120 detects The control circuit 130 obtains a first electrical signal based on the detected first electrical characteristic of the molten metal m1. In this embodiment, the constant voltage is 10 volts (V), and the first electrical signal obtained by the control circuit 130 is about 495 millivolts (mV) to 490 millivolts (mV). Please refer to a first electrical signal in FIG. 3B A voltage value within a time interval T1. When the molten metal m1 has reached the preset height (such as the third liquid level P3), the specific gravity of the slag n1 is smaller than that of the molten metal m1. At this time, the slag n1 contained in the molten metal m1 will float up (it can also be increased according to the demand) slag n1) to form slag n1 floating above the molten metal m1 in the figure. In some embodiments, after the slag n1 is added, the control circuit 130 can drive the first valve 113 to open, so that the molten metal m1 is output from the first gate 112 (details will be described later). "The aforesaid control circuit 130 drives the first valve 113 to open" can be manually pressing the opening button or automatically opening, and the automatic part will be described in detail later. When the liquid levels of the molten metal m1 and the slag n1 continue to drop, and the slag n1 drops to the second liquid level P2 (that is, the sensing position where the slag n1 touches the first sensor 120 ), the first sensor 120 detects The first electrical characteristic of the slag n1, the corresponding first electrical signal obtained by the control circuit 130 is about 480 millivolts (mV) to 470 millivolts (mV), please refer to the voltage in a second time interval T2 in FIG. 3B When the first electrical signal meets the activation condition, the control circuit 130 can drive the first valve 113 to close, so as to close the first gate 112 and prevent the output of slag n1 from the first gate 112 .

In some embodiments, the action condition can be that a current electrical signal (current first electrical signal) is less than or equal to a preset value, or it can be a previous electrical signal (first electrical signal) sexual signal) and the current electrical signal (the first electrical signal) are greater than or equal to a change value. The preset value may be 485 millivolts (mV). The change value can be 10 millivolts (mV)-20 millivolts (mV), wherein the change value can be the change of the first electrical signal at the previous moment and the current first electrical signal continuously measured within a preset period , the preset period can be set to ten seconds, that is, the control circuit 130 can compare the first electrical signal from the current time to the previous ten seconds. When the control circuit 130 meets or does not meet the actuation condition, the control circuit 130 drives the first valve 113 for the actuation description, please refer to the above description, and will not repeat it here. In some embodiments, the action condition can also be that the electrical signal (first electrical signal) at the previous moment and the current electrical signal (first electrical signal) are greater than or equal to a change value, and the change value can also be the electrical signal at the previous moment. For example, when the first electrical signal is 490 millivolts (mV) at the previous moment, the change value is 9.8, which is the range of change between the first electrical signal at the previous moment and the first electrical signal at the next moment When it is greater than or equal to 9.8, the control circuit 130 drives the first valve 113 .

Please refer to FIG. 4 . FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a steel ladle and a steel distribution channel of a casting station of a metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the casting station 100 further includes a tundish 140 and a second sensor 150 . The sub-channel 140 has a second sensing position 141, a second gate 142, a second valve 143 and an inlet 144, the inlet 144 corresponds to the first gate 112, and the second valve 143 is used to be driven to open and close The second gate 142 . The second sensor 150 is located at the second sensing position 141, and the second sensor 150 is used for sensing a second electrical characteristic. Wherein, the control circuit 130 is used to continuously drive the second sensor 150 to obtain a second electrical signal corresponding to the second electrical characteristic, and the control circuit 130 is used to drive the second valve 143 to close according to the second electrical signal. The sub-steel trough 140 is used to receive the molten metal m1 output from the first gate 112, and the molten metal m1 output from the first gate 112 can be passed through the inlet The port 144 is poured in the sub-steel groove 140. The sub-steel channel 140 needs to have appropriate fire-resistant properties, so that the sub-steel channel 140 can withstand the high-temperature working environment in the process.

Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 together. FIG. 5 is a circuit composition diagram (2) of the casting station of the metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5 , the control circuit 130 is electrically connected to the second sensor 150 and the second valve 143 . The control circuit 130 can transmit the opening signal or the closing signal to the second valve 143, so that the second valve 143 can be opened according to the opening signal and closed according to the closing signal. In the operating state, the control circuit 130 can continuously receive the second electrical signal sent by the second sensor 150, and the control circuit 130 can judge whether the second electrical signal meets the actuation condition, when the second electrical signal meets the actuation condition When conditions are met, the control circuit 130 can transmit a closing signal to the second valve 143 , so that the second valve 143 can switch to a closed state according to the closing signal, so as to close the second gate 142 . The aforementioned "the second electrical signal meets the operating condition" may mean that the second electrical signal is less than or equal to the operating condition. The aforementioned "the second electrical signal does not meet the operating condition" may mean that the second electrical signal is greater than the operating condition. In some embodiments, the action condition can be that the current electrical signal (the second electrical signal) is less than or equal to the preset value, or that the electrical signal (the second electrical signal) at the previous moment is the same as the current electrical signal (the second electrical signal). 2. The change of electrical signal) is greater than or equal to the change value. The preset value may be 485 millivolts (mV). The change value may be 10 millivolts (mV)-20 millivolts (mV), wherein the change value may be the change of the previous second electrical signal and the current second electrical signal continuously measured within a preset period, The preset period can be set as ten seconds, that is, the control circuit 130 can compare the second electrical signal from the current time to the previous ten seconds. In some embodiments, the control circuit 130 can send a shutdown signal after the second electrical signal meets the activation condition and maintains for a judgment time. The judgment time can be, for example but not limited to, ten seconds. For example, the control circuit 130 The electrical signal meets the operating conditions and maintains the operating conditions When the activation condition reaches ten seconds, the control circuit 130 sends a closing signal to the second valve 143. In some embodiments, the action condition can also be that the change between the previous electrical signal (second electrical signal) and the current electrical signal (second electrical signal) is greater than or equal to the change value, and the change value can also be the previous moment More than 2% of the second electrical signal, for example, when the second electrical signal is 490 millivolts (mV) at the previous moment, the change value is 9.8, which is the difference between the second electrical signal at the previous moment and the current second electrical signal When the range of variation is greater than or equal to 9.8, the control circuit 130 drives the second valve 143 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the second valve 143 may be an electric valve, and the second valve 143 is disposed on the second gate 142 to close or open the second gate 142 . In some embodiments, the second valve 143 can be preset to be open. After the control circuit 130 sends a closing signal, the second valve 143 is closed according to the closing signal to seal the second gate 142 . For example, when the control circuit 130 drives the first valve 113 to open, the molten metal m1 in the ladle 110 is output from the first gate 112 to the sub-steel tank 140, so that the sub-steel tank 140 is filled with a molten metal m2, the control circuit 130 can transmit the opening signal to the second valve 143, so that the second valve 143 is in an open state, so that the molten metal m2 can flow out through the second gate 142, wherein, during the output process of the molten metal m1, a part of The slag n1 may flow into the steel distribution tank 140 together with the molten metal m1, so that a slag n2 accumulates on the molten metal m2. When the second electrical signal meets the activation condition, the control circuit 130 drives the first valve 113 to close. It is also possible that the control circuit 130 first transmits the closing signal to the second valve 143, so that the sub-steel tank 140 is filled with an appropriate amount of molten metal m2, and then the control circuit 130 transmits the opening signal to the second valve 143 to output the molten metal. For liquid m2, when the second electrical signal meets the activation condition, the control circuit 130 drives the first valve 113 to close.

