A lithium ingot pouring system
By combining cooling and heating devices, the problem of shrinkage caused by temperature gradient in the mold during lithium ingot preparation was solved, achieving efficient and uniform lithium ingot production and improving production efficiency and finished product quality.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LIAONING ZHONGWANG MACHINERY EQUIP MFG
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
In the existing lithium ingot preparation process, the temperature gradient distribution of the mold causes large shrinkage cavities to form in the lithium ingot, resulting in low production efficiency. Furthermore, the volume loss during lithium liquid solidification cannot be compensated, leading to uneven composition.
The system employs a cooling and heating device in conjunction with a rotary drive mechanism. The cooling device lowers the temperature at the bottom of the mold, while the heating device controls the solidification gradient of the lithium liquid. Combined with the design of the feeding pipeline and the casting device, it ensures uniform cooling and solidification of the lithium liquid.
It reduces the temperature difference in the mold, improves the production efficiency of lithium ingots, reduces the size of the shrinkage cavity, ensures the uniformity of the composition and the consistency of the quality of lithium ingots, and reduces energy consumption and material loss.
Smart Images
Figure CN224475577U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of lithium metal casting technology, specifically to a lithium ingot casting system. Background Technology
[0002] Lithium metal possesses excellent properties such as the lowest electronegativity, high specific heat, and high electrical conductivity, making it widely used in numerous fields including atomic energy, nuclear energy, aerospace, metallurgy, chemical industry, glass and ceramics, medicine and health, organic synthesis, and lithium batteries. Current lithium ingot manufacturing methods typically involve pouring molten lithium into a mold and then allowing it to cool naturally until completely solidified. This results in low production efficiency. Furthermore, the order in which the molten lithium is poured creates a temperature gradient in the mold, with lower temperatures at the top and higher temperatures at the bottom. Additionally, convection between the upper part of the mold and the ambient gas further lowers the temperature. Due to the liquid and solidification shrinkage of the molten lithium, the lower part experiences volume loss during solidification. Meanwhile, the upper part of the mold, due to its lower temperature, has already begun to solidify around the edges, failing to compensate for this loss and resulting in large shrinkage cavities in the lithium ingot. Utility Model Content
[0003] In view of this, the present invention discloses a lithium ingot casting system, the specific scheme of which is as follows.
[0004] A lithium ingot casting system includes a cooling device, a casting device, and a casting mold;
[0005] The cooling device has a groove on its upper surface for placing the casting mold, and an internal space for receiving it. The side wall of the cooling device has an inlet and an outlet for liquid, and coolant flows into the receiving space of the cooling device. The lower part of the casting mold is located in the groove on the upper surface of the cooling device. The outlet of the casting device is located above the casting mold, and the casting device is used to deliver lithium liquid into the casting mold.
[0006] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, the cooling device is a circular cylindrical structure, and the grooves on the upper surface of the cooling device are arranged in several groups and uniformly arrayed along the circumference of the cooling device.
[0007] It also includes a fixed base, a rotating shaft, and a rotating drive mechanism. The rotating shaft is disposed on the bottom surface of the cooling device, and the lower end of the rotating shaft is connected to the fixed base through a bearing.
[0008] Below the cooling device is a rotary drive mechanism for driving the rotating shaft to rotate. The rotary drive mechanism includes a motor and a transmission gear. The transmission gear is sleeved on the rotating shaft. The motor is connected to the transmission gear and drives the transmission gear to rotate, thereby causing the rotating shaft to rotate.
[0009] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, the rotary drive mechanism also includes a servo motor, an angle sensor, and a planetary gearbox;
[0010] The servo motor is connected to the transmission gear via a planetary gearbox. The angle sensor is located inside the planetary gearbox and rotates synchronously with the driven gear of the planetary gearbox to detect the rotation angle at the output end of the planetary gearbox.
[0011] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, the casting device includes an electric regulating valve, an inner casting pipe, an outer casting pipe, a support frame, and lithium liquid pipeline, laser rangefinder, and servo electric cylinder set on the support frame.
[0012] One end of the lithium liquid pipeline outlet is connected to a vertically arranged inner casting tube, and the outer casting tube is sleeved on the inner casting tube. A linear bearing connects the outer casting tube and the inner casting tube. The push rod of the servo electric cylinder is connected to the upper end of the outer casting tube through a connecting rod. The laser rangefinder is set above the casting mold to monitor the liquid level in the mold.
