An ultrasonic vibration shunting device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an ultrasonic vibration shunt device, which includes a housing, an ultrasonic transducer, a heat-resistant horn, and a vibration shunt disk with a hollow middle; the ultrasonic transducer is accommodated in the hollow cavity of the housing; one end of the long-column heat-resistant horn extends into the hollow cavity of the housing and is fixedly connected to the ultrasonic transducer, and the other end is exposed outside the housing and is fixedly connected to the vibration shunt disk; the vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer is transmitted to the vibration shunt disk through the heat-resistant horn. In this ultrasonic vibration shunt device, most of the longitudinal vibration waves generated by the ultrasonic transducer are converted into radial ultrasonic vibrations through the shunt action of the vibration shunt disk. Without the need to additionally add additives, degassing, grain refinement, homogenization, etc. can be carried out on the alloy melt; for the alloy casting after grain refinement, mechanical properties such as yield strength, hardness, and ductility can be greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of metallurgical melting and casting, and particularly to an ultrasonic vibration shunt device for alloy melting and crystal refinement. Background Art

[0002] At the current stage, the improvement methods of cast aluminum alloys are mainly achieved through modification treatment and electromagnetic stirring treatment. The modification treatment is to add elements that promote alloy nucleation to the alloy, artificially increasing the number of nuclei in the alloy melt to achieve the purpose of grain refinement; electromagnetic stirring is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, and the changing magnetic field generated by the alternating current interacts with the melt to make the melt flow regularly to achieve the effect of improving the melt structure.

[0003] Through the modification treatment, it is inevitable to add corresponding modification elements to the melt. Although this achieves the purpose of grain refinement, it also introduces the pollution of foreign elements at the same time, and cannot play the role of degassing and eliminating other defects; when the electromagnetic casting device interacts with the melt, if a strong enough fluid motion needs to be generated, a magnetic field intensity more than 10,000 times that of the geomagnetic field needs to be added, which consumes a large amount of electric energy and will also have a certain impact on the surrounding environment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the above problems, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic vibration shunt device that can perform degassing, grain refinement, and homogenization treatment on alloy melts.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] An ultrasonic vibration shunt device includes a housing, an ultrasonic transducer, a heat-resistant horn, and a vibration shunt disk; the housing is a tubular structure with a hollow cavity inside; the ultrasonic transducer is accommodated in the hollow cavity of the housing and is located at one end of the housing; the heat-resistant horn is a long strip-shaped column, one end of the heat-resistant horn extends into the hollow cavity of the housing and is fixedly connected to the ultrasonic transducer, and the other end of the heat-resistant horn is exposed outside the housing and is fixedly connected to the vibration shunt disk; the vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer is transmitted to the vibration shunt disk through the heat-resistant horn; the longitudinal vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer is divided into two parts after the shunt action of the vibration shunt disk, where a small part of the longitudinal vibration wave continues to vibrate longitudinally along the vibration shunt disk, and most of the remaining longitudinal vibration waves will be converted into radial vibration ultrasonic vibration waves along the vibration shunt disk.

[0007] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, the vibration shunting disk includes a connecting column, a plurality of rib plates, and a hollow basin-shaped frame; one end of the connecting column is fixedly connected to the heat-resistant horn, the other end of the connecting column is perpendicularly and fixedly connected to one end of each rib plate, and the other end of each rib plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the basin-shaped frame; a hollow structure is formed between the plurality of rib plates and the basin-shaped frame.

[0008] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, the included angle between two adjacent rib plates is equal.

[0009] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, the outer diameter of the basin-shaped frame is 50 - 500 mm.

[0010] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, a plurality of through holes are formed in the wall of the basin-shaped frame.

[0011] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, the plurality of through holes are distributed along the circumferential axis and are located in the same plane; the included angle between two adjacent through holes is equal.

[0012] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic vibration shunting device further includes an air-cooling sleeve for cooling the heat-resistant horn; the air-cooling sleeve is attached to the inner wall of the housing and is in a covering and close contact with the heat-resistant horn, and the air-cooling sleeve is adjacent to the vibration shunting disk.

[0013] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, an air pipe joint is provided at one end of the housing close to the ultrasonic transducer. One end of the air pipe joint is in a through-air connection with the air-cooling sleeve, and the other end of the air pipe joint is connected to an external feeding mechanism.

[0014] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, the axis formed after connecting the ultrasonic transducer, the heat-resistant horn, and the vibration shunting disk coincides with the axis of the hollow cavity.

