Phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment and method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment and method. The phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment includes a smelting chamber; multiple phased array ultrasonic tool heads, which are arranged in the smelting chamber and always submerged in the molten metal. Each ultrasonic tool head is independently connected to a phase shifter, an horn, and a transducer; multiple temperature sensing assemblies are used to detect the temperature of multiple different locations in the molten metal; an array phase electronic control unit is respectively connected to the temperature sensing assemblies and the phase shifters, and controls each phase shifter according to the collected temperature signal to timely adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave output by the ultrasonic tool head. The multiple ultrasonic tool heads are arranged in a certain array, and ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases interfere with each other to generate ultrasonic beam planes of different angles, thereby effectively ultrasonically treating the molten metal at different locations in the molten pool, effectively solving the problem of uneven ultrasonic treatment during large-scale metal smelting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of metal smelting, and in particular to a phased array ultrasonic metal smelting device and method. Background Art

[0002] In large-scale industrial production, the molten metal in metal melting equipment is heavy, and the molten pool is also deep, typically exceeding 0.5 meters. However, commercially available ultrasonic generators have low power, typically ranging from a few kilowatts to over ten kilowatts, making it difficult to effectively melt the entire molten metal pool. This results in significant microstructural variations across various parts of the cast metal components, leading to inconsistent physical properties. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment that can effectively solve the problem of uneven ultrasonic treatment during large-scale metal melting.

[0004] The present invention also provides a phased array ultrasonic metal melting method.

[0005] The phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0006] A smelting chamber, suitable for smelting molten metal;

[0007] Multiple phased array ultrasonic tool heads are disposed in the smelting chamber and are always submerged in the molten metal. Each ultrasonic tool head is independently connected to a phase shifter, and each phase shifter is sequentially connected to an horn and a transducer. The phase shifter is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave transmitted from the horn to the ultrasonic tool head.

[0008] a plurality of temperature sensing assemblies for detecting the temperature of a plurality of different positions in the molten metal in the smelting chamber;

[0009] An array phase electronic control unit is connected to the temperature sensing assembly and the phase shifter, respectively. The array phase electronic control unit controls each phase shifter according to the collected temperature signal to timely adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave output by the ultrasonic tool head.

[0010] The phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: multiple ultrasonic tool heads are arranged in a certain array, and ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases interfere with each other to generate ultrasonic beam planes of different angles, thereby effectively ultrasonically treating the metal melt at different locations in the molten pool, effectively solving the problem of uneven ultrasonic treatment during large-scale metal smelting.

[0011] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment of the first embodiment of the present invention, the phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment further comprises:

[0012] a liquid level position sensing component for detecting the liquid level position of the molten metal in the smelting chamber;

[0013] The transducer electronic control unit is connected to the liquid level position sensor assembly and the transducer respectively. The transducer electronic control unit dynamically adjusts the output power of each transducer according to the collected liquid level position signal.

[0014] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the ultrasonic tool head is arranged at the bottom of the smelting chamber.

[0015] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the ultrasonic tool heads are arranged in a two-dimensional rectangular array, the lateral spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads is constant, and the longitudinal spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads is constant.

[0016] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, at least one of the lateral spacing or the longitudinal spacing of each ultrasonic tool head is between 0.5-5 cm.

[0017] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the diameter of each ultrasonic tool head is the same, and the diameter of each ultrasonic tool head is between 0.5-5 cm.

[0018] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the output power of the transducer is positively correlated with the liquid level, and the transducer electronic control unit is used to control the output power of each transducer to maintain balance.

[0019] The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method according to the second embodiment of the present invention uses the phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method includes the following steps:

[0021] At the initial stage of smelting, the array phase electronic control unit controls all phase shifters to output ultrasonic vibration waves to the phased array ultrasonic tool head with the same phase, limiting the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the ultrasonic tool head array to be parallel to the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head, and making the direction of the ultrasonic sound flow caused by the ultrasonic beam plane perpendicular to the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head, so that the ultrasonic tool head array can ultrasonically treat the molten metal directly above the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head;

[0022] During the smelting process, when the temperature of a certain part is low, the array phase electronic control unit controls at least part of the phase shifters to output ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases, so that the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the ultrasonic tool head array has a certain angle with the ultrasonic tool head array plane. α The ultrasonic sound flow generated by the ultrasonic beam surface and the ultrasonic tool head array surface produce an angle with α Complementary angles β , thereby ultrasonically treating the molten metal in other areas other than directly above the ultrasonic tool head array surface through the ultrasonic tool head array;

[0023] By controlling the phase shifter, the angle between the ultrasonic beam plane and the ultrasonic tool head array plane is adjusted. β Controllable, so that the molten metal in all parts of the melting chamber is ultrasonically treated.

