JP2011526205A - Method and apparatus for removing cooling water from ingot using water jet - Google Patents

Abstract

  Exemplary embodiments relate to removing the cooling water used to cool the surface of the ingot that occurs during casting. The cooling water is removed by directing the water jet that removes the cooling water from the surface when it comes into contact with the water jet at a predetermined angle toward the surface with a predetermined momentum. Follow a path that prevents contact with the ingot surface again. An apparatus for this includes a nozzle for forming a water jet and an apparatus for supplying water of sufficient pressure and flow rate to the nozzle.

Description

  The present invention relates to casting a metal ingot. More particularly, the present invention relates to cooling such an ingot as it exits the casting apparatus by applying and removing cooling water from the ingot.

  Hot top for manufacturing direct chill (DC) casting (method including electromagnetic casting (EMC)), rolling slab ingot, forging ingot, drawing ingot, etc. There are various metal ingot casting methods, such as technology. These various casting methods are used as they exit the mold to ensure solidification of the ingot surface and to reduce the possibility of molten metal flowing out of the ingot before it completely solidifies. Applying a refrigerant to the outer surface of the ingot. Often ingots are cast vertically, but horizontal casting is also practiced, such as horizontal direct chill casting (HDC). In the case of vertical direct chill casting, inter alia, cooling water is directed to the outer surface of the ingot around the bottom of the mold and the cooling water flows down the side of the ingot.

  For some purposes, it is desirable to remove cooling water from the surface of the ingot at a predetermined distance from the mold exit. This is because the cooling rate of the ingot is reduced from this position because the surface is not air cooled but air cooled. For example, as shown in US Pat. No. 4,237,961, issued Dec. 9, 1980 by Zinnigger, cooling water is a device such as a squeegee that contacts a physical wiper or metal surface. However, the surface of the ingot is still hot and the wiper device deteriorates prematurely (especially there is a metal flow to bring the molten metal into contact with the wiper elastomeric material or the metal of the support structure) If). It can also be difficult to use this type of mechanical wiper early in the casting process. The shape of the ingot butt (or butt) (bottom) makes mechanical wiping difficult (especially for thin ingots). For example, in DC casting, during initial fill, start down, first curl and second curl, the metal may droop or flow out of the mold, Burn the elastomer contact material before the molten metal collects in the wiper and can wipe the ingot. Thus, the wiper is typically not used until after the occurrence of butt-curl (ie only after the ingot has appeared 10-14 inches). A wiper that mechanically engages the ingot cannot be engaged before the final curl (i.e., the first 10-14 inches of the ingot are substantially cooled before any water is removed) ). After wiper engagement, different temperatures in the butt and run portions can result in further processing problems or scrap formation during casting, preheating and rolling, a variety of metallurgical structures As well as stress.

  For example, as shown in US Pat. No. 2,705,353 issued by Zeigler on April 5, 1995, cooling water is blown from a cast metal using a jet of gas such as compressed air. It is known to remove. However, due to the inefficiencies associated with compressible gas compression, compressed air wipers are expensive to install and use. US Pat. No. 5,685,359 to Wagstaff et al. Shows a coolant spray hole (or hole) with an overlapping spray pattern for direct secondary cooling, but the spray hole removes cooling water. Is not used.

  U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,214 by Ohtake et al. Describes a cooling water jet, but such a jet is also not used for cooling water removal.

  There is a need for an improved method of removing surface cooling water from such ingots.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a method of removing cooling water from the surface of a metal ingot, where the cooling water flows through the surface in the casting direction. This method provides an angle and flow rate effective to separate one or more water sprays from the surface when the cooling water flowing through the surface impinges (or contacts) the spray. Including pointing to the surface of the ingot. Preferably, enough water is removed to allow natural film boiling (or natural boiling), thereby removing all water within a short distance of the water spray.

  Another exemplary embodiment provides an apparatus for removing cooling water from the surface of a metal ingot, where the cooling water flows through the surface in the casting direction. The apparatus includes one or more nozzles configured to direct a water spray toward the surface, the nozzle causing the water spray to flow when the cooling water flowing through the surface contacts the water spray. Is positioned and oriented (or angled) so that it is effective for use in separating the surface from the surface. The apparatus also includes one or more conduits (or conduits) for supplying water to the nozzle and one or more pressure devices for pressurizing the water supplied to the nozzle.