[0013] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, the casting device also includes an induction coil, which is wound around the outer casting tube.
[0014] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, the casting device further includes a solenoid valve and a liquid level probe. The solenoid valve is disposed on the casting pipeline and located between the electric regulating valve and the liquid inlet of the inner casting tube; the liquid level probe is disposed on the lower part of the outer wall of the outer casting tube.
[0015] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, the cross-section at the lower end of the inner tube where the liquid outlet is located is a tapered structure that is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom.
[0016] A liquid plug is provided at the outlet position at the lower end of the outer casting tube. The upper part of the liquid plug is provided with a tapered part that matches the cross-section of the outlet at the lower end of the inner casting tube. The side surface of the lower part of the liquid plug is provided with protrusions. The protrusions are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the liquid plug and are fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the outer casting tube.
[0017] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, a heating device is also included. The heating device is disposed above the cooling device. The heating device is provided in at least two sets. The two adjacent sets of heating devices are located directly above the two adjacent casting molds. When the casting device completes the lithium liquid pouring of the current casting mold, the cooling device rotates to rotate the next casting mold to directly below the liquid outlet of the casting device. The casting mold that has completed the pouring is simultaneously rotated to the area covered by the heating device.
[0018] The heating device includes a fixed plate and an industrial electric heating blanket, with the industrial electric heating blanket mounted on the fixed plate.
[0019] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, it also includes a shrinkage compensation pipeline, wherein there are at least two sets of the shrinkage compensation pipeline, and the outlets of the two sets of adjacent shrinkage compensation pipelines are located directly above the two sets of adjacent casting molds.
[0020] As a supplement to the technical solution of this utility model, it also includes an ingot-retrieving robot, which is arranged above the cooling device and is used to pick up lithium ingots from the casting mold.
[0021] Beneficial effects: This utility model has the following beneficial effects:
[0022] 1. The cooling device reduces the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the mold; the heating device further enables the lithium ingot to solidify sequentially from bottom to top, effectively reducing the shrinkage cavity size of the lithium ingot. The cooling device provides centralized cooling for the casting mold, improving cooling efficiency; it reduces the pressure loss in the pipelines of individual cooling methods, lowering the energy consumption of the heat exchange cycle; and it has fewer interfaces, reducing the risk of leakage at the interfaces.
[0023] 2. Due to the design of the casting device, there will be no gas mixing or liquid splashing during casting, and the lithium ingots will be free of pores and have a uniform composition.
[0024] 3. By using multiple feeding pipelines to feed the lithium ingot sequentially, the loss caused by the solidification of the lithium liquid is minimized, and the size of the shrinkage cavity is reduced. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.
[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling device of this utility model.
[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling device of this utility model.
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid plug sealing the lower end of the inner tube of the casting outer tube according to the present invention.
[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid plug of the outer casting tube of this utility model in the separated state from the lower end of the inner casting tube.
[0030] Figure 6 This is a top view of the structure of this utility model.
[0031] In the diagram: 1. Cooling device, 2. Casting device, 3. Casting mold, 4. Electric regulating valve, 5. Inner casting tube, 6. Outer casting tube, 7. Ingot removal robot, 8. Lithium liquid pipeline, 9. Laser rangefinder, 10. Servo cylinder, 11. Solenoid valve, 12. Liquid level probe, 13. Liquid plug, 14. Feeding pipeline, 15. Heating device. Detailed Implementation
[0032] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0033] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.
[0034] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a lithium ingot casting system for casting lithium ingots includes a cooling device 1, a casting device 2, and a casting mold 3.
[0035] The cooling device 1 is made entirely of stainless steel. Its upper surface has a groove for placing the casting mold 3. The interior of the cooling device 1 has a receiving space and contains coolant. The side wall of the cooling device 1 has an inlet and an outlet for filling the cooling device 1 with coolant. The lower part of the casting mold 3 is located in the groove on the upper surface of the cooling device 1. The coolant can transfer heat with the lower part of the casting mold 3, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the lower part of the casting mold 3.
[0036] The casting device 2 is located above the cooling device 1, and the outlet of the casting device 2 is located above the casting mold 3. The lithium liquid is introduced into the mold through the casting pipe.
[0037] This invention reduces the temperature of the lower part of the mold by using coolant, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the lithium liquid and thus increasing the production efficiency of lithium ingots. At the same time, it avoids the problem of shrinkage caused by the large temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the lithium liquid in the mold.