[0015] In one embodiment, in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device, the heat-resistant horn is connected to the inner wall of the housing through a flange, and the flange is adjacent to the connection point between the heat-resistant horn and the ultrasonic transducer.

[0016] The ultrasonic vibration shunting device provided by the present invention has an ultrasonic transducer that converts electrical energy into mechanical ultrasonic vibrations of a corresponding frequency, and transmits them to the vibration shunting disk through a heat-resistant horn. Subsequently, most of the longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations on the heat-resistant horn are converted into radial ultrasonic vibrations of the vibration shunting disk. Since the middle of the vibration shunting disk is provided in a hollow shape, its radial ultrasonic vibrations are concentrated at the edge of the vibration shunting disk; this enables the radial ultrasonic vibrations on the vibration shunting disk to be better transmitted into the alloy melt, especially at the solid-liquid interface and the outer edge of the ingot, where the amplitude of the radial ultrasonic vibrations is large; in this way, through the radial ultrasonic vibrations of the vibration shunting disk, without the need to add additional additives, the alloy melt can be degassed, grain refined, homogenized, etc.; after the alloy casting is grain refined, its mechanical properties such as yield strength, hardness, and ductility can be significantly improved; the homogenization and degassing effects can also greatly improve the machinability and surface quality of the alloy casting, while enhancing its corrosion resistance; on the other hand, the ultrasonic transducer only converts common industrial electrical energy into ultrasonic mechanical energy, without consuming a large amount of electrical energy, and can achieve the effect of saving electrical energy.

[0017] By improving some parts of the original semi-continuous casting, the present invention can improve the product performance without adding new elements and without changing the original process. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the ultrasonic vibration shunting device of the present invention in the process of melting alloy casting;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the external shape of the ultrasonic vibration shunting device of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3A 、 3B 、3C It is a schematic structural diagram of the vibration shunting disk in the ultrasonic vibration shunting device of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0021] The following will further describe in detail the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] During the alloy forging process, generally, degassing, grain refinement, and grain homogenization treatments are carried out on the molten alloy, such as the semi-continuous casting process of magnesium, aluminum, and their alloys, etc., to ensure excellent quality of the forged alloy. In the present invention, the alloy forging process is processed as follows.

[0023] Such as Figure 1 and 2As shown in the figure, a crucible 1 contains metals and their alloys, such as magnesium, aluminum and their alloys, or other metals and their alloys. Through high-temperature heating in the crucible 1, the metals and their alloys are melted into an alloy solution 2. This alloy solution may contain some impurities, such as sand grains, dust, etc., and toxic gases will be generated during the melting process. These gases and / or impurities such as sand grains and dust may be wrapped in the alloy solution. To avoid the influence of gases and / or impurities such as sand grains and dust on the quality of the forged alloy body during the forging process of the alloy solution, it is necessary to perform degassing and impurity removal treatment on the alloy solution 2. Therefore, an ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 is required to perform corresponding treatment on the alloy solution 2 during forging.

[0024] The high-temperature alloy solution 2 is transported to the forger 11 through the liquid guide pipe 3 for alloy forging. Generally speaking, the outer surface of the liquid guide pipe 3 needs to be insulated and heat-insulated, such as using a high-temperature-resistant asbestos net / or Teflon coating, which can avoid the alloy solution 2 from condensing into metal solids due to too low temperature during the transmission in the liquid guide pipe 3, or can avoid hurting people due to too high temperature on the outer surface of the liquid guide pipe 3. When the alloy solution 2 is guided by the liquid guide pipe 3 to the forger 11, an ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 is installed in the forger 11. The upper end of the device is fixedly connected to the feeding mechanism through the clamping mechanism 4 and the bracket 41, and the feeding mechanism 5 is fixed on a fixed object. The feeding mechanism 5 can provide a driving power source and / or a low-temperature protective gas for the ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20. The lower end of the ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 is placed in the forger 11 and immersed in the alloy solution in the forger 11. Driven by the power supply, the ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 converts electrical energy into vibration energy, that is, ultrasonic vibration waves, and transmits the ultrasonic vibration waves into the alloy solution. On the other hand, several cooling pipes are coiled around the forger 11, and a cooling medium continuously flows in the cooling pipes. The cooling medium flows in from the cooling medium inlet 13 provided at the lower end of the forger 11 and flows out from the cooling medium outlets 14 provided at the upper and lower ends of the forger 11. The function of the cooling medium is to cool and crystallize the alloy liquid guided by the liquid guide pipe 3 to the forger 11, form an alloy ingot 12 and precipitate at the bottom of the forger 11. The function of the ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 is to destroy the bubbles in the alloy solution and remove the gases in the alloy solution through ultrasonic vibration waves during the cooling and crystallization process of the alloy liquid; at the same time, the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 to the alloy solution can rearrange the atoms, crystal lattices, etc. in the grains during the crystallization process of the alloy solution to achieve grain refinement; also, in view of the fact that the vibration of the ultrasonic waves on the alloy solution spreads throughout the alloy solution in the entire forging and casting device 11 and the vibration waves at each place are basically the same, this makes the grain sizes of the alloy solution precipitated consistent, achieving the effect of grain homogenization, and the ultrasonic waves can also achieve phase separation during the cooling and crystallization process of the alloy solution to remove impurities such as sand grains and / or dust wrapped in the alloy solution.

