US3439103A - Electrode assembly for electric slag melting - Google Patents

Electrode assembly for electric slag melting Download PDF

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Publication number
US3439103A
US3439103A US676095A US3439103DA US3439103A US 3439103 A US3439103 A US 3439103A US 676095 A US676095 A US 676095A US 3439103D A US3439103D A US 3439103DA US 3439103 A US3439103 A US 3439103A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
electrode
main electrode
rods
auxiliary
main
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US676095A
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English (en)
Inventor
Wolfgang Holzgruber
Othmar Kleinhagauer
Fritz Schwanter
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gebrueder Boehler and Co AG
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Gebrueder Boehler and Co AG
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Publication date
Application filed by Gebrueder Boehler and Co AG filed Critical Gebrueder Boehler and Co AG
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Publication of US3439103A publication Critical patent/US3439103A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B7/00—Heating by electric discharge
    • H05B7/02—Details
    • H05B7/06—Electrodes
    • H05B7/07—Electrodes designed to melt in use
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
    • H05B3/60—Heating arrangements wherein the heating current flows through granular powdered or fluid material, e.g. for salt-bath furnace, electrolytic heating
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B7/00—Heating by electric discharge
    • H05B7/02—Details
    • H05B7/10—Mountings, supports, terminals or arrangements for feeding or guiding electrodes
    • H05B7/109—Feeding arrangements

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an auxiliary electrode for maintaining the temperature of molten metal, particularly molten steel, which has been formed by the electric melting of a self-consuming main electrode, said auxiliary electrode surrounding the consumable main electrode and carrying current while the main electrode is being replaced.
  • Known electrodes of this type are helically wound or tubular, and are mounted in a fixed position. They consist of a material which has a higher melting point than the main electrode, e.g., of graphite, tungsten or molybdenum.
  • main electrodes and/or ingot molds having various diameters are employed, as is often the case, these known auxiliary electrodes must be kept in stock in different diameters so that an auxiliary electrode having a proper diameter is available for each of the main electrodes and/or ingot molds which may be employed.
  • a further disadvantage of these known auxiliary electrodes resides in that they are expensive due to their form because the manufacture of such tubular or helical auxiliary electrodes is diilicult and time-consuming and often involves considerable loss of material.
  • auxiliary electrode for maintaining the temperature of the molten metal, particularly molten steel, which has been formed by electric melting of a self-consuming main electrode, which auxiliary electrode surrounds the consumable main electrode and only carries current while the main electrode is being replaced.
  • This auxiliary electrode comprises a plurality of rods, which are preferably detachably mounted in a holder and extend parallel to the main electrode and dene air gaps between adjacent ones of said rods.
  • the auxiliary electrode is made from the same material as the main electrode, the electrical energy losses will not be increased when alternating current is used for melting the main electrode.
  • This use of alternating current has various advantages.
  • the electrical energy losses will be substantially increased because high losses due to magnetization are incurred in the upper portion of the auxiliar'y electrode, where the temperatures are substantially below the Curie point, i.e., in the temperature range in which the auxiliary electrode exhibits a strong ferromagnetism.
  • the magnetic llux lines permeating the auxiliary electrode according to the invention concentrically surround the main electrode and must also permeate the air gaps between the rods. These air gaps considerably add to the reluctance so that only very weak alternating magnetic fields are established in the auxiliary electrode according to the invention and do not give rise to substantial losses due to magnetization. This explains the above-mentioned avoidance of electrical energy losses.
  • the auxiliary electrode according to the invention is suitably movable, particularly in a vertical direction.
  • the auxiliary electrode can be adjusted during operation to a position in which it dips into the slag layer which floats on the molten metal and which serves for purifying and shielding the molten steel, whereas the lower end of the auxiliary electrode is spaced a desired distance from the molten metal.
  • the rods thereof are identical, preferably circular, in cross section and are evenly spaced on a circle, which is concentric to the main electrode.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an ingot mold which contains a main electrode and the auxiliary electrode according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the elements of FIG. 1.
  • a precast cylindrical main electrode 2 of steel is coaxial to a cylindrical ingot mold 1 and is surrounded by an auxiliary electrode, which consists of a plurality of rods 4.
  • the main electrode 2 and the rods 4 consist of the same material.
  • the rods 4 are detachably secured to the horizontally extending swivelable levers 5.
  • the same are pivoted on vertical pins 7, which are carried by a carrying ring 6.
  • the swivelable levers 5 are adjustable to vary the radial distance from the rods 4 to the axis of the ingot mold.
  • a rotatable ring 8 is provided for this adjustment and has pins 9, which extend into slots 10 of the swivelable levers 5.
  • the ring 8 is rotatable with the aid of a rod 11, which is adjustable by a suitable transmission, not shown.
  • a rod 11 which is adjustable by a suitable transmission, not shown.
  • the rods 4 which constitute the auxiliary electrode and the mounting of such rods on the swivelable levers 5
  • the latter are provided at their ends adjacent to the rods 4 with slits 5 and with set screws S", which extend at right angles to said slits. With the aid of these set screws, the rods 4 can easily be secured to the swivelable levers 5.
  • the holder 3 for the main electrode 2 and the carrying ring 6, which is disposed above the ingot mold 1, are
  • the main and auxiliary electrodes can be adjusted during operation to dip into the slag layer 13, which floats on the molten metal 12 and serves for purifying and shielding the molten steel, whereas the ends of the electrodes have the desired spacing from the molten metal 12.
  • an electric lead 14 extends to the change-over switch 15, from which electric leads 16 and 17 extend to the holder 3 for the main electrode 2 and the carrying ring 6 for the auxiliary electrode.
  • the other terminal of the source of current is connected by an electric lead 18 to the ingot mold 1.
  • the change-over switch 15 is preferably automatically moved into the opposite position, which is indicated in dotted lines, so that current ows through the electric lead 17 to the rods 4 of the auxiliary electrode.
  • the auxiliary electrode maintains the temperature of the molten metal 12 and the rods 4 are consumed. This fusion will take place under particularly suitable conditions if the total crosssectional area of rods 4 is approximately the same as the cross-sectional area of the main electrode 2.
  • the ingot mold 1 is cooled with water, which flows through the space defined by the ingot mold and a jacket 1.
  • the auxiliary electrode according to the invention has the important advantage that it can be adjusted to match various diameters of the main electrodes and/or ingot molds which are employed without need for keeping auxiliary electrodes differing in diameter in stock,l as is the case with the known auxiliary electrodes which are tubular or helical. It will be sufficient to keep rods in stock which are identical in cross section (diameter).
  • Another advantage of the auxiliary electrode according to the invention resides in that the rods of said electrode can be manufactured at much lower costs than the known, auxiliary electrodes which are tubular or helical, particularly if the rods consist of the same material as the main electrode, as is taught by the invention.
  • an electrode assembly for electric slag melting comprising a liquid-cooled mold; at least one electrode holder and a consumable main electrode, said electrode being detachably mounted in said holder; an auxiliary electrode; and a power source
  • said auxiliary electrode which consists of a plurality of consumable rods arranged in spaced relationship to one another and surrounding said respective main electrode, the axes of said rods being parallel to said main electrode axis; mounting means for moving said rods relative to said main electrode; and switch means between said power source and said electrodes wherein after said main electrode is consumed and is raised for replacement, the current is shunted by said switch means to said auxiliary electrode to prevent deleterious cooling of the contents of said mold.
  • rod mounting means consists of a carrying ring, a rotatable ring and swivelable levers for each rod, said levers being pivotably mounted on said carrying ring and actuated by said rotatable ring so that all said rods are arcuately swung relative said main electrode in a plane normal to same to adjust the rod spacing therefrom.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
US676095A 1967-04-28 1967-10-18 Electrode assembly for electric slag melting Expired - Lifetime US3439103A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT400567A AT285194B (de) 1967-04-28 1967-04-28 Hilfselektrode zum Warmhalten von durch Elektroschlackeumschmelzen gebildeten Metallschmelzen, insbesondere von Stahlschmelzen

