EP4624597A1

EP4624597A1 - Tilting device and molten material processing method

Info

Publication number: EP4624597A1
Application number: EP23894696.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Seong Je SHON; Jong Hun Shin; Baek Lee; Ki Hak Kim; Seong Hun Hong; Do Eung KIM; Chung Jin SONG; Jin Young Kim
Original assignee: Posco Co Ltd
Current assignee: Posco Holdings Inc
Priority date: 2022-11-25
Filing date: 2023-03-21
Publication date: 2025-10-01
Also published as: JP2025534586A; CN119998469A; EP4624597A4; KR20240078039A; WO2024111760A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a tilting device which can discharge a molten material from a container and a molten material processing method applied thereto, the tilting device comprising: a body portion; a seating portion disposed at an upper portion of the body portion to seat the container; and a tilting portion installed in the body portion so that the seating portion can be tilted, connected to the seating portion, and having a reducer, wherein the tilting device can stably discharge a molten material from a container.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a tilting device and a molten material processing method, and more particularly, to a tilting device capable of stably discharging a molten material and a method for processing a molten material.

BACKGROUND ART

Since molten steel manufactured in electric furnaces has high a content of impurity elements, it is difficult to produce high-grade steel using the molten steel manufactured in the electric furnaces. Thus, the molten steel produced in the electric furnace is mixed with molten iron produced in a blast furnace to adjust a content of impurity elements in the molten steel, thereby producing high-grade steel in which the content of the impurity elements is adjusted.
Here, the method for mixing the molten steel and the molten iron is as follows. For example, the molten steel manufactured in the electric furnace is accommodated in a ladle, and the ladle is disposed at an upper side of a ladle car that accommodates the molten iron manufactured in the blast furnace. Then, the ladle is tilted to charge the molten steel in the ladle into the ladle car, and the molten steel and the molten iron are mixed in the ladle car.
There are two types of equipment used to tilt ladles in a steel mill. One of two types is a type of equipment that directly connects a motor to a trunnion of the ladle and drives the motor to tilt the ladle, and the other is a type of equipment that supports a lower portion of the ladle with a cylinder and operates the cylinder to tilt the ladle.
However, since the motor-driven type equipment has to directly connect the motor to the trunnion, there is a problem in that the overall volume is large, a large-capacity motor is required, and installation takes a long time. In addition, the motor-driven equipment uses a low-speed motor, but a motor's rotation speed is faster than a trunnion's recommended rotation speed to stably tilt the ladle. Thus, there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately control the discharge amount of molten steel because the ladle rotates rapidly.
In addition, the cylinder-operated type equipment includes a hydraulic device and a large-capacity cylinder, and the cylinder is raised by the hydraulic device, and a bottom surface of the ladle is tilted to tilt the entire ladle. Here, since the center of gravity of the ladle moves horizontally, there is a problem that a flow of the molten steel within the ladle is unstable, making it difficult to accurately control the amount of molten steel to be discharged.
The techniques as the background of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following patent document.

(Patent Document 1) KR10-2021-0038086 A
(Patent Document 2) KR10-2012-0134878 A

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

The present invention provides a tilting device capable of stably discharging a molten material from a container and a method for processing the molten material.
The present invention provides a tilting device capable of discharging an accurate amount of molten material from a container and a method for processing the molten material.

TECHNICAL SOLUTION

A tilting device that discharges a molten material from a container according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a body portion; a seating portion disposed on an upper portion of the body portion to seat the container; and a tilting portion installed on the body portion and connected to the seating portion to tilt the seating portion and comprising a reducer.
The tilting portion may include two or more types of interconnected reducers.
The tilting portion may include an actuator supported on the body portion, and the two or more kinds of reducers may include a gear reducer connected to the actuator and a chain reducer configured to connect the gear reducer to the seating portion.
The tilting portion may include; a tilting axis member disposed at a height of center of gravity of the container seated on the seating portion and connected to the seating portion; an actuator disposed to be spaced apart from the tilting axis member in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the tilting axis member; a gear reducer connected to the actuator to primarily reduce a rotation speed of the actuator; a chain reducer installed on the gear reducer and the tilting axis member to secondarily reduce a rotation speed of the gear reducer so as to be transmitted to the tilting axis member; and a housing disposed to allow the tilting axis member to pass therethrough and configured to accommodate the actuator, the gear reducer, and the chain reducer.
The gear reducer may include: a plurality of gears coupled to each other; and a gear output connected to the plurality of gears, spaced apart from the tilting axis member in the intersection direction, and disposed in the extension direction, and the chain reducer may include: a primary toothed member mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the tilting axis member; a secondary toothed member mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the gear output and having an outer diameter less than that of the primary toothed member; and a chain member installed to connect the primary toothed member to the secondary toothed member.
The gear output may be disposed at a height less than that of the tilting axis member.
A tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a body portion; a seating portion disposed on an upper portion of the body portion to seat a container; a tilting portion installed on the body portion and connected to the seating portion to tilt the seating portion; and a damper portion disposed on each of both sides of the tilting portion and mounted on a lower portion of the body portion to buffer an impact applied to the container and maintain horizontality of the body portion.
The tilting portion may include a reducer configured to adjust a tilting speed of the container, and the damper portion may include an elastic assembly to elastically support the body portion in a vertical direction.
The tilting device may further include: a weight measuring portion disposed at each of a plurality of positions of the lower portion of the body portion; and a controller configured to control whether the tilting portion operates depending on whether the container is seated on the seating portion and configured to control a tilting angle of the tilting portion using a weight value measured by the weight measuring portion.
The weight measuring portions may include load cells and are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction with respect to the seating portion and are respectively disposed at a plurality of positions, and the controller may be configured to control the tilting angle of the tilting portion using one value of the sum and average of weight values measured at the plurality of positions.
The tilting device may further include: a weight measuring portion disposed at each of a plurality of positions of the lower portion of the body portion; and a controller configured to control whether the tilting portion operates depending on whether the container is seated on the seating portion and configured to control a tilting angle of the tilting portion using a weight value measured by the weight measuring portion, wherein the damper portion may be disposed for each weight measuring portion and disposed on each of both sides of the corresponding weight measuring portion.
The tilting device may further include an angle measuring portion mounted on the seating portion to face the tilting portion, wherein the controller may be configured to determine an angle of the container from an angle of the seating portion measured by the angle measuring portion and control a tilting angle of the tilting portion based on the determined angle of the container.
The body portion may include a plurality of base members spaced apart from each other in one direction in which the seating portion and the tilting portion face each other and extending in the other direction intersecting the one direction, wherein the tilting portion may be mounted on each of top surfaces of the plurality of base members, and the seating portion is mounted to connect the tilting portions to each other between the tilting portions.
The seating portion may include: a seating ring having a central portion that is opened in a vertical direction so that at least a lower portion of the container is inserted therein and a top surface on which a protrusion on an outer circumferential surface of the container is hooked; and a connection member mounted on each of both sides of the seating ring in the one direction, facing the tilting portion in the one direction, and rotatably connected to the tilting axis member of the tilting portion, wherein a center of rotation of the connection member and a center of gravity of the container seated on the seating ring are aligned with each other in the one direction.
The center of rotation of the connection member and the center of gravity of the container seated on the seating ring may be aligned with each other in the one direction.
The tilting device may further include a coupling portion disposed on a top surface of the seating portion to face the tilting portion in the other direction and coupled to the container.
The tilting device may further include a body support of which the inside is opened in a horizontal direction so that a transport car for receiving and transporting the molten material from the container passes therethrough and which is disposed below the body portion so that the body portion is spaced apart from a bottom on which the transport car travels and includes a guide member configured to guide the molten material.
A method for processing a molten material according to an embodiment of the present invention include: seating a container, in which the molten material is accommodated, on a tilting device; preparing a transport car, in which a molten material different from the molten material is accommodated, below the container; tilting the container through the tilting device; reducing a tilting speed of the container; and discharging the molten material from the container to charge the molten material into the transport car.
The tilting of the container may include: rotating an actuator of the tilting device; rotating a tilting axis member of the tilting device through the actuator; and tilting the container using the tilting axis member, and the reducing of the tilting speed of the container may include: primarily reducing a rotation speed of rotation force generated in the actuator; secondarily reducing the rotation speed, which is primarily reduced, of the rotation force; and transmitting the rotation force, in which the rotation speed is secondarily reduced, to the tilting axis member.
The primary reducing may include reducing the rotation speed of the rotation force according to a first reduction ratio in a gear reduction manner, and the secondary reduction may include reducing the primarily reduced rotation speed of the rotation force according to a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio in a chain reduction manner.
A method for processing a molten material according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: seating a container, in which the molten material is accommodated, on a tilting device; preparing a transport car, in which a molten material different from the molten material is accommodated, below the container; tilting the container through the tilting device; discharging the molten material from the container to charge the molten material into the transport car; and maintaining horizontality of the tilting device while relieving an impact due to a change in weight applied to the tilting device due to the seating and tilting of the container from the seating of the container to the charging of the molten material.
The method may further include reducing a tilting speed of the container, wherein the maintaining of the horizontality of the tilting device may include elastically supporting a body portion of the tilting device in a vertical direction at a plurality of positions of the tilting device in a horizontal direction.
The tilting of the container through the tilting device may include aligning a center of rotation of the tilting device with a center of gravity of the tilting device.
The aligning of the center of rotation with the center of gravity of the container may include aligning a tilting axis member of the tilting device with the center of gravity of the container at both sides of the container.
The tilting of the container through the tilting device may include: measuring a weight of the container at a plurality of positions of the tilting device; and adjusting a tilting angle of the container using a weight value of the container.
The adjusting of the titling angle of the container using the weight value of the container may include: obtaining one of the sum and average of the weight values measured at the plurality of positions as a calculated value; obtaining a discharge amount of molten material discharged from the container using the calculated value; and comparing a previously input reference amount with the discharge amount so that the tilting angle increases or decreases according to the comparison results.
The increasing or decreasing of the tilting angle may include: allowing the tilting angle to increase in stages when the discharge amount is less than the reference amount; and allowing the tilting angle to decrease in stages when the discharge amount is equal to or greater than the reference amount.
The molten material may include molten steel produced in an electric furnace, a molten material different from the molten material may include molten iron produced in a blast furnace, the container may include a ladle, and the transport car may include a torpedo car.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