[0038] Preferably, the inlet and outlet of the cooling device 1 are connected to the heat exchange station to ensure that the inlet temperature of the cooling device 1 is ≤20℃ and the outlet temperature is about 35℃, which meets the heat exchange requirements for rapid cooling of metal.
[0039] Preferably, the casting mold 3 is machined from stainless steel, with a smooth inner wall and a draft angle of approximately 1°.
[0040] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, the cooling device 1 is a circular columnar structure, and the grooves provided on the upper surface of the cooling device 1 are arranged in several groups and uniformly distributed along the circumference of the cooling device 1.
[0041] It also includes a fixed base, a rotating shaft, and a rotating drive mechanism. The rotating shaft is disposed on the lower bottom surface of the cooling device 1, and the lower end of the rotating shaft is connected to the fixed base through a bearing, allowing the cooling device 1 to rotate relative to the fixed base.
[0042] A rotary drive mechanism for driving the rotating shaft is provided below the cooling device 1.
[0043] The rotary drive mechanism includes a motor and a transmission gear. The transmission gear is sleeved on the rotary shaft, and the motor is connected to the transmission gear, driving the transmission gear to rotate and causing the rotary shaft to rotate.
[0044] As a supplement to the above technical solution, the rotary drive mechanism also includes a servo motor, an angle sensor, and a planetary gearbox.
[0045] The servo motor is connected to the transmission gear via a planetary gearbox, and the rotation of the transmission gear is controlled by the servo motor and the planetary gearbox. An angle sensor is located inside the planetary gearbox and rotates synchronously with the driven gear of the planetary gearbox to detect the rotation angle at the output end of the planetary gearbox. By using the angle sensor in conjunction with the terminal controller and the servo motor, the rotation angle of the cooling device 1's rotating shaft is adjustable, allowing each mold on the cooling device 1 to move to the area below the casting device 2. For example, after the first casting mold 3 has finished pouring lithium liquid, the controller sends an electrical signal to the servo motor to activate it. The angle sensor detects the rotation angle at the output end of the planetary gearbox and calculates the rotation angle of the transmission gear on the rotating shaft. When the second mold rotates to the area below the casting device 2, the controller stops the servo motor.
[0046] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, in the traditional casting process, the outlet of the casting device 2 is located at a fixed position above the casting mold 3. The height difference between the outlet and the bottom of the casting mold 3 is large, which easily leads to lithium liquid splashing, resulting in uneven lithium ingot composition. At the same time, the lithium liquid has a long contact time with air during the falling process, which easily leads to the formation of air holes in the lithium ingot. To solve the above technical problems, the casting device 2 includes an electric regulating valve 4, an inner casting pipe 5, an outer casting pipe 6, a support frame, and lithium liquid pipeline 8, a laser rangefinder 9, and a servo electric cylinder 10 set on the support frame.
[0047] One end of the lithium liquid pipeline 8 is connected to a vertically arranged inner casting tube 5. The outer casting tube 6 is sleeved on the inner casting tube 5. A linear bearing is connected between the outer casting tube 6 and the inner casting tube 5, so that the outer casting tube 6 can move up and down in the inner casting tube 5 through the linear bearing.
[0048] The laser rangefinder 9 is positioned above the casting mold 3 to monitor the liquid level inside the mold. The push rod of the servo electric cylinder 10 is connected to the upper end of the casting outer tube 6 via a connecting rod.
[0049] The laser rangefinder 9 transmits the monitored liquid level data to the control terminal, which then controls the extension length of the push rod of the servo cylinder 10 to maintain a constant distance between the lower end of the pouring outer tube 6 and the liquid level.
[0050] With the above settings, it can be ensured that the liquid outlet at the lower end of the outer pouring tube 6 and the liquid level in the pouring mold 3 are kept at a distance of about 10mm throughout the entire pouring process, which effectively reduces the contact time between the lithium liquid and the air, and avoids the technical problem of lithium liquid splashing caused by a large difference in liquid level between the liquid outlet at the lower end of the outer pouring tube 6 and the liquid level.
[0051] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, the casting device 2 further includes an induction coil, which is wound around the casting outer tube 6. By heating the casting outer tube 6, the lithium liquid on the inner wall of the casting outer tube 6 can be prevented from solidifying upon cooling, thus preventing the casting outer tube 6 from sliding up and down on the casting inner tube 5.