  According to these exemplary embodiments, a water jet or spray is used to remove cooling water from the surface of the ingot as it is cast. The apparatus for forming the water jet is economical to install and operate, considering that the removal medium will be water (this water may be taken from the same water source used to cool the ingot). Is. Since the jet is unaffected by the flowing molten metal and follows any changes in the shape of the ingot produced, the method and apparatus may be used early during the casting operation and the casting mold outlet May be adjacent to

  The present invention is illustrated in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section of a known direct chill casting mold with a mechanical wiper for removing cooling water. FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross section of an ingot cast by DC casting showing an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for removing cooling water. FIG. 3 is an enlargement of the portion of the apparatus of FIG. 2 showing the water jet in operation. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section of the portion of the apparatus of FIG. 2 prior to operation of the water jet. FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4, but shows the device after operation of the water jet. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section similar to FIG. 5, but showing an exemplary embodiment that uses a drain (or scupper) to remove cooling water. FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-section of another exemplary embodiment using a corrugated shield wall that forms a channel for cooling water removed from the ingot surface. FIGS. 8-10 illustrate another embodiment using a narrow cylindrical water jet to remove cooling water from the ingot. FIGS. 8-10 illustrate another embodiment using a narrow cylindrical water jet to remove cooling water from the ingot. FIGS. 8-10 illustrate another embodiment using a narrow cylindrical water jet to remove cooling water from the ingot. FIG. 11 is a cross section illustrating an exemplary embodiment applied to horizontal DC casting.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are based on a number of water streams that cool newly formed metal ingots, such as non-ferrous or light metal ingots, such as aluminum, magnesium or copper alloy ingots. It may be used with any type of device. However, the exemplary embodiment is particularly suitable for use with a DC casting apparatus, and one form of such an apparatus is shown in FIG. 1 so that the preferred and exemplary embodiments can be better understood. A brief description is given below. However, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this type of device.

  FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a direct chill casting mold for producing a metal ingot, showing a known arrangement for removing cooling water from the outer surface of the ingot. This device is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0102136 issued to Wagstaff et al., Issued May 10, 2007 (the disclosure of this publication is specifically incorporated herein by this reference). ). The mold is indicated generally at 10 and comprises an open upper inlet 11 and an open lower outlet 12. As indicated by arrow 13, molten metal is introduced into the mold inlet. The mold includes a main cooling channel 14 filled with recirculating cooling water 15 that cools the inner wall of the mold. The molten metal cools in the vicinity of the mold wall and forms an embryonic ingot 16 that emerges from the mold. The Embryonic Ingot is a melt surrounded by a solid metal shell 18 that descends and increases in thickness until complete solidification occurs away from the mold outlet 12 to form a fully solidified ingot 19. It has a metal sump 17 (or molten metal sump). A flow or jet of cooling water 20 is poured from the channel (or channel) 14 adjacent to the lower outlet 12 of the mold to the surface of the ingot to help form and maintain a solid outer shell 18 around the molten metal pool. . The cooling water flows down along the sides of the embryonic ingot but is removed by a mechanical wiper 21 located at a distance X from the mold outlet. The cooling water 20 thus removed leaves the ingot 19 and forms a stream 22 that has no further cooling effect. A wiper made of a soft and flexible material or elastomeric material that physically contacts the outer surface of the ingot to remove cooling water is in the form of an annulus. The wiper is held by a rigid holder (not shown) made of metal or the like. In the apparatus of FIG. 1, the distance X is configured such that the ingot “self homogenized”. Of course, there are other reasons why cooling water may be removed from the mold in place, and the exemplary embodiment is not limited to this one purpose.