[0024] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal melting method described in the embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the ultrasonic tool head is placed at the bottom of the melting chamber.

[0025] According to the phased array ultrasonic metal melting method described in the second embodiment of the present invention, the angle β The control range is between -90° and +90°.

[0026] It is not difficult to understand that the phased array ultrasonic metal melting method in the embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention has the technical effects of the phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment in the embodiment of the first aspect described above, and therefore will not be described in detail.

[0027] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an ultrasonic tool head array according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic beam plane and the ultrasonic tool head array plane at the initial stage of smelting in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic sound flow direction, ultrasonic tool head array surface, and liquid surface at the initial stage of smelting in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic beam plane and the ultrasonic tool head array plane when outputting ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic sound flow direction, the ultrasonic tool head array surface, and the liquid surface when ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases are output in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Reference numerals:

[0036] Melting chamber 100 , ultrasonic tool head 200 , phase shifter 210 , horn 220 , transducer 230 , temperature sensor assembly 300 , array phase electronic control unit 400 , transducer electronic control unit 500 , liquid level position sensor assembly 600 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following describes in detail embodiments of the present application. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on this application.

[0039] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "more" means at least two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The terms "first" and "second" are used solely to distinguish technical features and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or as implicitly specifying the number or order of the technical features.

[0040] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense. Technical personnel in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in this application after combining the specific content of the technical solution.

[0041] Reference Figures 1 to 6The phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment of the first embodiment of the present application is used for large-scale metal melting. The phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment includes a melting chamber 100, multiple phased array ultrasonic tool heads 200, phase shifters 210, amplitude rods 220, transducers 230, multiple temperature sensing components 300 and an array phase electronic control unit 400.

[0042] The smelting chamber 100 is suitable for smelting molten metal. Multiple phased array ultrasonic tool heads 200 are arranged in the smelting chamber 100, and the ultrasonic tool heads 200 are always submerged in the molten metal. Each ultrasonic tool head 200 is independently connected to a phase shifter 210, and each phase shifter 210 is sequentially connected to an horn 220 and a transducer 230. The phase shifter 210 is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave transmitted to the ultrasonic tool head 200 by the horn 220. Multiple temperature sensor assemblies 300 are used to detect the temperature of multiple different locations in the molten metal in the smelting chamber 100. The array phase electronic control unit 400 is respectively connected to the temperature sensor assemblies 300 and the phase shifter 210. The array phase electronic control unit 400 controls each phase shifter 210 according to the collected temperature signal to timely adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave output by the ultrasonic tool head 200. Multiple ultrasonic tool heads 200 are arranged in a certain array, and ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases interfere with each other to generate ultrasonic beam surfaces of different angles, thereby effectively ultrasonically treating the metal melt in different parts of the molten pool, effectively solving the problem of uneven ultrasonic treatment during large-scale metal smelting.

[0043] It is understood that the phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment includes a smelting furnace, with the molten pool of the smelting furnace serving as the smelting chamber 100 for smelting molten metal. The phased array ultrasonic tool heads 200 are arranged in a certain square array, the specific arrangement shape being determined by the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the molten pool. Each ultrasonic tool head 200 is independently connected to a phase shifter 210, an horn 220, and a transducer 230. The phase shifter 210 is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave transmitted from the horn 220 to the ultrasonic tool head 200. φ , wherein each transducer 230 is used to connect to an AC power source to obtain energy. Preferably, the temperature sensing assembly 300 is a temperature sensor, which is placed at different positions in the molten metal to collect the temperature of different parts of the melt.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present application, specific reference is made to Figure 1 The phased array ultrasonic metal smelting equipment further includes a liquid level position sensor component 600 and a transducer electronic control unit 500 .

