US3923091A — Method of supervising skin thickness in a solidif…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 127 words

In a method for providing for an anticipating indication of weakening of the skin of a continuously cast ingot where emerging from the bottom of a liquid cooled mold, and wherein a location of the mold wall has been determined which is particularly prone to exhibit separation of the ingot skin as formed adjacently thereof during the casting, the improvement comprising the steps of: measuring the heat transfer taking place in an upper portion of the mold at said location, well above the bottom thereof and of a width considerably smaller than the width of a mold side and providing an electrical signal representative thereof; and detecting electrically the onset of deviation of the representation from a normal value indicative of absence of skin weakening or separation.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 127 words

In a method for providing for an anticipating indication of weakening of the skin of a continuously cast ingot where emerging from the bottom of a liquid cooled mold, and wherein a location of the mold wall has been determined which is particularly prone to exhibit separation of the ingot skin as formed adjacently thereof during the casting, the improvement comprising the steps of: measuring the heat transfer taking place in an upper portion of the mold at said location, well above the bottom thereof and of a width considerably smaller than the width of a mold side and providing an electrical signal representative thereof; and detecting electrically the onset of deviation of the representation from a normal value indicative of absence of skin weakening or separation.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 53 words

In a method as in claim 1, including the step of measuring separately the heat transfer in a portion below said upper portion and of the same width and providing an electrical signal representative thereof, and providing a running indication of the ratio of the two signals as representing the two heat transfers.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 57 words

In a method as in claim 1, and including measuring the heat transfer in a second portion of the mold, also well above the bottom thereof and at a mold location displaced for said first mentioned location and providing an electrical signal representative thereof, and relating the signal representations of the two heat transfers to each other.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 162 words

In a method of ascertaining the skin thickness of a body solidfying in a mold wherein liquidous material is added to the mold and the body is withdrawn from the bottom of the mold, with solidified skin around a still liquidous core, the mold provided with liquid cooling, comprising: measuring separately the heats transferred by the body as in contact with the mold to the coolant in two different, vertically spaced zones, each zone having width considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold, and providing a signal representative of the ratio K of the heats as measured, said signal being time variable as said body is being withdrawn in dependance upon any variations of any said heat transfers; providing a signal representation for the total heat transfer Q to the coolant in said two zones; and indirectly measuring the skin thickness s to be expected at the mold exit by processing said signals on the basis of the functional relation

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 162 words

In a method of ascertaining the skin thickness of a body solidfying in a mold wherein liquidous material is added to the mold and the body is withdrawn from the bottom of the mold, with solidified skin around a still liquidous core, the mold provided with liquid cooling, comprising: measuring separately the heats transferred by the body as in contact with the mold to the coolant in two different, vertically spaced zones, each zone having width considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold, and providing a signal representative of the ratio K of the heats as measured, said signal being time variable as said body is being withdrawn in dependance upon any variations of any said heat transfers; providing a signal representation for the total heat transfer Q to the coolant in said two zones; and indirectly measuring the skin thickness s to be expected at the mold exit by processing said signals on the basis of the functional relation

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 42 words

In a method as in claim 4, wherein the heat transfer Q is measured indirectly, by detecting the surface temperature To of the body when withdrawn from the mold, and by providing the signal representing Q on the basis of the relation

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 32 words

Method as in claim 4 characterized by carrying out similar steps in different areas of the mold spaced apart along the circumference, and comparing the resulting skin thickness values with each other.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 36 words

Method as in claim 4, wherein upper and lower mold wall portions are cooled by a common circulation, the coolant flowing vertically down in the mold wall, the temperature being measured in the coolant flow path.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 105 words

Method as in claim 7, wherein the two zones extend respectively in upper and lower half of the mold, the heat ratio detecting step including measuring the temperature TE of the coolant as fed to the mold in an upper wall portion thereof, the temperature TA of the coolant as withdrawn from the mold in a lower wall portion thereof, and the temperature TM of the coolant in a central wall portion of the mold, and providing the signal representing K by forming in a measuring circuit the ratio TM -TE / TA - TM on the basis of the separate measuring of said temperatures.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 24 words