  In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mechanical wiper of the type indicated by 21 may be replaced with a series of water jets (or water jets) that remove cooling water from the surface of the ingot. This is shown by way of example in the attached figures, FIGS. FIG. 2 is a horizontal section of the ingot away from the direct chill casting mold where the cooling water is removed. An ingot 19 (or an embryonic ingot 16) having a surface layer of cooling water 20 flowing downwards, from the bottom wall 26 of the direct chill casting mold 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5), with a narrow horizontal spacing. It is completely surrounded by a short solid vertical wall 25 (for example made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel) that extends downward. This wall 25 is not essential, but functions as a shield to prevent water from spewing out to other ingots that can be cast simultaneously in adjacent areas. The wall 25 is penetrated by a number of holes or slots 27 that are all located at the same vertical height in the illustrated embodiment. An elongated nozzle 28 extends through the respective slot from the outside of the wall and terminates at a short distance from the surface 29 of the ingot. As best shown in FIG. 2, on each side of the ingot 19, a nozzle 28 is connected to a manifold 30 that supplies pressurized water to the nozzle, the manifold being a flexible high pressure hose (high pressure flexible hose) 31, 32 and 33 are connected together in series (or in series in order). In a series arrangement, the first manifold is connected to a device 35 (such as a pump) for supplying pressurized water by a flexible high pressure hose 34. When the pressurized water is supplied in this manner, each nozzle sprays a water jet 36 (FIG. 3) toward the surface 29 of the ingot. It can be seen that each nozzle forms a jet 36 having the shape of flat fan. Thus, the jets 36 are generally flat in the vertical side view but extend outward in the plan view and they extend vertically a much smaller distance compared to extending horizontally. The fan-shaped jets 36 preferably overlap partially as shown. The angle of the apex of the water jet (as shown in the plan view of FIG. 3) is preferably at least 65 ° and may be 72 ° or more. The nozzles are preferably spaced apart from each other (and / or from the ingot) by a distance effective to provide an overlap of 1 inch to 2 inches at the surface of the ingot. While this arrangement is particularly preferred, on the other hand, according to the embodiments described below, nozzles that form other shaped water jets (eg cylindrical jets) may also be used instead, and jet overlap is always required You will see that it is not.

Manifold 30 may be of any size and shape, but is preferably square in cross section (eg, ¹ _1/4 inch on a side) and nozzles 28 are preferably spaced about 5 inches or less from one another. It is arranged by. However, this can vary to suit a particular mold and spacing arrangement. For a standard DC casting apparatus, the manifold 30 may be, for example, 1720 mm long (the long side of the ingot) and 560 mm long (the short side of the ingot). The pressure of the water supplied to the nozzle 28 should be suitable for removal from most or all of the cooling water ingot surface, preferably at least 80 psi, up to about 150 psi, more preferably in the range of 100-120 psi. For each nozzle, at least 0.4 gallons per minute (gpm / in) per linear inch around the mold perimeter, up to about 1.5 gpm / in (ideally 0.6-1) Give a flow rate in the range of 0.0 gpm / in. The mold discharge flow rate (or discharge flaw rate) (flow rate for all water discharged from the mold before the wiper) is preferably at least 0.6 gpm / in, preferably at most 1.5 gpm / in, preferably The range is 0.7 to 1.0 gpm / in. The high pressure hoses 31, 32, 33 and 34 are preferably easy to attach and detachable so that they can be easily disconnected and reconnected to replace one or more manifolds if clogged or other care is required. It is attached to the manifold by (quick release fittings). Furthermore, the manifolds 30 are preferably devices that can move them closer to or farther from the ingot 19 and / or move closer to the casting mold or move further away from the casting mold ( (Not shown). It is also desirable to be able to adjust the angle of the spray relative to the ingot surface so that the nozzle is rotatable about a horizontal axis and is determined depending on the situation.