According to an embodiment of the present invention, while the container is tilted by the tilting portion, the speed at which the container is tilted may be reduced using the reducer. Therefore, it may be possible to prevent the molten material from being rapidly discharged from the container due to the container being tilted excessively quickly. As a result, the molten material may be stably discharged from the container.
In addition, while the container is tilted by the tilting portion, the impact applied from the container to the tilting device may be buffered by using the damper portion, and the horizontality of the tilting device may be maintained. Therefore, the flow of the molten material inside the container may be prevented from becoming unstable, thereby preventing the molten material from being rapidly discharged from the container. As a result, the molten material may be discharged stably.
In addition, while tilting the container with the tilting portion, the center of gravity of the container with the center of rotation of the tilting portion may be aligned , and the center of gravity of the container may be maintained , thereby preventing the flow of the molten material inside the container from becoming unstable and to prevent the molten material from being rapidly discharged from the container. As a result, the molten material may be discharged stably.
In addition, the molten material may be stably discharged from the container to prevent the discharge flow of the molten material from applying the irregular load to the container, thereby preventing the container from being shaken. Therefore, the weight of the container may be accurately measured even while discharging the molten material, and the tilting angle of the container may be accurately adjusted using the measured weight value, thereby discharging the molten material from the container in the accurate amount.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a tilting portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4 to 7 are views illustrating an operation of the tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing a molten material according to an embodiment of the present invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In the figures, the dimensions of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity of illustration. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
The present invention relates a tilting device and a molten material processing method. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail by exemplifying a case in which the tilting device and the molten material processing method are applied to a ladle used for transporting molten steel in iron and steel manufacturing operations.
Alternatively, the tilting device and the molten material processing method according to the embodiment of the present invention may be applied as a tilting device for tilting a container containing various materials to be processed and a method for processing a material to be processed.
Before explaining the tilting device and the molten material processing method, equipment for producing a molten materials will be described first.
The equipment for producing the molten iron according to an embodiment of the present invention may include electric furnace equipment and blast furnace equipment. The electric furnace equipment may charge and melt metal iron sources including iron scrap and direct reduced iron into an electric furnace to produce molten steel. The blast furnace equipment may charge blast furnace charging materials including iron ore, sintered ore, and coke into the blast furnace and melt and reduce the blast furnace charging materials to produce molten iron. In addition, the molten steel produced in the electric furnace equipment may be accommodated in the ladle, and the molten iron produced in the blast furnace equipment may be accommodated in a torpedo car. Here, the ladle may be referred to as a container, and the torpedo car may be referred to as a ladle car or transport car.
The types of equipment for producing the molten material may be diverse, and the types of molten materials produced from the equipment may also be diverse.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a tilting portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
The tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to discharge a molten material from a container 10 and includes a body portion 200, a seating portion 300 disposed on an upper portion of the body portion 200 to seat the container 10, and a tilting portion 500 installed on the body portion 200 and connected to the seating portion 300 to tilt the seating portion 300 and including a reducer.
In addition, the tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a body support 100 of which the inside is opened horizontally so that a transport car 20 for receiving and transporting the molten material from the container 10 passes and which is disposed below the body portion 200 so that the body portion 200 is spaced apart from the bottom on which the transport car 20 travels, and includes a guide member 130 for guiding the molten material, and a coupling portion 400 which is disposed on a top surface of the seating portion 300 to face the tilting portion 500 and to which the container 10 is coupled.
In addition, the tilting device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include weight measuring portions 600, which are mounted on a plurality of positions below the body portion 100, respectively, an angle measuring portion 700 mounted on the seating portion 300 to face the tilting portion 500, and a controller 900 that is capable of controlling whether tilting portion 500 operates depending on whether the container 10 is seated on the seating portion 300 and controlling a tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 using a weight value measured by the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the controller 900 may determine an angle of the container 10 from an angle of the seating portion 300, which is measured from the angle measuring portion 700 and control the tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 based on the determined angle of the container 10.
The molten material may include molten steel. More specifically, the molten material may include molten steel produced in an electric furnace. Alternatively, the type of molten material may be diverse. The molten metal may contain impurities derived from iron scrap. The molten material may be accommodated in the container 10 and discharged from the container 10 to the transport car 20 by the tilting device. The discharged molten material may be adjusted in composition by being mixed with different molten materials inside the transport car 20. The molten metal having the adjusted composition may be used to produce high-grade steel.
The different molten material means a molten material different from the molten material accommodated in the container 10. For example, the different molten material inside the transport car 20 may be different from the molten material accommodated in the container 10 in at least one of manufacturing equipment, a manufacturing process, a manufacturing time, an ingredient content, or a temperature. Alternatively, in addition to the above-described conditions, different things may have different meanings. In an embodiment of the present invention, the different molten metal may include, for example, the molten iron produced in the blast furnace. Alternatively, the types of different molten materials may be diverse.
Hereinafter, the molten material is referred to as a first molten material M1, and the molten material different from the molten material is referred to as a second molten material M2.
The container 10 serves to accommodate the first molten material M1 and transport the first molten material M1 to an upper side of the transport car 20. The container 10 may include a container body 11, a protrusion 12, and a locking portion 13. The container body 11 may have a space for accommodating the first molten material M1 therein and have an upper portion opened. The first molten material M1 may be accommodated into the accommodation space through the opening of the upper portion of the container body 11. In addition, when the container 10 is tilted, the first molten material M1 in the accommodation space may be discharged to the outside of the container 10 through the opening of the upper portion of the container body 11. The container body 11 may include a ladle body.
The protrusion 12 serves to seat the container body 11 on the seating portion 300. The protrusion 12 may protrude from an outer surface of the container body 11 at each of both sides of the container body 11 in one direction.
The one direction may be, for example, a left and right (X-axis direction). Here, a forward and backward direction, which intersects with the left and right direction, may be referred to as the other direction (Y-axis direction). In addition, the one direction and the other direction may be collectively called a horizontal direction. In addition, a direction intersecting the horizontal direction may be a vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Alternatively, this definition of the directions is an example for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and the direction may be defined variously.
The protrusion 12 may be provided in plurality, for example, two. In addition, the protrusion 12 may be provided in a box shape. Here, the protrusion 12 may have a bottom surface, a top surface, a front surface, a rear surface, and a side surface. In addition, the bottom surface of the protrusion 12 may be seated on the seating portion 300, and the front and rear surfaces may be coupled to the coupling portion 400. Alternatively, the number, shape and structure of the protrusions 12 may be diverse.
A coupling member (not shown) may be disposed on each of the front and rear surfaces of the protrusion 12. The coupling member may include at least one of a coupling groove or a coupling protrusion. Alternatively, the types of coupling members may be diverse.
The locking portion 13 serves to hoist and lower the container body 11. The locking portion 13 may be provided in the same number as the protrusions 12 and may be mounted at each side of the protrusions 12. The locking portion 13 may be hooked on the main hook (not shown) of crane equipment, and the container body 11 may be elevated by an elevation of the main hook. The locking portion 13 may include a trunnion of the ladle.
The transport car 20 has the role of transporting the second molten material M2 and accommodating the first molten material M1 discharged from the container 10 and mixing the first molten material M1 with the second molten material M2. The transport car 20 may include a container body 21, a frame 22, and a rotary actuator 23. The container body 21 may have an accommodation space in which the second molten material M2 is accommodated, and the first molten material M1 and the second molten material M2 are mixed with each other, and an opening may be defined in an upper portion of the container body 21. The container body 21 may be a cylindrical shape which extends in one direction and of which a diameter decreases toward both sides of the one direction. The opening may be defined in an upper portion of an outer surface of the container body 21. Alternatively, the opening position may also be changed when the container body 21 rotates. A cover may be attached or detached to the opening.
The frame 22 serves to move the container body 21. The frame 22 may be disposed on each of both ends of the container body 21. The frame 22 may be provided to travel, and the structure for this may be diverse. The rotary actuator 23 may be supported on a top surface of the frame 22. Both ends of the container body 21 may be rotatably mounted on the rotary actuator 23. The transport car 20 may include a torpedo car.