[0025] The cooling medium flowing in the above cooling pipe can be a cooling liquid, such as tap water, synthetic coolant; the cooling medium can also be a cooling gas, such as low-temperature air, nitrogen, etc. Preferably, tap water coolant is used, which is easy to obtain and has a low production cost.

[0026] Furthermore, as Figure 1 and 2 shown, the above ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 includes a housing 6, an ultrasonic transducer 7, a heat-resistant horn 8, and a vibration shunt disk 10. The housing 6 is made of metal and has a tubular structure with a hollow cavity 60 inside; the outer shape of the housing 6 can be made into a cylinder, a cuboid, or a form that fits any connecting bracket, which is convenient for clamping and supporting. The cross-section of the hollow cavity 60 of the housing 6 can be circular / elliptical / regular polygon. Correspondingly, the outer shapes of the ultrasonic transducer 7 and the heat-resistant horn 8 also match the structure of the hollow cavity 60, which is convenient for installation.

[0027] The ultrasonic transducer 7 is accommodated in the hollow cavity 60 of the housing 6 and is located at one end of the housing 6, that is, the upper end of the housing 6. The ultrasonic transducer 7 is electrically connected to the feeding mechanism 5 through a cable connector 61 provided at the upper end of the housing 6. The ultrasonic transducer 7 can convert electrical energy into mechanical vibration energy, and the vibration energy of the above ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 is provided by the ultrasonic transducer 7. The ultrasonic transducer 7 can adopt a sandwich piezoelectric transducer and a magnetostrictive transducer, and the working frequency range is 15KHz - 40Hkz.

[0028] The heat-resistant horn 8 is a long cylindrical body made of metal, and the cross-section is circular. One end of the heat-resistant horn 8, that is, the upper end of the heat-resistant horn 8, extends into the hollow cavity 60 of the housing 6 and is fixedly connected to the ultrasonic transducer 7. The fixed connection here can be one of threaded connection, snap connection, or bolt fastening connection. The other end of the heat-resistant horn 8, that is, the lower end of the heat-resistant horn 8, passes through the other end of the housing 6, that is, the lower end of the housing 6, and is fixedly connected to the vibration shunt disk 10. The fixed connection here can be one of threaded connection, snap connection, or bolt fastening connection. In this embodiment, threaded connection is preferably used; the heat-resistant horn 8 plays a role in transmitting vibration and adjusting the amplitude of the mechanical vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7; that is, the vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7 is transmitted to the vibration shunt disk 10 through the heat-resistant horn 8.

[0029] Since the heat-resistant horn 8 has a long strip structure, in order to prevent it from swinging due to external vibration interference, the upper end of the heat-resistant horn 8 is connected to the inner wall of the housing 6 through a flange 81, and the flange 81 is adjacent to the connection point of the heat-resistant horn 8 and the ultrasonic transducer 7.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the axis formed after connecting the ultrasonic transducer 7, the heat-resistant horn 8, and the vibration shunt plate 10 coincides with the axis of the hollow cavity 60. This design serves to evenly transmit ultrasonic vibration waves.