  The operation of the jet is best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, which are detailed vertical sectional views in the region of the bottom wall 26 of the casting mold 10. Manifold 30 is omitted in these figures for simplicity, but is located just outside wall 25. FIG. 4 shows the situation before the jet begins. The nozzle 28 extends through the vertical wall 25 and faces the surface 29 of the ingot 19 emerging from the casting mold outlet 12. Cooling water 20 flows from the bottom opening of the channel 14 of the mold to the surface 29, and the water flows down the continuous layer along the outer surface of the ingot (as indicated by arrow A). Without the water jet running, the cooling water will flow down the ingot in this way until it reaches the bottom of the ingot or the water collection pool. As shown in FIG. 5, pressurized water is supplied to the nozzle 28 to remove the cooling water at a distance X from the bottom of the mold, forming a flat fan-shaped jet 36 that contacts the surface 29 of the ingot. A suitable angle α (preferably in the range of 65 ° to 75 °, more than the surface 29, with a sufficient momentum (water volume and flow rate) and a component of movement that counter-currents to the direction of the flow of cooling water. Preferably 68 to 72 °), the jet strips (or strips) the cooling water and removes the cooling water after leaving the ingot surface 29 upward flow 40 (as indicated by arrow B). Let me. This means that the nozzle 28 is preferably oriented upwards at an angle of 15 ° to 25 ° (more preferably 19 ° to 22 °) from the horizontal (when the flow 20 flows downward). While the most effective angle can be determined by testing and experimentation in certain circumstances. Jet overlap further helps to remove flowing water from the ingot. The momentum formed by the water in the overlapping areas is to help spray away the flowing water from the ingot due to the “interactive fountain” effect. Ideally, a sufficient amount of water is removed in this way, leaving only a thin residual film that dries quickly thanks to the hot ingot.

  Preferably, the upward flow of cooling water bounces off the bottom wall 26 of the casting mold without impinging on the contact between the ingot and the mold and without entering the mold cavity, and then the vertical wall 25 Flowing down the inner surface 42 (as indicated by arrow C), there is no further contact between the cooling water and the surface 29 of the ingot beyond the distance X. The cooling water is therefore stripped from the surface without any direct contact from the mechanical parts of the device.

  It should be noted that sufficient cooling water needs to be removed from the surface 29 to achieve the desired reduction in ingot cooling past the distance X. Ideally, all or substantially all of the water is removed in this way, but this is not always necessary since a small amount of cooling water remains beyond the distance X (probably possible) is there). However, these remaining amounts usually disappear rapidly or even instantaneously due to evaporation caused by the heat of the ingot. Also, the cooling effect desired in certain cases is acceptable even if a small amount of cooling water does not disappear immediately upon evaporation. Preferably, at least 90%, more preferably at least 95%, even more preferably at least 99% of the volume of cooling water above position X is removed by the water jet itself and quickly or even substantially immediately by evaporation. Only the sub-film to be removed is left.

  The spacing of the nozzle from the ingot is preferably optimized according to the following considerations. The closer the nozzle is placed to the ingot, the more momentum the water will have when the water contacts the surface of the ingot, but if the molten metal flows out of the mold or ingot during the casting operation, the nozzle will There is a greater risk of damage. Also, the closer the nozzle is placed to the ingot, the more nozzles will be needed to provide a constant line of water that impinges around the entire circumference of the ingot. Therefore, the distance from the nozzle ingot should be such that, as much as possible, the momentum of the jet water should not be reduced below that which is effective for removing (or stripping) the cooling water from the ingot. Don't be.

  Therefore, the distance X at which the water jet is applied to the ingot surface depends on the reason for the operation of removing the desired water. As mentioned above, water removal is necessary for “in-situ homogenization” where the distance X is the distance at which the ingot temperature can rise to the homogenization temperature after removing the water. Can be. Cooling water removal may be performed in another embodiment for stress relief in the ingot. For the more common wiping used for hard alloys, longer distances X are used and the instantaneous boiling of the remaining cooling water may not be as important.

  It should be noted that in some cases the distance X may be selected to be different on different aspects of the ingot. The short side (ingot end) of the ingot may have a higher point of contact with the jet (closer to the mold) than the point of contact with the jet required on the long side (rolled surface) of the ingot. A thinner ingot may also have a higher contact point with water compared to the contact point with water required for a thicker ingot. However, unless the flowing water is affected by different forces on different sides of the ingot (for example, gravity in the case of horizontal direct chill casting), the water jet flow rate and pressure are usually the same on all sides of the ingot. Will. In such cases, the flow rate and / or pressure will be varied on different sides of the ingot to achieve the desired degree of water removal from each ingot face.

  The ideal angle of the nozzle to produce the cooling water removal effect can be determined by manually adjusting the angle of the jet (eg, by rotating the manifold 30) and observing the results. This may be done by maintaining the same angle for the preliminary operation of the casting apparatus and subsequent all casting operations of the same characteristics.