The body support 100 serves to support the body portion 200 and also serves to allow the body portion 200 to be spaced upward from a bottom surface, on which the transport car 20 travels, so that the transport car 20 is disposed below the body portion 200. In addition, the body support 100 serves to guide the first molten material M1 discharged from the container 10 toward the opening of the transport car 20.
The body support 100 may include frame assemblies 110 that are spaced apart from the bottom surface on which the transport car 20 travels, extends in one direction and the other direction, and are connected to each other, a plurality of pillar members 120 extending downward from a lower portion of the frame assemblies 110 and supported on the bottom surface on which the transport car 20 travels, and a guide member 130 installed in each of the frame assemblies 110 and having a central portion that is opened in the vertical direction and a top surface that is inclined in a direction from an edge toward a central portion thereof.
The frame assembly 110 may be disposed horizontally at a position higher than a height of the transport car 20. The body portion 100 may be disposed on the top surface of the frame assembly 110. The bottom surface of the frame assembly 110 may be supported on the pillar members 120. The pillar members 120 may be horizontally spaced apart from each other to allow the transport car 20 to pass therethrough. The guide member 130 may be disposed horizontally at a position higher than the height of the transport car 20. In addition, the guide member 130 may have a top surface that is exposed upward from the frame assembly 110 and a bottom surface that is exposed downward from the frame assembly 110. The opening at the central portion of the guide member 130 may have a diameter less than that of the opening defined in the container body 21 of the transport car 20. The guide member 130 may have a funnel shape. Alternatively, the shape of the guide member 130 may be diverse. The above-described height may be a height from the bottom surface on which the transport car 20 travels.
The body portion 200 serves to support the tilting portion 500. The body portion 200 may be disposed on the top surface of the frame assembly 110. Here, the weight measuring portion 600 may be disposed between the top surface of the body portion 200 and the frame assembly 110. That is, the weight measuring portion 600 may be seated on the top surface of the frame assembly 110, and the body portion 200 may be supported on the weight measuring portion 600.
The body portion 200 may include a plurality of base members 210. For example, the number of base members 210 may be two. Alternatively, the number of base members 210 may be diverse. The base members 210 may be spaced apart from each other in one direction and may extend in the other direction. Here, the one direction may be, for example, the left and right direction and may be a direction in which the seating portion 300 and the tilting portion 500 face each other. Here, the other direction may be the forward or backward direction.
A spaced distance of the plurality of base members 210 in one direction may be greater than a size of the container 10 in one direction. Thus, when the tilting portion 500 tilts the container 10 that is seated on the seating portion 300, collision between the container 10 and the plurality of base members 210 may be prevented.
The body portion 200 may include a plurality of mount members. The plurality of mount members may include a plurality of first mount members 220 which are disposed on top surfaces of the plurality of base members 210, respectively, and a plurality of second mount members 230 which are disposed on top surfaces of the plurality of first mount members 220, respectively. Here, the tilting portion 500 may be installed on the top surface of each of the second mount members 230. Alternatively, the tilting portion 500 may be installed on the top surface of the first mount member 220 or on the top surface of the base member 210.
The seating portion 300 serves to seat the container 10 and to tilt the container 10 by being tilted by the tilting portion 500. At least a portion of the seating portion 300 may be disposed above the base members 210. In addition, at least a portion of the seating portion 300 may be disposed between the plurality of base members 210. The seating portion 300 may be mounted between a plurality of tilting portions 500 to connect the plurality of tilting portions 500 to each other. In addition, the seating portion 300 may include a seating ring 310 and a connection member 320.
The seating ring 310 serves to seat the container 10. The seating ring 310 may extend horizontally and be opened vertically from the top surface to the bottom surface thereof to define a through-hole. That is, the seating ring 310 may be provided in a ring shape having the through-hole. Here, the container body 11 may be disposed in the through-hole. Specifically, at least the lower portion of the container body 11 may be inserted into the through-hole. In addition, the bottom surface of the protrusion 12 of the container 10 may be seated on each of both edges of a top surface of the seating ring 310. Here, both the edges may refer to both edges in one direction, for example, the left and right direction. The through-hole may be defined in a horizontal center of the seating ring 310.
The connection member 320 serves to tilt the seating ring 310 by using rotational force of the tilting portion 500, thereby tilting the container 10. That is, the connection member 320 may rotate by the rotational force of the tilting portion 500 to tilt the seating ring 310.
The connection member 320 may be mounted on each of both sides of the seating ring 310 in one direction, for example, on in the left and right direction. Alternatively, the connection member 320 may also be provided to protrude from the seating ring 310. The connection member 320 may face the tilting portion 500 in one direction and may be rotatably connected to the tilting axis member 510 of the tilting portion 500.
The connection member 320 may have a lower portion provided in a box shape. An upper portion of the connection member 320 may have a shape of which an area in the other direction decreases in a direction away from the lower portion of the connection member 320. Alternatively, the shape of the connection member 320 may be diverse. The tilting axis member, which is to be described, of the tilting portion 500 may be mounted on an upper portion of an outer surface of the connection member 320. In addition, the seating ring 310 may be connected to a lower portion of an inner surface of the connection member 320. The connection member 320 may rotate in the same manner as the tilting axis member when the tilting axis member rotates, and the lower portion of the connection member 320 may rotate in the other direction and vertical direction with respect to the upper portion thereof. Thus, the seating ring 310 may tilt the container 10 in the same manner while tilting the tilting axis member in the other direction and vertical direction.
The inner surface may refer to a side surface of the connection member that faces the connection member adjacent to the corresponding connection member among side surfaces of the connection member. Here, the outer surface may be a side surface disposed on an opposite side of the inner side and may be a side surface parallel to the inner surface.
The outer surface of the connection member 320 may have a predetermined clearance with the inner surface of the base member 210 facing the connection member. Similarly, the outer surface of the connection member 320 may have a predetermined clearance with the inner surface of each of the mount members facing the corresponding connection member. In addition, the outer surface of the connection member 320 may have a predetermined clearance with the inner surface of the tilting portion 500 facing the corresponding connection member. Here, the clearance may mean a clearance in one direction. As a result, the connection member 320 may be prevented from colliding with the base member 210, the mount members, and the tilting portion 500 while being tilted by the rotation of the tilting axis member 510.
A center of gravity of the container 10 may be aligned with a center of rotation of the upper portion of the connection member 320 in the other direction, for example, the forward and backward direction. Here, the alignment means that a position in one direction of the center of rotation and a position in one direction of the center of gravity match each other within an error range. Here, the error range may be a range of a gap between the center of rotation and the center of gravity so that an inertia moment generated by the gap between the center of rotation and the center of gravity is sufficiently smaller than the rotational force generated by the tilting portion 500 to suppress or prevent the rotation of the container 10 from being affected. Alternatively, the error range may also mean an error range due to a measurement error.
Additionally, the center of gravity of the container 10 may be almost aligned with the center of rotation of the upper portion of the connection member 320 in the vertical direction. Here, a height of the center of gravity of the container 10 may increase or decrease within a predetermined range depending on the amount of first molten material M1 accommodated in the container 10. However, an intensity of the inertia moment generated when the container 10 rotates due to this height difference may be sufficiently handled within a range of an intensity of the rotational force generated by the tilting portion 500 to tilt the heavy container 10. In addition, a change in height of the center of gravity in the vertical direction may have a minimal effect on the discharge flow of the molten material compared to a change in position of the center of gravity in the forward and backward direction. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, it is considered that the center of gravity of the container 10 is aligned with the center of rotation of the upper portion of the connection member 320 in the vertical direction. The above-described center of rotation may mean a position at which the center of the tilting axis member of the tilting portion 500 meets a center line passing in the direction in which the tilting axis member extends, for example, in the other direction, and the upper portion of the outer surface of the connection member 320. In addition, the center of gravity may be the center of gravity of the container 10 in the state of being seated on the seating ring 310. Here, the container 10 may be in a state in which the first molten material M1 is accommodated.
The coupling portion 400 serves to fix the container 10 mounted on the seating portion 300 to the seating portion 300. The plurality of coupling members 400 may be disposed on both edges of the top surface of the seating ring 310 in one direction, respectively, and may face the inner surface of the connection member 320 in one direction. Alternatively, the coupling portion 400 may be disposed one at each of both the edges of the top surface of the seating ring 310. Alternatively, the coupling portion 400 will be described in a case in which two coupling portions 400 are disposed at each of both the edges of the top surface of the seating ring 310. Alternatively, contents described below may be applied similarly or identically even when one coupling portion 400 is disposed at each position, or three or more coupling members are disposed at each position.