[0031] In the ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20, when the vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7 is transmitted to the heat-resistant horn 8, the heat-resistant horn 8 vibrates back and forth at high frequency along the b1-b1 direction relative to the axis a, that is, a longitudinal vibration wave, or a longitudinal ultrasonic vibration wave. After this longitudinal vibration wave is transmitted to the vibration shunt plate 10, due to the shunt effect of the vibration shunt plate 10, the longitudinal vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7 is shunted into two parts of vibration waves; a small part of the longitudinal vibration wave continues to vibrate longitudinally along the vibration shunt plate 10 (as Figure 2 shown, along the vibration direction where b1-b1 is located), and most of the remaining longitudinal vibration waves are converted into ultrasonic vibration waves with radial vibration along the vibration shunt plate 10 (as Figure 2 shown, along the vibration direction where b2-b2 is located). That is to say: the vibration shunt plate 10 fixedly connected to the lower end of the heat-resistant horn 8 converts most of the received longitudinal ultrasonic vibration waves into radial ultrasonic vibration waves in the horizontal direction of b2-b2, and a small part of the ultrasonic vibration waves are retained as axial vibrations in the vertical direction of b1-b1, also known as longitudinal vibration waves; the vibration shunt plate 10 transmits the radial ultrasonic vibration waves in the horizontal direction of b2-b2 to the molten alloy that is about to be cooled into an ingot.

[0032] In one embodiment, as Figure 3A , 3B , and 3C show, the vibration shunt plate 10 includes a connecting column 110, a plurality of rib plates 130, and a hollow basin-shaped frame 120. One end of the connecting column 110, that is, the upper end of the connecting column, is provided with an internal threaded hole 111, and this threaded hole 111 forms a threaded fixed connection with the lower end of the heat-resistant horn 8; the other end of the connecting column 110, that is, the lower end of the connecting column 110, is perpendicularly and fixedly connected to one end of each rib plate 130, and the other end of each rib plate 130 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the basin-shaped frame 120; a hollow structure is formed between the plurality of rib plates 130 and the basin-shaped frame 120.

[0033] In this embodiment, as Figure 3A , 3B , and 3C show, the number of rib plates 130 is four, and the specifications and dimensions are the same. The four rib plates 130 are arranged in a circular distribution with the connecting column 110 as the center, and the included angle between adjacent two rib plates 130 is 90°. After the four rib plates 130 are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the basin-shaped frame 120, a hollow cavity 131 is formed. Since the lengths of the rib plates 130 are the same, after being assembled into the vibration shunt plate 10, the connecting column 110 is located at the center position of the basin-shaped frame 120. At this time, the central axis of the connecting column 110 coincides with the central axis of the basin-shaped frame 120.

[0034] In other embodiments, the number of rib plates 130 may also be three, five, six, etc., depending on the needs.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of the basin-shaped frame 10 is 50 - 500 mm, preferably 200 mm. The basin-shaped frame 10 with such an outer diameter can match the ultrasonic vibration energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7 when the working frequency range is 15 KHz - 40 Hkz; if the outer diameter of the basin-shaped frame 10 is too large, after the ultrasonic vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7 is transmitted to the basin-shaped frame 10, due to its own weight, the basin-shaped frame 10 obtains less horizontal ultrasonic vibration wave energy, which is not conducive to the crystal precipitation refinement and degassing treatment during the cooling process of the alloy solution; if the outer diameter of the basin-shaped frame 10 is too small, after the ultrasonic vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7 is transmitted to the basin-shaped frame 10, the basin-shaped frame 10 obtains more horizontal ultrasonic vibration wave energy, which is not conducive to the refinement of alloy crystallization during the cooling and crystallization process of the alloy solution, and may even cause lattice deformation in the grains, making it difficult to obtain homogenized grains.

[0036] In order to refine and homogenize the alloy grains during the cooling and crystallization process of the vibration diverter 10, it is necessary to disperse the vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 7 into the alloy solution during the cooling process through the basin-shaped frame 10 of the vibration diverter 10. At this time, a number of through holes 121 are formed in the basin-shaped frame wall 120, as Figure 3A shown; and a number of through holes 121 are arranged along the circumferential axis and are located in the same plane, and the included angle between two adjacent through holes 131 is equal.