  It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be particularly effective when used with the cooling water application means shown in US Pat. No. 5,685,359 by Wagstaff, mentioned above. This cooling means uses a split jet (or split jet) / dual jet (or dual jet) arrangement for cooling the ingot at the exit of the casting mold.

  For safety, performance and maintenance reasons, water hoses and manifolds will require filters, shut-off valves and other common equipment. For example, a 50 mesh filter may be provided to protect the nozzle from clogging. Such a filter may be placed on the supply side of the device for supplying pressurized water so as to minimize loss of device performance. The device 35 may be a pump capable of generating, for example, a water pressure of 150 psi or more and a flow rate of water of 115 gallons or more per minute. A suitable pump can be obtained, for example, from Pioneer Pump, 310 South Sequoia Parkway, Canby, OR 97013, U.S.A. (eg, model SC32C10). The same water used for cooling may be used for the nozzle, or it may be supplied from a different water source. The water may be substantially pure but may contain additives such as ethylene glycol. If the water contains such additives, it must of course be supplied from a different water source than the cooling water. The water may also contain unintended additives (especially when using recycled cooling water). When water is supplied to the nozzle, it is generally at room temperature.

  The nozzle 28 preferably spans at least 65 ° (preferably 72 °) arc of about 0.8 gallons to about 1.0 gallon (or more than 1.5 gallons) of water at a pressure of 120 psi per minute. The ability to supply Such nozzles can be obtained, for example, from Spraying Systems of P.O.Box 7900, Wheaton, Illinois 60189-7900 U.S.A. The nozzle is preferably used with an extender so that it protrudes sufficiently through the shield wall 25 to avoid obstruction by contact with the backflow of cooling water along the inner surface of the shield wall 25.

  Another embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 26 of the mold 10 is provided with a drain 50 (or scupper) 50 before the cooling water 20 removed from the ingot 19 descends the wall 25 to the height of the nozzle 28. Collect 20 This avoids the possibility that the cooling water may interfere with or adversely affect the operation of the nozzle 25 or the shape or power of the water jet 36. The water collected at the drain 50 flows to the end of the mold and flows away from the ingot or is removed through a suitable channel (not shown).

  Still another arrangement using a shield wall 25 having a corrugated shape in plan view is shown in FIG. The nozzle 28 projects through the wall 25 at a position where the wall 25 is closest to the surface 29 of the ingot 19. After cooling back away from the ingot by the method shown in FIG. 5, the cooling water 20 removed from the mold by the jet 36 is formed between the positions of the wall 25 closest to the ingot. Tend to flow in vertical channels 52. This keeps the cooling water away from the nozzle 28 and the jet 36, thereby minimizing any possibility of interfering with the jet.

  8 to 10 show an embodiment in which a narrow cylindrical water jet is used instead of the above fan-shaped jet. In FIG. 8, a jet 36 (which is bent upward (and angled as in the above embodiment)) penetrates the layer of cooling water 20 to the surface 29 of the ingot 19 and then the cooling water. Spread out to separate from the surface of the ingot. In the case of FIG. 9, after contacting the ingot 19, the jets 36 expand sufficiently to contact each other and form an “interactive fountain” 54 coupled between the nozzle locations. This effect is produced by adjusting the nozzle pressure and flow rate sufficiently. The cooling water layer is completely separated from the ingot.

  In the case of FIG. 10, the effects shown in FIG. 9 are built up by bending (or angling) the nozzles toward each other to maximize cooling water separation from the ingot surface.

  FIG. 11 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention applied to horizontal DC casting. In a horizontal direct chill casting apparatus, it may be necessary to adjust the position of the nozzle so that the jet of wiping water contacts the top surface of the ingot at a different distance from the casting mold compared to the bottom surface of the ingot. In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the drain (or scapper) 50 is used above the ingot to collect and remove the cooling water 20 that has been stripped (or removed) from the ingot. Without such a means of collecting and removing the stripped cooling water, the stripped cooling water will fall back onto the ingot and adversely affect the cooling characteristics of the ingot. Below the ingot, the cooling water 20 may fall naturally from the ingot 19 as shown, or in another embodiment, a series of water jets at different distances from the mold to remove the cooling water. You may apply similarly. However, a drain such as drain 50 used on the upper side of the mold would not be necessary on the lower side of the mold. This is because the cooling water removed from the ingot will flow away from the ingot anyway under the action of gravity. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6, drain 50 removes the cooling water collected at the end of the mold and discards it without contacting the ingot or nozzle.