[0045] The liquid level position sensor assembly 600 is used to detect the liquid level position of the molten metal in the smelting chamber 100. The transducer electronic control unit 500 is connected to the liquid level position sensor assembly 600 and the transducers 230, respectively. The transducer electronic control unit 500 dynamically adjusts the output power of each transducer 230 based on the collected liquid level position signal. Preferably, the output power of the transducer 230 is positively correlated with the liquid level height, and the transducer electronic control unit 500 is used to control the output power of each transducer 230 to maintain a balanced level.

[0046] It will be appreciated that the liquid level position sensing assembly 600 is preferably a liquid level position sensor. When the liquid level position sensor is installed in the molten metal pool, the output power of the transducer 230 is positively correlated with the liquid level height; that is, the higher the liquid level, the greater the output power of the transducer 230. During the smelting process, the transducer electronic control unit 500 precisely controls the output power of each transducer 230 to maintain a balanced level.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, specific reference is made to Figure 1 The ultrasonic tool head 200 is disposed at the bottom of the smelting chamber 100. It is understood that current ultrasonic smelting equipment generally has an overhead tool head, i.e., the tool head is inserted from the surface of the melt into the melt. This structural design has two major drawbacks: first, the direction of the ultrasonic sound flow generated by the working head is opposite to the direction of thermal convection in the melt. In this case, the melt convection will have a negative effect on the ultrasonic sound flow and reduce the ultrasonic treatment effect on the melt; second, during the actual smelting process, the volume of the melt in the smelting equipment will constantly change, so the overhead tool head needs to be constantly adjusted in height, which increases the difficulty of operation during the smelting process.

[0048] The present invention's bottom-placed ultrasonic tool head 200 effectively addresses these two drawbacks. When the ultrasonic tool head 200 is bottom-placed, the melt convection and the ultrasonic sound flow align in the same direction. This convection enhances the ultrasonic sound flow, increasing the ultrasonic treatment effect on the melt. Furthermore, the bottom-placed ultrasonic tool head 200 simplifies the smelting process, eliminating the need to adjust the position of the ultrasonic tool head 200 array according to the liquid level.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present application, specific reference is made to Figure 2 The ultrasonic tool heads 200 are arranged in a two-dimensional rectangular array, and the lateral spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads 200 is constant, and the longitudinal spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads 200 is constant. Preferably, the lateral spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads 200 ( l 1) or vertical spacing ( l 2) is between 0.5 and 5 cm. The diameter of each ultrasonic tool head 200 ( d ) are the same, and the diameter of each ultrasonic tool head 200 is between 0.5-5 cm.

[0050] It is understood that the present application arranges multiple low-power ultrasonic tool heads 200 in parallel in a specific array, thereby effectively ultrasonically treating the molten metal at different locations in the molten pool. Connecting multiple low-power ultrasonic devices in parallel enables high-power output, which can effectively reduce the R&D and manufacturing costs of the smelting equipment. Furthermore, due to the use of low-power ultrasonic devices, the diameter of the ultrasonic tool heads 200 is also smaller, which effectively reduces the corrosive effect of ultrasonic cavitation on the ultrasonic tool heads 200 during the smelting process, effectively extending the service life of the ultrasonic tool heads 200 and reducing smelting costs. Furthermore, connecting multiple low-power ultrasonic tool heads 200 in parallel in an array effectively increases the redundancy required for stable operation of the equipment. If a tool head and its accessories in the array of ultrasonic tool heads 200 are damaged, the other undamaged ultrasonic tool heads 200 in the array will still function normally, although the overall power of the ultrasonic tool head 200 array will be slightly reduced, and the ultrasonic treatment time will be slightly increased, but this will not affect the effective ultrasonic treatment of the melt by the ultrasonic tool head 200 array.

[0051] Reference Figures 1 to 6 The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method of the second embodiment of the present application uses the phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment of the first embodiment of the present application, and the phased array ultrasonic metal melting method includes the following steps:

[0052] At the initial stage of smelting, the array phase electronic control unit 400 controls all phase shifters 210 to output ultrasonic vibration waves to the phased array ultrasonic tool heads 200 with the same phase, limiting the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the array of ultrasonic tool heads 200 to be parallel to the array surface of the ultrasonic tool heads 200, and making the direction of the ultrasonic sound flow caused by the ultrasonic beam plane perpendicular to the array surface of the ultrasonic tool heads 200, so that the molten metal directly above the array surface of the ultrasonic tool heads 200 is ultrasonically treated by the array of ultrasonic tool heads 200;