The coupling portion 400 may be in contact with front and rear surfaces of the protrusion 12 in the other directions, for example, in the forward and backward direction or may face each other at a predetermined distance in the other direction. The coupling member may be disposed on the front and rear surfaces facing in the other direction of the coupling portion 400. The coupling member may include at least one of a coupling protrusion and a coupling groove and may be attached to and detached from the coupling member disposed on the protrusion 12. Here, when the coupling member of the coupling portion 400 includes the coupling protrusion, the coupling member of the protrusion 12 facing the coupling protrusion may include the coupling groove, and when the container body 11 is seated, the coupling protrusion of the coupling portion 400 may be fitted into the coupling groove of the protrusion 12. Here, the coupling protrusion may be provided to be stretchable so that the coupling protrusion is fitted. Here, the coupling protrusion may have a structure of a ball spring plunger. Alternatively, the coupling protrusion may have a driving structure such as a hydraulic cylinder or actuator, and the protrusion and retraction may be controlled by the controller 900. The types of coupling members may be diverse.
Due to the structure described above, the coupling portion 400 may be coupled to the protrusion 12 while the container body 11 is coupled to the seating ring 310 to prevent the container body 11 from being separated from the seating ring 310 when the seating ring 310 and the container body 11 are tilted. When the coupling portion 400 is lifted by hooking the main hook of the crane equipment on the locking portion 13, the coupling with the protrusion 12 may be released by lifting force, or the coupling with the protrusion 12 may be released by the control of the controller 900. Thus, the container body 11 may be lifted to be spaced apart from the seating ring 310.
When the container 10 is disposed on the seating portion 300, the tilting portion 500 generates rotational force under the control of the controller 900 to tilt the seating portion 300, thereby tilting the container 10. Here, the first molten material M1 may be discharged from the container 10 by the tilting of the container 10. In addition, the tilting portion 500 controls a tilting angle according to the control of the controller 900 to adjust a degree to which the seating portion 300 and the container 10 are tilted.
The tilting portion 500 may be disposed on each of both sides of the seating portion 300 in one direction, supported by the body portion 200, and connected to the seating portion 300. More specifically, the tilting portion 500 may face the outer surface of the connection member 320 in one direction at both sides of the connection member 320, may be supported on the top surface of each of the plurality of base members 210, and may be connected to the outer surface of the connection member 320. In addition, the connection members 320 may be provided in the same number as the tilting portion 500. For example, the number of tilting portion 500 may be two. Hereinafter, the tilting portion 500 will be described in detail based on one tilting portion 500, for example, the tilting portion 500 disposed at a left side of the seating portion 300. Alternatively, contents described below may be applied identically or similarly to the tilting portion 500 disposed at a right side of the seating portion 300. A front side of the seating portion 300 may be defined as a position at which the guide member 130 is disposed, and the left and right sides of the seating portion 300 may be distinguished from each other based on this position.
The tilting portion 500 may include two or more types of reducers 530 and 540 that are interconnected to each other, and an actuator 520 that is connected to two or more types of reducers 530 and 540 and supported on the body portion 200. Here, the two or more types of reducers 530 and 540 may include a gear reducer 530 connected to the actuator 520 and a chain reducer 540 connecting the gear reducer 530 to the seating portion 300.
That is, instead of increasing a reduction ratio by increasing in size of the reducer while using, for example, one type of reducer, the tilting portion 500 may reduce a rotational speed of rotational force generated by the actuator 520 in multiple stages in different manners without increasing in size of each reducer by combining the gear reducer 530 and the chain reducer 540, thereby significantly increasing in reduction ratio by reducing the rotational speed in two stages in a gear reduction manner and a chain reduction manner. In addition, since the size of the reducer may be reduced, the capacity of the actuator 520 may also be reduced in proportion to the size of the reducer. As a result, the overall size of the tilting portion 500 may be reduced while greatly increasing in reduction ratio. Hereinafter, the structure of the tilting portion 500 will be described in more detail. The tilting portion 500 may include a tilting axis member 510, an actuator 520, a gear reducer 530, a chain reducer 540, a support member 550, and a housing 560.
The tilting axis member 510 receives rotational power from the chain reducer 540 to rotate, thereby tilting the seating portion 300. The tilting axis member 510 may extend in one direction. One end of the tilting axis member 510 may be disposed to pass through one surface of the housing 560, for example, a right surface and then may protrude in one direction from the housing 560 or may be exposed in one direction from the housing 560 on one surface of the housing 560, for example, the right surface. In addition, one end of the tilting axis member 510 may be mounted on the upper portion of the outer surface of the connection member 320 of the seating portion 300. In addition, the other end of the tilting axis member 510 may extend in one direction inside the housing 560. In addition, the tilting axis member 510 may have an intermediate portion connecting one end to the other end thereof, and the intermediate portion may be rotatably supported on the support member 550 inside the housing 560. The tilting axis member 510 may be disposed at a height of the center of gravity of the container 10 and aligned with the center of gravity of the container 10. Due to the rotation of the tilting axis member 510, the connection member 320 may rotate in the same manner as the tilting axis member 510, and thus, the seating ring 310 and the container 10 may be tilted.
The actuator 520 generates rotational force and supplies the rotational force to the gear reducer 530. The actuator 520 may include, for example, a motor. Here, the motor may be an inverter-controlled motor. The actuator 520 may operate by receiving power to generate rotational force. Alternatively, the type of actuator 520 and the method of generating the rotational power may be diverse. The operation of the actuator 520 may be controlled by the controller 900. The actuator 520 may be disposed spaced apart from the tilting axis member 510 in the other direction. That is, the actuator 520 may not be coaxially connected to the tilting axis member 510. Thus, the overall size of the tilting portion 500 may be further reduced.
The gear reducer 530 primarily reduces the rotational speed of the rotational force generated from the actuator 520. The gear reducer 530 may be connected to the actuator 520 to primarily reduce the rotational speed of the rotational power of the actuator 520. In addition, the gear reducer 520 may include a gear box 531, a plurality of gears 532 arranged inside the gear box 531 and coupled to each other, and a gear output 533 connected to the plurality of gears 532, spaced apart from the tilting axis member 510 in one direction, and arranged to pass through the gear box 531 in one direction. The number of plurality of gears 532 for reducing the rotational speed of the rotational force and the coupling structure of the plurality of gears 532 may be diverse. For example, the plurality of gears 532 may have a gear number and coupling structure in which the rotation speed input from the actuator 520 is reduced at 1,300 rpm to 1 rpm so as to be output to the gear output 533. Alternatively, the reduction ratio may be just an example, and the reduction ratio of the gear reducer 530 may be diverse.
The gear output 533 of the gear reducer 530 may be disposed at a height lower than the tilting axis member 510. Thus, the tilting axis member 510 with a relatively large diameter may stably support a load of the chain member 543 of the chain reducer 540 at a height higher than the gear output 533 with a relatively small diameter. Thus, the load on the gear output 533 may be reduced.
The chain reducer 540 serves to secondarily reduce the rotational speed of the rotational power output from the gear reducer 530 so as to be transmitted to the tilting axis member 510. Thus, the chain reducer 540 may be installed on the gear reducer 530 and the tilting axis member 510 to secondarily reduce the rotational speed of the gear reducer 530 so as to be transmitted to the tilting axis member 510.
The chain reducer 540 may include a primary toothed member 541 mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the other end of the tilting axis member 510, a secondary toothed member 542 mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the gear output 533 and having an outer diameter less than that of the primary toothed member 541, and a chain member 543 installed to connect the primary toothed member 541 to the secondary toothed member 542.
The secondary gear member 542 may rotate in the same manner as the gear output 533 when the gear output 533 rotates. The chain member 543 may rotate along a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the gear output 533 and a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the tilting axis member 510 by the rotation of the secondary gear member 542, thereby rotating the primary gear member 541. The primary gear member 541 may rotate by the circular rotation of the chain member 543 to rotate the tilting axis member 510.
A gear ratio of the first gear member 541 and the second gear member 542 may be diverse. For example, it may have a gear ratio that allows the rotation speed of the rotational force input at 4,800 rpm from the gear output 533 to be reduced to 1 rpm so as to be output to the tilting axis member 510. Alternatively, the reduction ratio may be just an example, and the reduction ratio of the chain reducer 540 may be diverse.
The support member 550 serves to rotatably support the tilting axis member 510 inside the housing 560. The support member 550 may extend in the vertical direction, a lower end of the support member 550 may be supported on a bottom surface of the housing member 560, and an upper end of the support member 550 may be supported by the tilting axis member 510. Here, the support member 550 may have a bearing assembly provided on an upper end thereof, and the tilting axial member 510 may be rotatably supported on the bearing assembly.
The housing 560 may protect at least a portion of the tilting axis member 510, the actuator 520, the gear reducer 530, the chain reducer 540, and the support member 550 from the surrounding environment. In addition, the housing 560 may define an outer appearance of the tilting portion 500. The housing 560 may be arranged so that one end of the tilting axis member 510 passes therethrough, and may accommodate the actuator 520, the gear reducer 530, the chain reducer 540, and the support member 550 therein.
The weight measuring portion 600 measures a weight of the first molten material M1 inside the container 10 and outputs the measured weight value to the controller 900. The weight measuring portion 600 may measure a weight in real time and output the measured weight value to the controller 900 in real time. In addition, the weight value measured by the weight measuring portion 600 may be used by the controller 900 to adjust the tilting angle of the tilting portion 500. Alternatively, the weight measuring portion 600 may measure a weight of the first molten material M1 inside the container 10, a weight of the container 10 accommodating the first molten material M1, a weight of the seating portion 300 on which the container 10 is mounted, a weight of the tilting portion 500 on which the seating portion 500 is supported, and a weight of the body portion 200 on which the tilting portion 500 is supported and then may output the measured weight values to the controller 900. Hereinafter, the weight measuring portion 600 will be described based on a case in which the weight measuring portion 600 measures the entire weight from the first molten material M1 to the body portion 100.