Publications (1)

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US3439103A true US3439103A (en) 1969-04-15

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US676095A Expired - Lifetime US3439103A (en) 1967-04-28 1967-10-18 Electrode assembly for electric slag melting

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AT (1) AT285194B (de)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3571475A (en) * 1967-08-07 1971-03-16 Wolfgang Holzgruber Electroslag refining apparatus
US3652773A (en) * 1967-10-18 1972-03-28 Wolfgang Holzgruber Process of electrically remelting high-melting metals
US3684001A (en) * 1970-05-11 1972-08-15 Consarc Corp Electroslag furnace eliminating magnetic stirring effect
US3712365A (en) * 1970-11-30 1973-01-23 B Paton Electroslag process for the production of metal castings
US3767831A (en) * 1972-08-23 1973-10-23 Boehler & Co Ag Geb Process and apparatus for electro-slag remelting metals and in particular steel
US3835230A (en) * 1972-05-02 1974-09-10 Nipkti Cherna Metalurgia D.c. arc furnace for steelmaking

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2448886A (en) * 1945-05-19 1948-09-07 Kellogg M W Co Electric furnace
US2783411A (en) * 1955-12-09 1957-02-26 Elox Corp Servo feed for multiple electrodes
US2952723A (en) * 1957-07-10 1960-09-13 Republic Steel Corp Apparatus for controlling the atmosphere in an electric furnace
US3211887A (en) * 1962-06-14 1965-10-12 Foster Wheeler Corp Welding shoe
US3264095A (en) * 1962-10-29 1966-08-02 Magnetic Metals Company Method and apparatus for melting of metals to obtain utmost purity

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2448886A (en) * 1945-05-19 1948-09-07 Kellogg M W Co Electric furnace
US2783411A (en) * 1955-12-09 1957-02-26 Elox Corp Servo feed for multiple electrodes
US2952723A (en) * 1957-07-10 1960-09-13 Republic Steel Corp Apparatus for controlling the atmosphere in an electric furnace
US3211887A (en) * 1962-06-14 1965-10-12 Foster Wheeler Corp Welding shoe
US3264095A (en) * 1962-10-29 1966-08-02 Magnetic Metals Company Method and apparatus for melting of metals to obtain utmost purity

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3571475A (en) * 1967-08-07 1971-03-16 Wolfgang Holzgruber Electroslag refining apparatus
US3652773A (en) * 1967-10-18 1972-03-28 Wolfgang Holzgruber Process of electrically remelting high-melting metals
US3684001A (en) * 1970-05-11 1972-08-15 Consarc Corp Electroslag furnace eliminating magnetic stirring effect
US3712365A (en) * 1970-11-30 1973-01-23 B Paton Electroslag process for the production of metal castings
US3835230A (en) * 1972-05-02 1974-09-10 Nipkti Cherna Metalurgia D.c. arc furnace for steelmaking
US3767831A (en) * 1972-08-23 1973-10-23 Boehler & Co Ag Geb Process and apparatus for electro-slag remelting metals and in particular steel

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AT285194B (de) 1970-10-12

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