The material and operating principle of the second sensor 150 are the same as those of the first sensor 120 , please refer to the description of the first sensor 120 above, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that, Taking the second sensor 150 with a constant voltage of 10 volts (V) as an example, when the liquid levels of the molten metal m2 and the slag n2 continue to drop, and the slag n2 drops to a fourth liquid level P4, the second sensing The sensor 150 has been in contact with the slag n2, and the substance detected by the second sensor 150 is the slag n2. In this embodiment, the constant voltage is 10 volts (V), and the second electrical signal obtained by the control circuit 130 is about 480 millivolts (mV) to 470 millivolts (mV), please refer to the voltage value in the second time interval T2 in FIG. 3B . The control circuit 130 closes the second valve 143, which can prevent the slag n2 from being output from the second gate 142, so that the cleanliness of the cast blank (such as steel ingot or steel bar) can meet the requirements.

As shown in FIG. 4 again, in some embodiments, the casting station 100 further includes a third sensor 160, the ladle 110 has a third sensing position 114, and the third sensor 160 is located at the third sensor. The detection position 114, the third sensor 160 is used to sense a third electrical characteristic. The control circuit 130 is used for sensing a third electrical signal, and the control circuit 130 is used for driving the first valve 113 to open the first gate 112 when the third electrical signal meets an activation condition.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , the control circuit 130 is electrically connected to the third sensor 160 . The material and operating principle of the third sensor 160 are the same as those of the first sensor 120 , please refer to the description of the first sensor 120 above, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the aforementioned control circuit 130 automatically opens the first valve 113. For example, when the steel ladle 110 is initially poured into the molten metal m1, the first valve 113 is preset to be closed. When the molten metal m1 has been injected into Preset height, wherein, molten metal m1 may contain a small amount of slag n1, and slag n1 can be added according to demand, when the liquid level of slag n1 rises to a fifth liquid level P5, that is, the third sensor 160 has touched Slag n1, the substance detected by the third sensor 160 is slag n1, in this embodiment, the constant voltage is 10 volts (V), and the third electrical signal obtained by the control circuit 130 is about 480 millivolts (mV ) to 470 millivolts (mV), please refer to the voltage value in the second time interval T2 in FIG. 3B . control The control circuit 130 opens the first valve 113 to output the molten metal m1 from the first gate 112, and when the first sensor 120 detects the slag n1, the control circuit 130 obtains a first electrical signal, and the first When the electrical signal meets the activation condition, the control circuit 130 closes the first valve 113 . In some embodiments, the action condition can be that the current electrical signal (third electrical signal) is less than or equal to a preset value, or that the previous electrical signal (third electrical signal) and the current electrical signal (third electrical signal) The change of the three electrical signals) is greater than or equal to the change value, the default value can be 485 millivolts (mV), and the change value can be 10 millivolts (mV)-20 millivolts (mV), where the change value can be preset Assuming that the change of the third electrical signal at the previous moment and the current third electrical signal continuously measured in the period, the preset period can be set to ten seconds, that is, the control circuit 130 can compare the current time to the first ten seconds before Three electrical signals. In some embodiments, the control circuit 130 can send an open signal after the third electrical signal meets the activation condition and maintains for a judgment time. The judgment time can be, for example but not limited to, ten seconds. For example, the control circuit 130 The control circuit 130 sends an opening signal to the first valve 113 when the electrical signal meets the actuation condition and maintains the actuation condition for ten seconds. In some embodiments, the action condition can also be that the change between the previous electrical signal (the third electrical signal) and the current electrical signal (the third electrical signal) is greater than or equal to a change value, and the change value can also be the previous More than 2% of the third electrical signal at a moment, for example, when the third electrical signal at the previous moment is 490 millivolts (mV), the change value is 9.8, that is, the third electrical signal at the previous moment and the current third electrical signal When the variation of is greater than or equal to 9.8, the control circuit 130 drives the first valve 113 .