The weight measuring portion 600 may include a highcapacity load cell capable of measuring a weight of a heavy object weighing approximately 140 tons. The weight measuring portion 600 may be disposed at at least four positions spaced apart horizontally from the seating portion 300. In addition, the weight measuring portion 600 may be mounted at a plurality of positions on the lower portion of the body portion 200. Specifically, the plurality of weight measuring portions 600 may be mounted on the lower portions of the plurality of base members 210, respectively.
The angle measuring portion 700 may measure an angle of the seating portion 300 to output the measured angle value to the controller 900. Here, the angle of the seating portion 300 may be the same as the angle of the container 10. That is, the angle of the seating portion 300 measured by the angle measuring portion 700 may be an angle of the container 10. The angle measuring portion 700 may include, for example, a digital protractor. Alternatively, the angle measuring portion 700 may be of various types, such as an analog protractor and an optical protractor.
The angle measuring portion 700 may be disposed in the other direction at the lower side of the rotation center of the seating portion 300 on one edge or both edges of the top surface of the mounting ring 310. The angle measuring portion 700 may measure the angle defined by the top surface of the seating ring 310 with respect to the other direction, for example, the forward and backward direction, as an angle of the seating portion 300, by setting an angle when the top surface of the seating ring 310 is parallel to the horizontal direction as 0 degree and may output the measured angle value. Alternatively, the method by which the angle measuring portion 700 measures the angle may be diverse. For example, the angle measuring portion 700 may measure the angle defined between the top surface of the base member 210 and the top surface of the seating ring 310 in the other direction, for example, the forward and backward direction as the angle of the seating portion 300 and then may output the measured angle value.
The controller 900 may control whether the tilting portion 500 operates depending on whether the container 10 is seated on the seating portion 300. In addition, the controller 900 may control the tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 using the weight value measured by the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the controller 900 may control the tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 by using one of the sum value and the average value of the weight values measured at the plurality of positions by the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the controller 900 may determine the angle of the seating portion 300 measured from the angle measuring portion 700 as the angle of the container 10 and control the tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 based on the determined angle of the container 10.
The controller 900 may include an input unit 910 for inputting a reference amount, a calculator 920 for calculating one of the sum and average values of the weight values measured at the plurality of positions and calculating a discharge amount of first molten material M1 discharged from the container 10 using the calculated value, and a tilting controller 930 for comparing the reference amount previously input into the input unit 910 with the discharge amount obtained by the calculator 920 to increase or decrease in tilting angle according to the comparison result.
The input unit 910 may include a control computer capable of executing program. The input unit 910 may be capable of inputting/outputting and storing data from the outside. The input unit 910 may transmit and receive data with the calculator 920 and the tilting controller 930. The reference amount input into the input unit 910 may be a predetermined weight value that is smaller than the discharge amount of first molten material M1 to be discharged from the container 10. For example, when 100 tons of the first molten material M1 has to be discharged from the container 10, the reference amount may be set to 90 tons to 80 tons, and the set reference amount may be input into the input unit 910. Here, numerical values of a target discharge amount and numerical values of the reference amount mentioned above are only examples, and the numerical values of the discharge amount and the numerical values of the reference amount may have various values depending on the amount and state of the first molten material M1 and the amount and state of the second molten material M2. Here, the state may mean a content of impurity elements in the molten metal. Alternatively, the state may have various meanings, such as a temperature of the molten material, a content of the main components contained in the molten material, etc.
The calculator 920 may be a control terminal capable of performing electronic calculation. Alternatively, there may be various types of calculators 920. In addition, the calculator 920 may be mounted on the input unit 910. In addition, the calculator 920 may add up the weight values output in real time from a plurality of, for example, four weight measuring portions 600 by time period and sequentially output results as the calculated values, and may obtain an accumulated value of the discharge amount in the calculated values as the discharge amount of first molten material M1. For example, if the calculated values from time point 1 to time point 4 are output as 100 tons, 99 tons, 97 tons, and 96 tons, the discharge amount at time point 1 may be calculated as 0 tons, the discharge amount at time point 2 may be calculated as 1 ton, the discharge amount at time point 3 may be calculated as 3 tons, and the discharge amount at time point 4 may be calculated as 4 tons. Alternatively, there may be various manners to obtain the discharge amount of first molten material M1 from the weight values output in real time by the calculator 920.
The tilting controller 930 may be a type of programmable logic controller (program logic control). Alternatively, the types of the tilting controller 930 may be diverse. The tilting controller 930 may control the operation of the tilting portion 500 to gradually increase in tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 when the discharge amount of first molten material M1 obtained by the calculator 920 is less than the reference amount input from the input unit 910. In addition, the tilting controller 930 may control the operation of the tilting portion 500 to gradually decrease in tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 when the discharge amount of first molten material M1 obtained by the calculator 920 is equal to or greater than the reference amount input from the input unit 910. Due to the control of the tilting controller 930, the container 10 may be tilted in stages to stably discharge the first molten material M1, and before the discharge amount of first molten material M1 reaches the target discharge amount to be discharged from the container 10, the tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 may gradually decrease to gradually return the container 10, and when the discharge amount of first molten material M1 reaches the target discharge amount to be discharged from the container 10, the container 10 may be returned to the tilting angle of the container 10 that prevents the first molten material M1 from being discharged from the container 10. Thus, an accurate amount of first molten material M1 may be discharged.
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention may be configured in various manners, including other embodiments as follows.
Hereinafter, a tilting device according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Here, the foregoing embodiment of the present invention is referred to as a first embodiment, and another embodiment described below is referred to as a second embodiment.
In addition, hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described in detail, focusing on features that are distinguished from those of the first embodiment of the present invention described above, and redundant description will be omitted or briefly described.
A tilting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured to discharge a molten material from a container 10 and includes a body portion 200, a seating portion 300 disposed on an upper portion of the body portion 200 to seat the container 10, a tilting portion 500 installed on the body portion 200 and connected to the seating portion 300 to tilt the seating portion 300, and a damper portion 800 disposed at each of both sides of the tilting portion 500 and mounted on a lower portion of the body portion 200 to buffer an impact applied from the container 10 and maintain horizontality of the body portion 200.
In addition, the tilting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include a body support 100 of which the inside is opened horizontally so that a transport car 20 for receiving and transporting the molten material from the container 10 passes and which is disposed below the body portion 200 so that the body portion 200 is spaced apart from the bottom on which the transport car 20 travels, and includes a guide member 130 for guiding the molten material, and a coupling portion 400 which is disposed on a top surface of the seating portion 300 to face the tilting portion 500 and to which the container 10 is coupled.
In addition, the tilting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include weight measuring portions 600, which are mounted on a plurality of positions below the body portion 100, respectively, an angle measuring portion 700 mounted on the seating portion 300 to face the tilting portion 500, and a controller that is capable of controlling whether tilting portion 500 operates depending on whether the container 10 is installed on the seating portion 300 and controlling a tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 using a weight value measured by the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the controller 900 may determine an angle of the container 10 from an angle of the seating portion 300, which is measured from the angle measuring portion 700 and control the tilting angle of the tilting portion 500 based on the determined angle of the container 10.
Here, the body support 100, the body portion 200, the seating portion 300, the coupling portion 400, the weight measuring portion 600, the angle measuring portion 700, and the controller 900 may have the same configuration as the body support, the body portion, the mounting portion, the coupling portion, the weight measuring portion, the angle measuring portion, and the controller of the tilting device in the first embodiment of the present invention described above, and thus, their descriptions will be omitted here.
Hereinafter, the tilting portion 500 and the damper portion 800 are described.
The tilting portion 500 generates rotational force to tilt the seating portion 300, thereby tilting the container 10. In addition, the tilting portion 500 also controls a tilting angle according to the control of the controller 900 to adjust a degree to which the container 10 is tilted.
The tilting portion 500 may face the outer surface of the connection member 320 in one direction at both sides of the connection member 320, may be supported on the top surface of each of the plurality of base members 210, and may be connected to the outer surface of the connection member 320. In addition, the connection members 320 may be provided in the same number as the tilting portion 500. The tilting portion 500 may include a tilting axis member 510, an actuator 520, a driving force transmitter (not shown), a support member 550, and a housing 560.