  Although the embodiments described above are preferred, various improvements and alternatives are possible. As already mentioned, the exemplary embodiment may be used with various casting apparatus as well as the DC casting apparatus of FIG. Furthermore, the present invention is suitable for use with a variety of metals, particularly for aluminum, magnesium and copper alloys. It is particularly preferred to use it for casting aluminum alloys.

Claims (26)

A method of removing the cooling water from the surface of the metal ingot in which the cooling water flows in the casting direction on the surface,
One or more water sprays at an angle and a flow rate that is efficient to separate the cooling water flowing through the surface from the surface when the cooling water collides with the one or more water sprays; A method comprising directing to.   The method of claim 1, wherein the water spray is directed to the surface at an angle within a range of 65 ° to 75 ° in a direction backflowing in the direction of flow.   The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the water sprays each have a flow rate of about 1 gallon / min or less.   4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water spray is formed generally flat and fan-shaped.   The method of claim 4, wherein the fan-shaped sprays are located close to each other such that they overlap where the sprays contact the ingot.   The method of claim 4, wherein the water sprays are located close to each other so as to overlap in the range of 1 to 2 inches.   The method of claim 4, wherein each of the water sprays extends over an arc of at least 65 °.   The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the nozzles are separated from each other by an interval of 5 inches or less.   9. The cooling water removed from the front surface by the spray and the water from the spray after contacting the surface are restricted to follow a path away from the surface of the ingot. The method according to claim 1.   The cooling water removed from the front surface and the water from the spray after contacting the surface are kept out of contact with the surface but are limited to the area surrounding the ingot. The method of any one of -9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the method is applied to an ingot emerging from a direct chill casting mold having an orifice that provides the cooling water to the surface of the ingot.
The method wherein all of the spray is directed to the surface at a predetermined distance from the direct chill casting mold. The ingot is generally rectangular and has four sides;
The method of claim 11, wherein the spray is directed to all four sides of the ingot at the predetermined distance from the direct chill casting mold.   The method of claim 11, wherein the direct chill casting mold is oriented in a direction for vertical casting. An apparatus for removing the cooling water from the surface of the metal ingot in which the cooling water flows in the casting direction on the surface,
One or more nozzles configured to direct a water spray toward the surface, the water spray separating the cooling water flowing through the surface from the surface when the cooling water collides with the spray; Nozzles arranged at positions and angles that are efficient to use for
One or more conduits for supplying water to the nozzle;
A pressurizing device for pressurizing water supplied to the nozzle;
Including the device.   15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more nozzles are directed to the surface at an angle in a range of 65 [deg.] To 75 [deg.] In a direction reverse to the flow direction.   The apparatus of claim 14 or 15, wherein the water spray is at a flow rate of about 1.5 gallons / min or less.   The apparatus of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the nozzle is configured to form a generally flat and fan-shaped water spray.   The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the nozzles are positioned close to each other such that the nozzles overlap at a point where the spray contacts the ingot.   The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the nozzles are located close to each other such that the water sprays overlap in the range of 1 to 2 inches.   19. Apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the nozzle is configured such that each fan-shaped spray spreads over an arc of at least 65 [deg.].   21. An apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the nozzles are separated from each other by an interval of 5 inches or less.   The nozzle is configured such that the cooling water removed from the surface by the spray and the water from the spray after contacting the surface follow a path away from the surface of the ingot. The apparatus of any one of 14-21.   The nozzle is maintained such that the cooling water removed from the front surface and the water from the spray after contacting the surface are not in contact with the surface, but limited to the area surrounding the ingot. 23. An apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 22 configured to: The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 23, comprising a direct chill casting mold for manufacturing the ingot.
The mold includes an orifice that provides the cooling water to the surface of the ingot;
An apparatus in which the nozzle is located at a predetermined distance from the outlet of the direct chill casting mold. The ingot is generally rectangular and has four sides;
25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the nozzle is located on the four sides of the ingot at the predetermined distance from the direct chill casting mold.   25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the direct chill casting mold is oriented in a direction for vertical casting.

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