Method as in claim 8, wherein the common circulation includes a vertical duct, the temperatures being detected by using thermo-elements projecting into the duct.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 57 words

Method as in claim 4, wherein upper and lower mold wall portions are cooled by separate coolant circulations, the temperature in the central wall portion being measured separately for the two circulations, once in the in-flow for the cooling of the lower mold wall portion and once in the out-flow from cooling the upper mold wall portion.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 192 words

In a method of ascertaining the skin thickness of a body solidifying in a mold wherein liquidous material is added to the mold and the body is withdrawn from the bottom of the mold, with solidified skin around a still liquidous core, the mold provided with liquid cooling, comprising: monitoring the heat transferred by the ingot to the mold inan upper portion of the mold and for a width portion thereof considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold, and providing a signal representative thereof; monitoring the heat transferred by the ingot to the mold in a low portion of the mold and for a width portion similar to said width and providing a signal representative thereof; monitoring concurrently the total amount of heat Q transferred in both said portions, said monitoring steps including measuring temperature of the cooling liquid at various points in said portions as well as the rate of flow of said coolant as effective in said portions; and processing said signals and a signal representation of the quantity Q to provide an indication of skin thickness s to be expected on the basis of the functional relation

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 192 words

In a method of ascertaining the skin thickness of a body solidifying in a mold wherein liquidous material is added to the mold and the body is withdrawn from the bottom of the mold, with solidified skin around a still liquidous core, the mold provided with liquid cooling, comprising: monitoring the heat transferred by the ingot to the mold inan upper portion of the mold and for a width portion thereof considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold, and providing a signal representative thereof; monitoring the heat transferred by the ingot to the mold in a low portion of the mold and for a width portion similar to said width and providing a signal representative thereof; monitoring concurrently the total amount of heat Q transferred in both said portions, said monitoring steps including measuring temperature of the cooling liquid at various points in said portions as well as the rate of flow of said coolant as effective in said portions; and processing said signals and a signal representation of the quantity Q to provide an indication of skin thickness s to be expected on the basis of the functional relation

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 170 words

In a method of ascertaining the skin thickness of a body solidifying in a mold wherein liquidous material is added to the mold and the body is withdrawn from the bottom of the mold, with solidified skin around a still liquidous core, the mold provided with liquid cooling, comprising: monitoring the vertical temperature differential of the cooling liquid in an upper portion of the mold and for a width portion thereof considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold; monitoring the vertical temperature differential of the cooling liquid in a lower portion of the mold and for a width portion also considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold; providing a signal representation of the ratio K of said temperature differentials, and on a running basis; measuring the surface temperature To of the body as withdrawn from the mold; and providing a signal representation of skin thickness by processing said ratio signal K and a signal representing measured surface temperature, on the basis of the two functional relations

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 170 words

In a method of ascertaining the skin thickness of a body solidifying in a mold wherein liquidous material is added to the mold and the body is withdrawn from the bottom of the mold, with solidified skin around a still liquidous core, the mold provided with liquid cooling, comprising: monitoring the vertical temperature differential of the cooling liquid in an upper portion of the mold and for a width portion thereof considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold; monitoring the vertical temperature differential of the cooling liquid in a lower portion of the mold and for a width portion also considerably smaller than the total circumference of the mold; providing a signal representation of the ratio K of said temperature differentials, and on a running basis; measuring the surface temperature To of the body as withdrawn from the mold; and providing a signal representation of skin thickness by processing said ratio signal K and a signal representing measured surface temperature, on the basis of the two functional relations

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-12-01	1979-06-02	1979-12-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-12-01	1983-06-02	1983-12-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-12-01	1987-06-02	1987-12-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method of supervising skin thickness in a solidifying body such as a continuously cast ingot

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