The tilting axis member 510 receives rotational power from the chain reducer 540 to rotate, thereby tilting the seating portion 300. The tilting axis member 510 may extend in one direction. In addition, the tilting axis member 510 may be disposed at a height of the center of gravity of the container 10 and aligned with the center of gravity of the container 10.
One end of the tilting axis member 510 may be disposed to pass through one surface of the housing 560 and protrude from the housing 560 and may be mounted on an upper portion of an outer surface of the connection member 320 of the seating portion 300. In addition, the other end of the tilting axis member 510 may extend in one direction inside the housing 560. In addition, the tilting axis member 510 may have an intermediate portion connecting one end to the other end thereof, and the intermediate portion may be rotatably supported on the support member 550 inside the housing 560.
The actuator 520 generates rotational force and supplies the rotational force to the gear reducer 530. The actuator 520 may be disposed spaced apart from the tilting axis member 510 in the other direction, for example, in the forward and backward direction.
The driving force transmitter may be installed to connect an output of the actuator 520 to the other end of the tilting axis member 510. In addition, the driving force transmitter may have various rotational force transmission structures within a category that satisfies rotation of the other end of the tilting axis member 510 with the rotational force output from the output of the actuator 520. For example, a chain driving structure may be applied to the driving force transmitter.
The support member 550 serves to rotatably support the tilting axis member 510 inside the housing 560. The support member 550 may extend in the vertical direction, a lower end of the support member 550 may be supported on a bottom surface of the housing member 560, and an upper end of the support member 550 may be supported by the tilting axis member 510.
The housing 560 may protect at least a portion of the tilting axis member 510, the actuator 520, the driving force transmitter, and the support member 550 from the surrounding environment. In addition, the housing 560 may define an outer appearance of the tilting portion 500. The housing 560 may accommodate the actuator 520, the driving force transmitter, and the support member 550 therein.
The damper portion 800 may buffer an impact applied from the container 10. In addition, the damper portion 800 may maintain horizontality of the body portion 200. The damper portion 800 may be mounted at a plurality of positions on a lower portion of the body portion 200. Specifically, two or more damper portions 800 may be disposed for each weight measuring portion 600 and may be disposed on each of both sides of each weight measuring portion in the other direction, for example, on each of both sides in the forward and backward direction.
In addition, the damper portion 800 may have an elastic assembly to elastically support the body portion 200 in the vertical direction. Here, the elastic assembly may include a plate spring assembly. The damper portion 800 may prevent an impact applied from the container 10 to the seating portion 300 as the container 10 is mounted and removed from the seating portion 300 from being transmitted to the weight measuring portion 600 through the body portion 200. Thus, the weight measuring portion 600 may be prevented from being damaged by the impact when measuring a weight. In addition, the damper portion 800 may prevent an impact caused by a change in weight due to the tilting of the container 10 and discharge of the first molten material M1 from being transmitted to the weight measuring portion 600 through the body portion 200.
In addition, the damper portion 800 may prevent the body portion 200 from being tilted by evenly elastically supporting a bottom surface of the body portion 200 during the tilting of the container 10 and the discharge of the first molten material M1 so that the body portion 200 remains horizontality with respect to a top surface of the body support 100.
Hereinafter, a tilting device according to another embodiment of the present invention, that is, a third embodiment, will be described. Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with a focus on features that are distinguished from those of the first and second embodiments of the present invention, and their duplicated descriptions will be omitted.
In the foregoing second embodiment of the present invention, the tilting portion has the driving force transmitter, but in the third embodiment of the present invention, a tilting portion 500 may have two or more types of interconnected reducers instead of the driving force transmitter. More specifically, the tilting portion 500 according to the third embodiment of the present invention may include a tilting axis member 510, an actuator 520, a gear reducer 530, a chain reducer 540, a support member 550, and a housing 560. Here, the tilting axis member 510, the actuator 520, the gear reducer 530, the chain reducer 540, the support member 550, and the housing 560 may have the same configuration as the tilting axis member, the actuator, the gear reducer, the chain reducer, the support member, and the housing of the tilting portion in the first embodiment of the present invention described above, and thus, their descriptions will be omitted.
That is, the tilting device according to the third embodiment of the present invention may include a body support 100, a body portion 200, a seating portion 300, a coupling portion 400, a tilting portion 500, a weight measuring portion 600, an angle measuring portion 700, a damper portion 800, and a controller 900. Here, the tilting portion 500 may have the same configuration as the tilting portion of the tilting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and the remainder except for the tilting portion 500 may have the same configuration as the tilting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
The configurations of the tilting devices according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention described above may be combined and changed with each other.
FIGS. 4 to 7 are views illustrating an operation of the tilting device according to embodiments of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 4 to 7, an operation of the tilting device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described.
Referring to FIG. 4, the first molten material M1 is accommodated in the container 10, transported to the upper side of the tilting device, and seated on the seating portion 300. Here, an initial angle θ0 of the container 10 may be, for example, 0 degrees.
Due to the seating of the container 10, a weight W1 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1 may be distributed to the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the total of a distributed weight W1a may be equal to the weight W1 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1.
A height of the body portion 200 may be lowered from an initial height h0 to a first height h1 by the weight W1 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1. Here, the damper portion 800 may generate elastic force f in proportion to a height decrease Δh1 and elastically support the body portion 200. Here, an impact may be buffered, and a horizontal position of the body portion 200 may be maintained.
Referring to FIG. 5, the controller 900 may detect the seating of the container 10 and operate the tilting portion 500 to generate rotational force, thereby tilting the container 10 at the first tilting angle θ1. Here, the rotation speed of the rotational force may be primarily reduced r1 and secondarily reduced r2 in the gear reducer 530 and the chain reducer 540, and the rotational force of which a rotational speed is reduced to the secondarily reduced speed may rotate the tilting axis member 510 to tilt the container 10. Here, the container 10 may not be tilted all at once at the first tilting angle θ1, but be tilted in stages in a unit of a unit angle less than the first tilting angle θ1, and a predetermined angle maintenance time may be provided between respective tilting angles.
As the container 10 is tilted, and the first molten material M1 is discharged, the decreasing weight W2 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1 may be distributed to the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the total of a distributed weight W2a may be equal to the decreasing weight W2 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1.
A height of the body portion 200 may increase from the first height h1 to the second height h2 by the weight W2 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1. Here, the damper portion 800 may adjust the elastic force f in proportion to a height increase Δh2 and elastically support the body portion 200. Here, an impact may be buffered, and a horizontal position of the body portion 200 may be maintained.
In addition, while the container 10 is tilted from the initial angle θ0 at the first tilting angle θ1, a position of center of gravity C and a position of center of rotation by the tilting axis member 510 may match each other.
The first molten material M1 discharged from the container 10 may be mixed with the second molten material M1 inside the transport car 20.
Referring to FIG. 6, the controller 900 may continuously operate the tilting portion 500 to generate the rotational force and tilt the container 10 at the second tilting angle θ2. Here, the rotation speed of the rotational force may be primarily reduced r1 and secondarily reduced r2 in the gear reducer 530 and the chain reducer 540, and the rotational force of which a rotational speed is reduced to the secondarily reduced speed may rotate the tilting axis member 510 to tilt the container 10. Here, the container 10 may not be tilted all at once at the second tilting angle θ2, but be tilted in stages in a unit of a unit angle, and a predetermined angle maintenance time may be provided between respective tilting angles. For example, the container 10 may be tilted at a tilting angle that is greater by a first unit angle than the first tilting angle θ1, and then the tilting angle may be maintained for a predetermined period of time. Here, the discharge amount of first molten material M1 may increase and then gradually decrease. After the predetermined period of time, the container 10 may be tilted to a tilting angle that is greater by a second unit angle than the first tilting angle θ1, and then the tilting angle may be maintained for a predetermined period of time. In this manner, the first molten material M1 may be stably discharged by being gradually tilted at the second tilting angle θ2.
As the container 10 is tilted, and the first molten material M1 is discharged, the further decreasing weight W3 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1 may be distributed to the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the total of a distributed weight W3a may be equal to the further decreasing weight W3 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1.
A height of the body portion 200 may increase from the second height h2 to the third height h3 by the weight W3 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1. Here, the damper portion 800 may adjust the elastic force f in proportion to a height increase Δh3 and elastically support the body portion 200. Here, an impact may be buffered, and a horizontal position of the body portion 200 may be maintained.
In addition, while the container 10 is tilted from the first tilting angle θ1 to the second tilting angle θ2, a position of center of gravity C and a position of center of rotation by the tilting axis member 510 may match each other. The angle measuring portion 700 may measure an angle at which the container 10 is tilted to transmit the measured angle value to the controller 900. The controller 900 may determine the tilted state of the container 10 based on the angle value received to use the determined tilted state to control the tilting angle.