[0037] This vibration diverter 10 designed by setting the hollow cavity 131 and opening the through holes 121 enables it to not only meet the functions of a conventional diverter but also transmit ultrasonic vibration to the alloy solution. Especially at the solid-liquid interface and the outer edge of the ingot, better ultrasonic vibration waves can be obtained, which is conducive to making the grains more refined and homogenized when the alloy solution cools and crystallizes. The mechanical properties such as the yield strength, hardness, and ductility of the alloy ingot after grain refinement can be greatly improved; at the same time, the homogenization and degassing effects can also significantly improve the machinability and surface quality of the alloy ingot and enhance its corrosion resistance.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, as Figure 1As shown, the above ultrasonic vibration shunt device 20 further includes an air-cooled sleeve 9 for cooling the heat-resistant horn; the outer surface of the air-cooled sleeve 9 is attached to the inner wall of the housing 6, and the inner surface of the air-cooled sleeve 9 is in a wrapped and close contact with the heat-resistant horn 8, but does not contact the heat-resistant horn 8. That is to say, a certain gap is reserved between the inner surface of the air-cooled sleeve 9 and the heat-resistant horn 8, and this gap space allows the heat-resistant horn 8 to vibrate in the axial direction for transmitting axial ultrasonic vibration waves; the air-cooled sleeve 9 is adjacent to the vibration shunt disc 10. That is to say, the air-cooled sleeve 9 is arranged at the lower end of the inner wall of the housing 6. Correspondingly, at one end of the housing 6 close to the ultrasonic transducer 7, that is, at the upper end of the housing 6, there is an air pipe joint 62. One end of the air pipe joint 62 is in a gas flow through connection with the air-cooled sleeve 9 through the hollow cavity 60 of the housing 6, and the other end of the air pipe joint 62 is connected to the external feeding mechanism 5. Cooling gas is input by the feeding mechanism 5 to cool the heat-resistant horn 8, avoiding damage to the heat-resistant horn 8 due to excessive temperature, and at the same time reducing or preventing the heat-resistant horn 8 from transferring heat to the ultrasonic transducer 7 to prevent damage to the ultrasonic transducer 7 due to excessive temperature.

[0039] It should be understood that the above description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is relatively detailed, and it should not be considered as a limitation to the scope of patent protection of the present invention. The scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic vibration shunt device, characterized in that, It includes a housing, an ultrasonic transducer, a heat-resistant horn, and a vibration shunt plate with a hollow interior; the housing is a tubular columnar structure with a hollow cavity inside; the ultrasonic transducer is accommodated in the hollow cavity of the housing and is located at one end of the housing; the heat-resistant horn is a long columnar body, one end of the heat-resistant horn extends into the hollow cavity of the housing and is fixedly connected to the ultrasonic transducer, and the other end of the heat-resistant horn is exposed outside the housing and is fixedly connected to the vibration shunt plate; the vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer is transmitted to the vibration shunt plate through the heat-resistant horn; the longitudinal vibration wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer is divided into two parts after the shunting effect of the vibration shunt plate, where a small part of the longitudinal vibration wave continues to vibrate longitudinally along the vibration shunt plate, and the remaining majority of the longitudinal vibration wave will be converted into a radial vibration ultrasonic vibration wave along the vibration shunt plate; The vibration shunt plate includes a connecting column, several rib plates, and a hollow basin-shaped frame; one end of the connecting column is fixedly connected to the heat-resistant horn, the other end of the connecting column is perpendicularly and fixedly connected to one end of each rib plate, and the other end of each rib plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the basin-shaped frame; there is a hollow structure between several rib plates and the basin-shaped frame; The outer diameter of the basin-shaped frame is 50 - 500 mm; several through holes are provided on the wall of the basin-shaped frame.

2. The ultrasonic vibration shunt device according to claim 1, wherein The included angle between adjacent two rib plates is equal.

3. The ultrasonic vibration shunting device according to claim 1, characterized in that Several through holes are arranged along the circumferential axis and are located in the same plane; the included angle between adjacent two through holes is equal.

4. The ultrasonic vibration shunt device according to claim 1, characterized in that It further includes an air-cooled sleeve for cooling the heat-resistant horn; the air-cooled sleeve is attached to the inner wall of the housing and is in a wrapped and close contact with the heat-resistant horn, and the air-cooled sleeve is adjacent to the vibration shunt plate.

5. The ultrasonic vibration shunt device according to claim 4, characterized in that, On the housing and at the end close to the ultrasonic transducer, there is an air pipe joint, one end of the air pipe joint is in a gas flow through connection with the air-cooled sleeve, and the other end of the air pipe joint is connected to an external feeding mechanism.

6. The ultrasonic vibration shunt device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axis formed after the connection of the ultrasonic transducer, the heat-resistant horn, and the vibration shunt plate coincides with the axis of the hollow cavity.

7. The ultrasonic vibration flow splitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat-resistant horn is connected to the inner wall of the housing through a flange, and the flange is adjacent to the connection point of the heat-resistant horn and the ultrasonic transducer.

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