Method and apparatus for temperature control in a continuous casting furnace

1. An apparatus comprising:

a continuous casting mold adapted to produce a metal casting;

a metal casting pathway which is disposed below the mold and adapted to allow the metal casting to move therethrough; and

a temperature control mechanism comprising a heat source which is disposed adjacent the pathway below the mold; a temperature sensor for sensing temperature at a sensing location entirely after the mold which is disposed on the pathway whereby the temperature sensor is adapted to measure the temperature of the metal casting at the sensing location; and a control unit in communication with the temperature sensor and the heat source, the control unit comprising a logic circuit programmed to control operation of the heat source in response to input from the temperature sensor whereby the heat source is adapted for selectively heating the metal casting as it moves along the pathway below the mold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heat source doubles as a cooling device adapted for selectively cooling the metal casting as it moves along the pathway.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the heat source includes electrically conductive liquid-cooled conduits.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heat source circumscribes the pathway.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature control mechanism includes a cooling device which is separate from the heat source and is disposed adjacent the pathway below the mold; the control unit is in communication with the cooling device; and the logic circuit is programmed to control operation of the cooling device in response to input from the temperature sensor whereby the cooling device is adapted for selectively cooling the metal casting as it moves along the pathway.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a sealed chamber which is one of filled with an inert gas and under vacuum; and wherein the cooling device is disposed within the sealed chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a chamber which is sealed from an external environment and under vacuum; and wherein the heat source is disposed within the chamber and includes at least one of an induction coil and a resistance heating element.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature control mechanism includes a cooling device which is disposed adjacent the pathway below the mold; the control unit is in communication with the cooling device; and the logic circuit is programmed to control operation of the cooling device in response to input from the temperature sensor whereby the cooling device is adapted for selectively cooling the metal casting as it moves along the pathway.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cooling device circumscribes the pathway.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further including a chamber which is filled with an inert gas and sealed from an external environment; and wherein the mold and cooling device are disposed within the chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a source of inert cooling gas in communication with the cooling device; and a cooling gas pathway which is within the chamber and is in communication with each of the cooling device and the metal casting pathway; and wherein the inert cooling gas is movable via the cooling gas pathway from the cooling device to the metal casting pathway whereby the cooling gas is adapted to cool the metal casting as it moves through the metal casting pathway.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensing location is above the heat source.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sealed chamber which is one of filled with an inert gas and under vacuum; and wherein the heat source is disposed within the sealed chamber.

14. A method comprising the steps of:

forming a metal casting with a continuous casting mold;

sensing the temperature of the metal casting with a sensor located entirely after the mold; and

controlling a heat source after the mold to control the temperature of the metal casting exiting the mold in response to the step of sensing.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of controlling includes the step of heating the metal casting with the heat source if the temperature is below a predetermined value.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of heating includes the step of heating the metal casting with the heat source wherein the heat source circumscribes the metal casting as it moves away from the mold.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of controlling includes the steps of heating the metal casting with the heat source in response to the step of sensing; and reducing an amount of heat supplied by the heat source which was heating the metal casting to allow the metal casting to cool if the temperature is above a predetermined value.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of controlling includes the step of cooling the metal casting with a cooling device disposed below the mold and adjacent the metal casting if the temperature is above a predetermined value.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of controlling includes the step of cooling the metal casting with a cooling device disposed below the mold and adjacent the metal casting if the temperature is above a predetermined value.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of cooling includes the step of cooling the metal casting with the cooling device wherein the cooling device circumscribes the metal casting as it moves away from the mold.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of forming includes the step of forming a metal casting with a continuous casting mold disposed within an inert-gas-filled chamber; and wherein the step of cooling includes the step of moving a cooled inert gas out of the cooling device into the chamber toward the metal casting.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of sensing comprises the step of sensing the temperature of the metal casting at a sensing location above the heat source.

23. The method of claim 14 further comprising, prior to the step of controlling, the steps of:

positioning the heat source within a sealed chamber; and

one of (a) filling the sealed chamber with an inert gas and (b) placing the sealed chamber under vacuum; and

wherein the step of controlling comprises the step of controlling the heat source to operate within the sealed chamber.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising, prior to the step of controlling, the steps of:

positioning a cooling device below the mold within the sealed chamber; and

wherein the step of controlling comprises the step of controlling the cooling device in response to the step of sensing to operate within the sealed chamber.