Additionally, the first molten material M1 discharged from the container 10 may be mixed with the second molten material M1 inside the transport car 20.
A discharge amount of the first molten material M1 may be obtained from the sum of the weight values measured by the weight measuring portion 600 while discharging the first molten material M1 from the container 10, and when the discharge amount may be compared to the reference amount, and then, the discharge amount is equal to the reference amount, the tilting angle of the container 10 may be reduced from that point on.
Referring to FIG. 7, the controller 900 may obtain the discharge amount of first molten material M1, and when the discharge amount becomes equal to the reference amount, the tilting angle of the container 10 may be reduced from the second tilting angle θ2 to the third tilting angle θ3. Here, the container 10 may stand by a decrease Δθ of the tilting angle, and thus, the discharge amount of first molten material M1 may be reduced.
Alternatively, even when reducing the tilting angle, the rotation speed of the rotational force may be primarily reduced r1 and secondarily reduced r2 in the gear reducer 530 and the chain reducer 540, and the rotational force of which a rotational speed is reduced to the secondarily reduced speed may rotate the tilting axis member 510 to reduce the tilting angle of the container 10.
In addition, the container 10 may not be tilted all at once by the decrease Δθ of the tilting angle, but be tilted in stages in a unit of a unit angle, and a predetermined angle maintenance time may be provided between respective tilting angles. In this manner, the tilting angle may be gradually reduced to the third tilting angle θ3, and the discharge amount of first molten material M1 may be stably reduced.
As the container 10 is tilted, and the first molten material M1 is discharged, the further decreasing weight W4 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1 may be distributed to the weight measuring portion 600. Here, the total of a distributed weight W4a may be equal to the further decreasing weight W3 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1.
A height of the body portion 200 may increase from the third height h3 to the fourth height h4 by the weight W4 of the container 10 and the first molten material M1. Here, the damper portion 800 may adjust the elastic force f in proportion to a height increase Δh4 and elastically support the body portion 200. Here, an impact may be buffered, and a horizontal position of the body portion 200 may be maintained.
In addition, while the container 10 is tilted from the second tilting angle θ2 to the third tilting angle θ3, a position of center of gravity C and a position of center of rotation by the tilting axis member 510 may match each other.
Additionally, the first molten material M1 discharged from the container 10 may be mixed with the second molten material M1 inside the transport car 20. Thereafter, the controller 900 may continuously reduce the tilting angle of the container 10 to terminate the discharge of the first molten material M1.
In this manner, in embodiments of the present invention, the controller 900 may reduce the tilting angle of the container 10 in stages in advance using the reference amount before the discharge amount of first molten material M1 reaches the target discharge amount, thereby enabling the first molten material M1 to be discharged in an accurate amount.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing a molten material according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Hereinafter, a method for processing a molten material according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8.
A method for processing a molten material according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a process of seating a container 10 accommodating a molten material, for example, a first molten material M1, in a tilting device, a process of preparing a transport car 20 accommodating a second molten material M2 different from the first molten material M1 at a lower side of the container 10, a process of tilting the container 10 through the tilting device, a process of reducing a tilting speed of the container 10, and a process of discharging the first molten material M1 from the container 10 to charging the first molten material M1 into the transport car 20.
First, the container 10 accommodating the molten material, for example, the first molten material M1 may be seated on the tilting device (S100). Here, the first molten material M1 may include molten steel produced in an electric furnace. In addition, the container 10 may include a ladle.
That is, the first molten material M1 is produced in the electric furnace and discharged into the container 10. The container 10 accommodating the first molten material M1 may be transported using crane equipment, transported up to an upper side of the tilting device, and disposed on a seating portion 300 (see FIG. 4). Here, the container 10 may be coupled to the seating portion 300 using the coupling portion 400.
Next, the transport car 20 accommodating the second molten material M2 different from the first molten material M1 is prepared at a lower side of the container 10 (S200). Here, the second molten metal M2 may include molten iron produced in a blast furnace, and the transport car 20 may include a torpedo car.
That is, the second molten material M2 is produced in the furnace and transported to the transport car 20. The transport car 20 accommodating the second molten material M2 travels to the body support 100 and then is parked inside the body support 100. Here, an opening of the container body 21 of the transport car 20 may be opened and disposed at a lower side of the guide member 130.
When the transport car 20 is prepared at the lower side of the container 10, the container 10 is tilted using the tilting device (S300). Here, the operation of the tilting portion 500 may be controlled by the controller 900 to rotate the actuator 520, rotate the tilting axis member 510 by the actuator 520, and tilt the seating portion 300 using the tilting axis member 510, thereby tilting the container 10 (see FIG. 5). Here, the center of rotation of the tilting axis member 510 of the tilting device may be aligned with the center of gravity C of the container 10. More specifically, the plurality of tilting axis members 510 may be disposed at both sides of the container 10, and a center line passing through the center of the tilting axis members 510 in one direction, for example, in the left and right direction may be aligned with the center of gravity C of the container 10. Here, the center of rotation may be disposed on the center line.
While tilting the container 10 through the tilting device, the weight of the container 10 may be measured using the weight measuring portion 600 at a plurality of positions of the tilting device, and the tilting angle of the container 10 may be adjusted using the weight value of the container 10. Here, the weight of the container 10 measured by the weight measuring portion 600 may be the weight of the first molten material M1 plus the weight from the body portion 200 to the tilting portion 500.
When adjusting the tilting angle of the container 10 using the measured weight value, one of the sum value and the average value of the weight values measured at the plurality of positions may be obtained as a calculated value, and the discharge amount of first molten material M1 discharged from the container 10 may be obtained using the calculated value, and the discharge amount may be compared with a previously input reference amount, and then, the tilting angle may increase or decrease according to the comparison results. That is, if the discharge amount is less than the reference amount, the tilting angle may increase in stages (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and if the discharge amount is equal to or greater than the reference amount, the tilting angle may decrease in stages (see FIG. 7). While tilting the container 10, the angle at which the container 10 tilts may be measured using the angle measuring portion 700, and the measured angle value may be transmitted to the controller 900. The controller 900 may control the tilting angle based on the transmitted angle value.
When tilting the container 10 through the tilting device, the tilting speed of the container 10 is reduced (S400). Specifically, the rotational speed of the rotational force generated from the actuator 520 may be primarily reduced, and the first reduced rotational speed r1 of the rotational force may be secondarily reduced. In addition, the rotational force with the second reduced rotational speed may be transmitted to the tilting axis member 510. Thus, the tilting axis member 510 may rotate at the second reduced rotation speed r2 to slowly and stably tilt the container 10.
Referring to FIG. 3, when the rotational speed of the rotational force is primarily reduced, the rotational speed of the rotational force may be reduced according to a first reduction ratio in a gear reduction manner using the gear reducer 530. In addition, when the rotational speed of the rotational force, which has been primarily reduced, is reduced for a second time, the rotational speed of the rotational force, which has been primarily reduced, may be reduced by a second reduction ratio that is greater than the first reduction ratio in a chain reduction manner using the gear reducer 540.
While the container 10 is tilted by the tilting device, the first molten material M1 is discharged from the container 10 and charged into the transport car 20 (S500).
That is, the first molten material M1 that overflows the opening at the upper portion of the container 10 toward the front side of the container 10 by the tilting of the container 10 and then discharged to the lower side of the container 10 may be guided by the guide member 130 and charged into the container body 21 of the transport car 20. In addition, a third molten material having adjusted components may be produced by mixing the first molten material M1 with the second molten material M2 inside the container body 21. The third molten metal produced may be transported to secondary refining equipment or to continuous casting equipment to be manufactured into high-grade steel.
A method for processing a molten material according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a process of maintaining horizontality of a tilting device while relieving an impact due to a change in weight applied to the tilting device due to the seating and tilting of the container 10 from a process of seating a container 10 accommodating a first molten material M1 on the tilting device and to a process of discharging the first molten material M1 from the container 10 so as to be charged into a transport car 20.
In the process (S600) of maintaining the horizontality of the tilting device, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7, a body portion 200 of the tilting device may be elastically supported in a vertical direction at a plurality of positions in a horizontal direction of the tilting device by using a damper portion 800.
In the method for processing the molten material according to another embodiment of the present invention, the process of reducing the tilting speed of the container 10 while tilting the container 10 through the tilting device may be omitted.
The above exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are for description of the present disclosure, not for limiting the present description. It is to be noted that the configurations and the methods disclosed in the above embodiments of the present invention may be combined or cross-applied to each other and combined and modified in various forms, and these combinations and modifications may be considered within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.

