Assembly for degassing aluminum
A trough assembly for degassing molten aluminum. The trough assembly comprises a trough adapted for a stream of molten aluminum to flow trough. The trough comprises a central section in which the stream slows down. Removable agitators are adapted to be inserted in the central section of the trough, and used to degassing the molten aluminum. The trough is tiltable to be emptied. In the stream flowing position, the trough is laid over a heating bed to ensure that the aluminum remains liquid. The trough may be equipped with a flexible extension adapted to remain secured thereto when emptying the trough.
1 . A trough assembly for degassing molten aluminum, comprising:
a trough having a passage extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, the passage being adapted for a stream of the molten aluminum to be conveyed thereby, the passage having a central section in-between the upstream end and the downstream end, the passage having a width and a depth with at least one of the width and the depth the thereof increasing between its upstream end and the central section thereby slowing down the stream,
means for heating the central section of the trough; and
a plurality of agitators movable between i) an elevated position in which they are adapted to be distant from the stream and ii) a lowered position in which the agitators are adapted to extend across the stream,
wherein the trough comprises pinions extending outwardly about a first one of the upstream and downstream ends thereof, and wherein the trough is tiltable around the pinions when raising a second one of the upstream and downstream ends thereof.
2 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in a first position in which the stream flows, the passage deepens from the upstream end to the central section.
3 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in a first position in which the stream flows, the passage widens from the upstream end to the central section.
4 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in a first position in which the stream flows, the passage shallows from the central section to the downstream end.
5 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in a first position in which the stream flows, the passage narrows from the upstream end to the central section.
6 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein the means for heating the trough comprises a heating bed on which is adapted to be laid the trough.
7 . The trough assembly of claim 6 , wherein the heating bed comprises refractory material with electric heating elements set therein, wherein the trough and the heating bed have marrying shape adapted for optimizing contact between the trough and the heating bed.
8 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trough comprises a V-shaped trough section adapted for releasably sequestering the molten aluminum in the central section thereof.
9 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trough comprises a central longitudinal axis, wherein the agitators are aligned with and distributed along the central longitudinal axis in the central section of the trough.
10 . The trough assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trough comprises side walls delimiting width of the passage, wherein the side walls are no closer than 85% of a reference value, and are no farther than 115% of the reference value, wherein the reference value is determined to be an average distance between any two neighbor ones of the agitators.
11 . A trough assembly for degassing molten aluminum, comprising:
a trough having a passage extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, the passage being adapted for a stream of the molten aluminum to be conveyed thereby, the passage having a central section in-between the upstream end and the downstream end, the passage having a width and a depth with at least one of the width and the depth thereof increasing between its upstream end and the central section thereby slowing down the stream,
means for heating the central section of the trough; and
a plurality of agitators moveable between i) an elevated position in which they are adapted to be distant from the stream and ii) a lowered position in which the agitators are adapted to extend across the stream,
wherein the trough is movable between a first position adapted for the stream to flow through and a second position adapted to empty the trough in which a first one of the ends of the trough is raised relative to a second one of the ends of the trough, wherein the trough is exerted a rotation of at least 10 degrees between its first position and its second position.
12 . The trough assembly of claim 11 , wherein the trough has a floor that, in the first position, has a slope that reaches an angle of at most 15 degrees between the central section and the downstream end thereof.
13 . A trough assembly for degassing molten aluminum, comprising:
a trough having a passage extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, the passage being adapted for a stream of the molten aluminum to be conveyed thereby, the passage having a central section in-between the upstream end and the downstream end, the passage having a width and a depth with at least one of the width and the depth thereof increasing between its upstream end and the central section thereby slowing down the stream,
means for heating the central section of the trough; and
a plurality of agitators moveable between i) an elevated position in which they are adapted to be distant from the stream and ii) a lowered position in which the agitators are adapted to extend across the stream,
wherein the trough assembly further comprises a deformable trough extension being flexible, the deformable trough extension comprising opposed ends with a bridge in-between for the stream, the bridge of the deformable trough extension changing shape as the opposed ends are moved relative to one another.
14 . The trough assembly of claim 13 , wherein the deformable extension comprises two ends with a first end of the deformable trough extension being secured to one end of the trough, and a second end of the deformable trough extension adapted to be fixedly secured to another device.
15 . The trough assembly of claim 13 , wherein the deformable trough extension comprises a pair of rigid flanges, and a textile-composed bridge joining the rigid flanges.
16 . The trough assembly of claim 15 , wherein the trough is movable between a first position adapted for the stream to flow through and a second position adapted to empty the trough in which a first one of the ends of the trough is raised relative to a second one of the ends of the trough, wherein the bridge of the deformable trough extension comprises two edges, wherein the edges thereof between the flanges are adapted to move away from one another as the trough is moved in the second position.
17 . The trough assembly of claim 15 , wherein the bridge of the deformable trough extension comprises a first layer made of refractory textile, a second layer made of an insulating layer, and a third layer being mechanically more resistant than the first layer.