As shown in FIG. 4 again, in some embodiments, the aforementioned ladle 110 injects molten metal m1 at a preset height, the preset height may be a fixed capacity, and the preset height may exceed the first sensing position 111 but Before exceeding the third sensing position 114, the injection of molten metal m1 is completed After that, the slag n1 is injected into the steel ladle 110 , so that when the third sensor 160 touches the slag n1 , the amount of the slag n1 can be controlled at an appropriate amount. In addition, the injection of the molten metal m1 is set at a preset height, and the amount of the slag n1 can be obtained according to the distance between the preset height of the molten metal m1 and the third sensing position 114 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the ladle 110 has a bottom 115 , the bottom 115 includes a first gate area 116 , and the first gate 112 is located in the first gate area 116 . In some embodiments, the first sensing position 111 is a first distance D1 from the first gate area 116 , and the first distance D1 may be 1 cm to 25 cm. In some embodiments, the third sensing location 114 is a second distance D2 from the first gate area 116 , and the second distance D2 is greater than the first distance D1 . In some embodiments, the first distance D1 can be set according to the cleanliness requirement of the casting slab, for example, if the cleanliness requirement of the slab is high, the first sensing position 111 can be set farther from the first gate area 116 The distance (that is, the first distance D1 is relatively large), wherein, because the first sensing position 111 is far away from the first gate area 116, when the first valve 113 is closed, the slag n1 is drawn into the first gate 112 by eddy current The amount of molten metal m1 can be controlled to be extremely low or to prevent the slag n1 from being involved in the first gate 112. At this time, a large amount of molten metal m1 remaining in the ladle 110 will remain. Conversely, if the requirements for the cleanliness of the billet are relatively low, the first sensing position 111 can be set at a closer distance to the first gate area 116 (that is, the first distance D1 is smaller), wherein, because the first sensing position 111 Closer to the first gate area 116, when the first valve 113 is closed, the amount of slag n1 drawn into the first gate 112 by eddy current may slightly increase, while the molten metal m1 remaining in the ladle 110 may be Control at a lower stock. When the first valve 113 is closed, the distance between one liquid level of the molten metal m1 and the barrel bottom 115 is close to or equal to the first distance D1. As shown in Figure 4 again, the sub-steel groove 140 has a groove bottom 145, and the groove bottom 145 includes a second gate area 146, and the second gate 142 is located at the second gate area 146. There is a third distance D3 between the second sensing position 141 and the second gate area 146 , and the third distance D3 may be 1 cm to 25 cm. In some embodiments, the third distance D3 can be substantially equal to the first distance D1, so that both the steel ladle 110 and the steel distribution channel 140 can control the same amount of residual material, and can also meet the cleanliness requirement.

Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 together. Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a ladle of a metal smelting facility according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, the barrel bottom 115 further includes a first guide area 117 . A vertical height L1 of the first gate area 116 is lower than a vertical height L2 of the first guide area 117 . In this way, when the molten metal m1 in the ladle 110 continues to be output, the first guiding area 117 can guide the molten metal m1 to flow to the first gate 112, so as to facilitate the output of the molten metal m1 to the steel distribution tank 140 (as shown in Figure 4), and when the first sensor 120 senses the slag n1, the control circuit 130 can close the first valve 113, because the first guide area 117 is inclined towards the first gate area 116 Funnel-shaped, the amount of molten metal remaining in the ladle 110 in Fig. 6 and Fig. 4 can be compared. In this embodiment, the amount of molten metal m1 remaining in the bottom 115 of the ladle can reach a smaller amount, thereby reducing the loss of steel material.

Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7 together. Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of sub-steel tanks of metal smelting equipment according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments, the sub-steel groove 140 has a groove bottom 145, the groove bottom 145 further includes a second guide area 147, and a vertical height L3 of the second gate area 146 is lower than that of the first gate area 146. The vertical height L4 of one of the two guide areas 147 . Thereby, when the molten metal m2 in the sub-steel channel 140 continues to output, the second guide area 147 can guide the molten metal m2 to flow to the second gate 142, so as to facilitate the pouring of the molten metal m2 into the mold (in the figure not shown), and when the second sensor 150 senses the slag n2, the control circuit 130 can close the second valve 143, because the second guide area 147 is inclined toward the second gate area 146 and is funnel-shaped, Comparable Figure 7 with Compared with the amount of molten metal m2 remaining in the sub-steel tank 140 in FIG. 4 , in this embodiment, the amount of molten metal m2 remaining in the tank bottom 145 can reach a smaller amount, thereby reducing the loss of steel material.

Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 8 together. Figure 8 is a block diagram of a casting station and a refining station of a metal smelting facility according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8 , in some embodiments, the metal smelting equipment 10 further includes a transfer table 200 . The transfer platform 200 can include a carrying mechanism and a conveying mechanism (not shown in the figure), the carrying mechanism can be but not limited to a clamping tool or a carrying platform, the carrying mechanism can carry at least one steel drum 110, and the conveying mechanism can It is but not limited to a crane. The conveying mechanism can move the ladle 110 and the carrying mechanism to a refining station 300 and a casting station 100 (described later), and the ladle 110 can receive the refined metal melt at the refining station 300. liquid m2, and move the filled ladle 110 to a corresponding position, the corresponding position may refer to the position where the first gate 112 of the ladle 110 and the entrance 144 of the sub-steel trough 140 correspond to each other. In some embodiments, the transfer table 200 can transport multiple steel ladles 110 at the same time. The number of ladles 110 carried by the carrying mechanism can be set according to the needs of the casting process. After the ladles 110 are moved to the corresponding positions, the control circuit 130 An opening signal can be transmitted to the first valve 113, so that the molten metal m1 in the ladle 110 is output to the steel distribution tank 140 through the first gate 112, and when the first sensor 120 senses the slag n1, the first electric current If the positive signal meets the actuation conditions, the control circuit 130 closes the first valve 113. At this time, the current ladle 110 has finished outputting the molten metal m1, and the transfer table 200 can move the current ladle 110 out of the corresponding position, and move the next The steel ladles 110 in a sequence are moved to the corresponding positions, and the molten metal m1 is continuously output to the steel distribution tank 140 again, so as to ensure that the casting process can continue. In some embodiments, after the control circuit 130 transmits the closing signal to the first valve 113, the control circuit 130 can then transmit a delivery signal to the transfer platform 200, so that the transfer platform 200 can move the ladle 110 according to the delivery signal. As shown in Figure 8 again, in In some embodiments, the metal smelting equipment 10 further includes a refining station 300 , and the refining station 300 includes a converter 310 and/or a vacuum furnace 320 . The converter 310 is used for refining metals. The converter 310 may include a rotating mechanism and a gas blowing mechanism (not shown in this figure), wherein the converter 310 can hold a molten iron after the smelting process, and the gas blowing mechanism can blow gas (such as High-pressure oxygen) is transported to the inside of the converter 310, so that the gas can undergo an oxidation reaction with the molten iron to remove other elements (such as silicon, manganese, or carbon) in the molten iron. After refining, a molten steel can be obtained, and then passed through the rotating mechanism The converter 310 is rotated to pour out the refined molten steel (that is, the molten metal in the continuous casting process). The vacuum furnace 320 is used to refine metals. The vacuum furnace 320 can carry out vacuum degassing operation, and can carry out vacuum degassing on the molten steel refined by the converter 310, so as to achieve the secondary refining of the decarburization treatment. The vacuum furnace 320 may include a vacuum control mechanism, which can draw out the air in the vacuum furnace 320 to make the inside of the vacuum furnace 320 reach a vacuum state to achieve the effect of secondary refining. In some embodiments, the transfer table 200 can move the ladle 110 to the refining station 300, so that the molten steel (melt metal m1 and slag n1) refined by the converter 310 or the vacuum furnace 320 is input into the ladle 110, and then The ladle 110 filled with molten steel is moved to the aforementioned corresponding position.