(Description of the Symbols)

100: Body support, 200: Body portion, 300: Seating portion, 400: Coupling portion, 500: Tilting portion, 510: Tilting axis member, 520: Actuator, 530: Gear reducer, 540: Chain reducer, 600: Weight measuring portion, 700: Angle measuring portion, 800: Damper portion, 900: Controller.

Claims

A tilting device that discharges a molten material from a container, the tilting device comprising:
a body portion;

a seating portion disposed on an upper portion of the body portion to seat the container; and

a tilting portion installed on the body portion and connected to the seating portion to tilt the seating portion and comprising a reducer.
The tilting device of claim 1, wherein the tilting portion comprises two or more types of interconnected reducers.
The tilting device of claim 2, wherein the tilting portion comprises;
a tilting axis member disposed at a height of center of gravity of the container seated on the seating portion and connected to the seating portion;

an actuator disposed to be spaced apart from the tilting axis member in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the tilting axis member;

a gear reducer connected to the actuator to primarily reduce a rotation speed of the actuator;

a chain reducer installed on the gear reducer and the tilting axis member to secondarily reduce a rotation speed of the gear reducer so as to be transmitted to the tilting axis member; and

a housing disposed to allow the tilting axis member to pass therethrough and configured to accommodate the actuator, the gear reducer, and the chain reducer.
The tilting device of claim 3, wherein the gear reducer comprises:
a plurality of gears coupled to each other; and

a gear output connected to the plurality of gears, spaced apart from the tilting axis member in the intersection direction, and disposed in the extension direction, and

the chain reducer comprises:
a primary toothed member mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the tilting axis member;

a secondary toothed member mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the gear output and having an outer diameter less than that of the primary toothed member; and

a chain member installed to connect the primary toothed member to the secondary toothed member.
The tilting device of claim 4, wherein the gear output is disposed at a height less than that of the tilting axis member.
A tilting device comprising:
a body portion;

a seating portion disposed on an upper portion of the body portion to seat a container;

a tilting portion installed on the body portion and connected to the seating portion to tilt the seating portion; and

a damper portion disposed on each of both sides of the tilting portion and mounted on a lower portion of the body portion to buffer an impact applied to the container and maintain horizontality of the body portion.
The tilting device of claim 6, wherein the tilting portion comprises a reducer configured to adjust a tilting speed of the container, and
the damper portion comprises an elastic assembly to elastically support the body portion in a vertical direction.
The tilting device of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:
a weight measuring portion disposed at each of a plurality of positions of the lower portion of the body portion; and

a controller configured to control whether the tilting portion operates depending on whether the container is seated on the seating portion and configured to control a tilting angle of the tilting portion using a weight value measured by the weight measuring portion.
The tilting device of claim 8, wherein the weight measuring portions comprise load cells and are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction with respect to the seating portion and are respectively disposed at a plurality of positions, and
the controller is configured to control the tilting angle of the tilting portion using one value of the sum and average of weight values measured at the plurality of positions.
The tilting device of claim 6 or 7, wherein further comprising:
a weight measuring portion disposed at each of a plurality of positions of the lower portion of the body portion; and

a controller configured to control whether the tilting portion operates depending on whether the container is seated on the seating portion and configured to control a tilting angle of the tilting portion using a weight value measured by the weight measuring portion,

wherein the damper portion is disposed for each weight measuring portion and disposed on each of both sides of the corresponding weight measuring portion.
The tilting device of claim 8, further comprising an angle measuring portion mounted on the seating portion to face the tilting portion,
wherein the controller is configured to determine an angle of the container from an angle of the seating portion measured by the angle measuring portion and control a tilting angle of the tilting portion based on the determined angle of the container.
The tilting device of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the body portion comprises a plurality of base members spaced apart from each other in one direction in which the seating portion and the tilting portion face each other and extending in the other direction intersecting the one direction,
wherein the tilting portion is mounted on each of top surfaces of the plurality of base members, and the seating portion is mounted to connect the tilting portions to each other between the tilting portions.
The tilting device of claim 12, wherein the seating portion comprises:
a seating ring having a central portion that is opened in a vertical direction so that at least a lower portion of the container is inserted therein and a top surface on which a protrusion on an outer circumferential surface of the container is hooked; and

a connection member mounted on each of both sides of the seating ring in the one direction, facing the tilting portion in the one direction, and rotatably connected to the tilting axis member of the tilting portion,

wherein a center of rotation of the connection member and a center of gravity of the container seated on the seating ring are aligned with each other in the one direction.
The tilting device of claim 12, further comprising a coupling portion disposed on a top surface of the seating portion to face the tilting portion in the other direction and coupled to the container.
A method for processing a molten material, the method comprising:
seating a container, in which the molten material is accommodated, on a tilting device;

preparing a transport car, in which a molten material different from the molten material is accommodated, below the container;

tilting the container through the tilting device;

reducing a tilting speed of the container; and

discharging the molten material from the container to charge the molten material into the transport car.
The method of claim 15, wherein the tilting of the container comprises:
rotating an actuator of the tilting device;

rotating a tilting axis member of the tilting device through the actuator; and

tilting the container using the tilting axis member, and

the reducing of the tilting speed of the container comprises:
primarily reducing a rotation speed of rotation force generated in the actuator;

secondarily reducing the rotation speed, which is primarily reduced, of the rotation force; and

transmitting the rotation force, in which the rotation speed is secondarily reduced, to the tilting axis member.
The method of claim 16, wherein the primary reducing comprises reducing the rotation speed of the rotation force according to a first reduction ratio in a gear reduction manner, and
the secondary reduction comprises reducing the primarily reduced rotation speed of the rotation force according to a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio in a chain reduction manner.
A method for processing a molten material, the method comprising:
seating a container, in which the molten material is accommodated, on a tilting device;

preparing a transport car, in which a molten material different from the molten material is accommodated, below the container;

tilting the container through the tilting device;

discharging the molten material from the container to charge the molten material into the transport car; and

maintaining horizontality of the tilting device while relieving an impact due to a change in weight applied to the tilting device due to the seating and tilting of the container from the seating of the container to the charging of the molten material.
The method of claim 18, further comprising reducing a tilting speed of the container,
wherein the maintaining of the horizontality of the tilting device comprises elastically supporting a body portion of the tilting device in a vertical direction at a plurality of positions of the tilting device in a horizontal direction.
The method of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the tilting of the container through the tilting device comprises aligning a center of rotation of the tilting device with a center of gravity of the tilting device.
The method of claim 20, wherein the aligning of the center of rotation with the center of gravity of the container comprises aligning a tilting axis member of the tilting device with the center of gravity of the container at both sides of the container.
The method of claim 20, wherein the tilting of the container through the tilting device comprises:
measuring a weight of the container at a plurality of positions of the tilting device; and

adjusting a tilting angle of the container using a weight value of the container.
The method of claim 22, wherein the adjusting of the titling angle of the container using the weight value of the container comprises:
obtaining one of the sum and average of the weight values measured at the plurality of positions as a calculated value;

obtaining a discharge amount of molten material discharged from the container using the calculated value; and

comparing a previously input reference amount with the discharge amount so that the tilting angle increases or decreases according to the comparison results.
The method of claim 23, wherein the increasing or decreasing of the tilting angle comprises:
allowing the tilting angle to increase in stages when the discharge amount is less than the reference amount; and

allowing the tilting angle to decrease in stages when the discharge amount is equal to or greater than the reference amount.
The method of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the molten material comprises molten steel produced in an electric furnace,
a molten material different from the molten material comprises molten iron produced in a blast furnace,

the container comprises a ladle, and

the transport car comprises a torpedo car.