[0052] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, the pouring device 2 further includes a solenoid valve 11 and a liquid level probe 12. The solenoid valve 11 is disposed on the pouring pipeline and located between the electric regulating valve 4 and the liquid inlet of the inner pouring pipe 5. The liquid level probe 12 is disposed on the outer wall of the outer pouring pipe 6 and is used to detect the pouring speed. The control terminal calculates the liquid level height change data collected by the liquid level probe 12. When the pouring speed is too fast and cannot be adjusted according to the electric regulating valve 4, the liquid level height rises too quickly in this state, and the pouring can be stopped by opening the solenoid valve 11 to cut off the lithium liquid pipeline 8.
[0053] As a supplement to the above technical solution, the lower end of the inner casting tube 5 has a tapered structure with a narrow top and a wide bottom at the liquid outlet.
[0054] A liquid plug 13 is provided at the outlet position at the lower end of the outer casting tube 6. The liquid plug 13 is connected to the inner wall of the outer casting tube 6. The upper part of the liquid plug 13 has a tapered part that matches the cross-section of the outlet at the lower end of the inner casting tube 5. The lower side surface of the liquid plug 13 has protrusions. The protrusions are distributed circumferentially along the liquid plug 13 and are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer casting tube 6, so that the lithium liquid can flow into the casting mold 3 through the gap between two adjacent protrusions. When the solenoid valve 11 cuts off the lithium liquid pipeline 8, the servo cylinder 10 drives the outer casting tube 6 to move upward, so that the upper part of the liquid plug 13 is inserted into the outlet position at the lower end of the inner casting tube 5, sealing the lithium liquid in the inner casting tube 5.
[0055] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, it also includes a heating device 15, which is disposed above the cooling device 1. The heating device 15 has at least two sets, with adjacent sets of heating devices 15 located directly above two adjacent casting molds 3. After the casting device 2 completes the lithium liquid pouring into the current casting mold 3, the cooling device 1 rotates to rotate the new casting mold 3 directly below the outlet of the casting device 2, allowing the completed casting mold 3 to rotate to the area covered by the heating device 15. Through the above arrangement, under the condition that the pouring speed of the casting device 2 is constant, by setting the number of heating devices 15, the heating time of the air above the completed casting mold 3 can be controlled, ensuring the cooling and solidification effect of the lithium liquid inside the casting mold 3, preventing the technical problem of high temperature at the bottom and low temperature at the top opening inside the casting mold 3, achieving gradient cooling of the lithium liquid inside the casting mold 3, and ensuring the solidification effect.
[0056] As a supplement to the above technical solution, the heating device 15 includes a fixing plate and an industrial electric heating blanket. The industrial electric heating blanket is fixed on the fixing plate and provides heat through the industrial electric heating blanket. The fixing plate is used to support the industrial electric heating blanket.
[0057] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, it further includes a feeding pipeline 14, wherein at least two sets of feeding pipelines 14 are provided, and the outlets of two adjacent sets of feeding pipelines 14 are located directly above two adjacent sets of casting molds 3. Since shrinkage loss occurs due to solidification after each replenishment of new liquid metal, multiple feeding pipelines 14 are used for sequential feeding operations to minimize the loss caused by the solidification of lithium liquid and reduce the size of the shrinkage cavity in the lithium ingot.
[0058] After the lithium liquid in the casting mold 3 below the heating device 15 has solidified, the cooling device 1 rotates to rotate the casting mold 3 to the area covered by the heating device 15.
[0059] As a preferred technical solution of this utility model, the outlet of the casting device 2, the heating device 15, and the outlet of the shrinkage pipeline 14 are uniformly arranged along the circumference of the cooling device 1. For example, when there are two sets of heating devices 15 and shrinkage pipeline 14, the casting device 2 is located at the first station, the two sets of heating devices 15 are located at the second and third stations respectively, and the outlets of the two sets of shrinkage pipeline 14 are located at the fourth and fifth stations. The five stations are uniformly arranged along the circumference of the cooling device 1, and the array angle is the same as the array angle of the casting mold 3.
[0060] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, it also includes an ingot-retrieving robot 7, which is positioned above the cooling device 1 and used to grip lithium ingots within the casting mold 3. Automated ingot retrieval reduces damage to the surface of the lithium ingots caused by manual operation; it also reduces the risk of injury to personnel due to overheating of the lithium ingots during manual operation.