According to some embodiments of the metal smelting equipment 10, when the first sensor 120 senses the slag n1, the control circuit 130 obtains the first electrical signal, and when the first electrical signal meets the activation condition, the control circuit 130 turns off the second electrical signal. A valve 113, in addition, when the second sensor 150 senses the slag n2, the control circuit 130 obtains the second electrical signal, and when the second electrical signal meets the activation condition, the control circuit 130 closes the second valve 143, In this way, the metal smelting equipment 10 can automatically control the first valve 113 and the second valve 143 to continuously monitor and control the slag (n1, n2) flowing out of the ladle 110 and the sub-steel tank 140 within the allowable range, so as to comply with the cleanliness of the process. degree requirements.

The above-described embodiments are only to illustrate the technical ideas and characteristics of this case. The purpose is to enable those familiar with this technology to understand the content of this case and implement it accordingly. The equivalent changes or modifications made in the disclosed spirit should still be covered within the scope of the patent application in this case.

10: Metal smelting equipment

100: Casting station

110:Steel drum

111: the first sensing position

112: The first gate

113: The first valve

120: the first sensor

m1: molten metal

n1: slag

P1: first liquid level

P2: second liquid level

P3: The third liquid level

Claims (9)

A metal smelting equipment, comprising: a casting station, the casting station includes: a ladle, with a first sensing position, a first gate and a first valve, the first valve is used to be driven to open closing the first gate; a first sensor, located at the first sensing position and used to sense a first electrical characteristic; and a control circuit, used to continuously drive the first sensor to obtain the corresponding A first electrical signal of the first electrical characteristic, the control circuit is used to drive the first valve to close the first gate when the first electrical signal meets an actuation condition. The metal smelting equipment as described in claim 1, wherein, the casting station further includes: a sub-steel trough with a second sensing position, an inlet, a second gate and a second valve, the inlet corresponds to the The first gate, the second valve is used to be driven to open and close the second gate; and a second sensor is located at the second sensing position and used to sense a second electrical characteristic; wherein, the The control circuit is used to continuously drive the second sensor to obtain a second electrical signal corresponding to the second electrical characteristic, and the control circuit is used to drive the second valve to close according to the second electrical signal. The metal smelting equipment as claimed in item 2, wherein, The casting station further includes a third sensor, the ladle further has a third sensing position, the third sensor is located at the third sensing position and senses a third electrical characteristic; and the The control circuit is used to continuously drive the third sensor to obtain a third electrical signal corresponding to the third electrical characteristic, and the control circuit is used to drive the first sensor when the third electrical signal meets an activation condition. valve to open the first gate. The metal smelting equipment as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the actuation condition is that a current electrical signal is less than or equal to a preset value. The metal smelting equipment as described in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the actuation condition is that the change between a previous electrical signal and a current electrical signal is greater than or equal to a change value, and the change value is 10 millivolts ( mV) to 20 millivolts (mV). The metal smelting equipment as described in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the operating condition is that the change between a previous electrical signal and a current electrical signal is greater than or equal to a change value, and the change value is the previous electrical signal Sexual signals above 2%. The metal smelting equipment as described in claim 3, wherein, the ladle has a bottom, and the bottom of the barrel includes a first guide area and a first gate area, and one of the first gate areas is vertically The height is lower than a vertical height of the first guide area, the first gate is located in the first gate area, the first sensing position is a first distance away from the first gate area, and the third The sensing position is at a second distance from one of the first gate regions, and the second distance is greater than the first distance. The metal smelting equipment as described in claim 7, wherein, the sub-steel tank has a tank bottom, and the tank bottom includes a second guide area and a second gate area, and the other of the second gate area A vertical height is lower than another vertical height of the second guide area, and the second gate is located in the second gate area. The metal smelting equipment as claimed in claim 8, wherein a third distance from the second sensing position to the second gate area is 1 cm to 25 cm, and the third distance is equal to the first distance.

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