[0061] The entire system is automatically adjusted via a control terminal; it ensures the consistency of finished lithium ingots, reduces the size of the shrinkage cavity in the lithium ingots, reduces the workload of subsequent head-cutting processes, and saves raw material costs and energy consumption.
[0062] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A lithium ingot casting system, characterized in that, Includes a cooling device (1), a pouring device (2), and a pouring mold (3); The upper surface of the cooling device (1) is provided with a groove for placing the casting mold (3). The lower part of the casting mold (3) is located in the groove on the upper surface of the cooling device (1). The cooling device (1) has an internal accommodating space and an inlet and an outlet on its side wall. Cooling liquid is introduced into the accommodating space of the cooling device (1). The outlet of the casting device (2) is located above the casting mold (3). The casting device (2) is used to deliver lithium liquid into the casting mold (3).
2. The lithium ingot casting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling device (1) is a circular columnar structure. The grooves on the upper surface of the cooling device (1) are arranged in several groups and uniformly arrayed along the circumference of the cooling device (1). It also includes a fixed base, a rotating shaft, and a rotating drive mechanism. The rotating shaft is disposed on the bottom surface of the cooling device (1), and the lower end of the rotating shaft is connected to the fixed base through a bearing. The cooling device (1) is provided with a rotary drive mechanism for driving the rotating shaft to rotate. The rotary drive mechanism includes a motor and a transmission gear. The transmission gear is sleeved on the rotating shaft. The motor is connected to the transmission gear and drives the transmission gear to rotate, thereby causing the rotating shaft to rotate.
3. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotary drive mechanism also includes a servo motor, an angle sensor, and a planetary gearbox; The servo motor is connected to the transmission gear via a planetary gearbox. The angle sensor is located inside the planetary gearbox and rotates synchronously with the driven gear of the planetary gearbox to detect the rotation angle at the output end of the planetary gearbox.
4. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The casting device (2) includes an electric regulating valve (4), an inner casting pipe (5), an outer casting pipe (6), a support frame, and a lithium liquid pipeline (8), a laser rangefinder (9), and a servo electric cylinder (10) installed on the support frame. The outlet of the lithium liquid pipeline (8) is connected to a vertically arranged inner casting tube (5). The outer casting tube (6) is sleeved on the inner casting tube (5). A linear bearing is connected between the outer casting tube (6) and the inner casting tube (5). The push rod of the servo electric cylinder (10) is connected to the upper end of the outer casting tube (6) through a connecting rod. The laser rangefinder (9) is set above the casting mold (3) to monitor the liquid level in the mold.
5. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The casting device (2) also includes an induction coil, which is wound around the casting outer tube (6).
6. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The casting device (2) also includes a solenoid valve (11) and a liquid level probe (12). The solenoid valve (11) is located on the casting pipeline and between the electric regulating valve (4) and the liquid inlet of the inner casting tube (5). The liquid level probe (12) is located on the lower part of the outer wall of the outer casting tube (6).
7. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lower end of the inner casting tube (5) has a tapered structure with a narrow top and a wide bottom at the liquid outlet. A liquid plug (13) is provided at the outlet position at the lower end of the outer casting tube (6). The upper part of the liquid plug (13) is provided with a tapered part that matches the cross section of the outlet at the lower end of the inner casting tube (5). The side surface of the lower part of the liquid plug (13) is provided with a protrusion. The protrusion is distributed circumferentially along the liquid plug (13) and is fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the outer casting tube (6).
8. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a heating device (15), which is located above the cooling device (1). The heating device (15) has at least two sets, and the two adjacent sets of heating devices (15) are located directly above the two adjacent casting molds (3). When the casting device (2) finishes casting the lithium liquid into the current casting mold (3), the cooling device (1) rotates to make the next casting mold (3) rotate directly below the liquid outlet of the casting device (2). The casting mold (3) that has finished casting rotates synchronously to the area covered by the heating device (15). The heating device (15) includes a fixed plate and an industrial electric heating blanket, with the industrial electric heating blanket mounted on the fixed plate.
9. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a shrinkage line (14), which has at least two sets, with the outlets of the two sets of adjacent shrinkage lines (14) located directly above the two sets of adjacent casting molds (3).
10. A lithium ingot casting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an ingot-retrieving robot (7), which is positioned above the cooling device (1) and is used to pick up lithium ingots from the casting mold (3).