[0053] During the smelting process, when the temperature of a certain part is low, the array phase electronic control unit 400 controls at least part of the phase shifters 210 to output ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases, so that the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the ultrasonic tool head 200 array and the ultrasonic tool head 200 array plane have a certain angle. α The ultrasonic sound flow generated by the ultrasonic beam surface and the array surface of the ultrasonic tool head 200 generate an angle with α Complementary angles β , thereby ultrasonically treating the molten metal in other areas other than directly above the array surface of the ultrasonic tool head 200 through the array of the ultrasonic tool head 200;

[0054] By controlling the phase shifter 210 , the angle β between the ultrasonic beam plane and the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head 200 can be controlled, so that the molten metal in all parts of the smelting chamber 100 is ultrasonically treated.

[0055] It is understandable that specific reference Figure 3 , the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the ultrasonic tool head 200 array is parallel to the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head 200. Since the ultrasonic sound flow direction is always perpendicular to the ultrasonic beam plane, the specific reference is Figure 4 The direction of the ultrasonic sound flow caused by the ultrasonic beam surface is also perpendicular to the array surface of the ultrasonic tool head 200. At this time, the ultrasonic tool head 200 array can only effectively ultrasonically treat the molten metal directly above the array surface of the ultrasonic tool head 200.

[0056] Specific reference Figure 5 Each phase shifter 210 outputs ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases, so that the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the ultrasonic tool head 200 array and the ultrasonic tool head 200 array plane have a certain angle. α At this time, please refer to Figure 6 The ultrasonic sound flow generated by the ultrasonic beam surface and the array surface of the ultrasonic tool head 200 generate an angle with α Complementary angles β At this time, the ultrasonic tool head 200 array can effectively ultrasonically treat the molten metal in other areas other than the area directly above the ultrasonic tool head 200 array surface. By properly controlling the phase shifter 210, the angle between the ultrasonic beam surface and the ultrasonic tool head 200 array surface can be theoretically β The angle can be controlled between -90° and +90°, which means that all parts of the molten metal in the molten pool can be effectively ultrasonically treated.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, placing the ultrasonic tool head 200 at the bottom of the smelting chamber 100 can enhance the ultrasonic treatment effect on the melt and simplify the operation process during the smelting process.

[0058] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0059] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by ordinary technicians in the technical field without departing from the purpose of the present application.

Claims

1. A phased array ultrasonic metal melting method, characterized in that: A phased array ultrasonic metal melting device is used, wherein the phased array ultrasonic metal melting device comprises: A smelting chamber, suitable for smelting molten metal; Multiple phased array ultrasonic tool heads are arranged at the bottom of the smelting chamber and are always submerged in the molten metal. Each ultrasonic tool head is independently connected to a phase shifter, and each phase shifter is sequentially connected to a horn and a transducer. The phase shifter is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave transmitted from the horn to the ultrasonic tool head. a plurality of temperature sensing assemblies for detecting the temperature of a plurality of different positions in the molten metal in the smelting chamber; an array phase electronic control unit, connected to the temperature sensing assembly and the phase shifter, respectively, and controlling each of the phase shifters according to the collected temperature signal to timely adjust the phase of the ultrasonic vibration wave output by the ultrasonic tool head; The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method includes the following steps: At the start of smelting, the array phase electronic control unit controls all phase shifters to output ultrasonic vibration waves to the phased array ultrasonic tool head with the same phase, limiting the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the ultrasonic tool head array to be parallel to the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head, and making the direction of the ultrasonic sound flow caused by the ultrasonic beam plane perpendicular to the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head, so that the ultrasonic tool head array can ultrasonically treat the molten metal directly above the array plane of the ultrasonic tool head; During the smelting process, when the temperature of a certain part is low, the array phase electronic control unit controls at least part of the phase shifters to output ultrasonic vibration waves of different phases, so that the ultrasonic beam plane generated by the ultrasonic tool head array has a certain angle with the ultrasonic tool head array plane. α The ultrasonic sound flow generated by the ultrasonic beam surface and the ultrasonic tool head array surface produce an angle with α Complementary angles β , thereby ultrasonically treating the molten metal in other areas other than directly above the ultrasonic tool head array surface through the ultrasonic tool head array; By controlling the phase shifter, the angle between the ultrasonic beam plane and the ultrasonic tool head array plane is adjusted. β Controllable, so that the molten metal in all parts of the melting chamber is ultrasonically treated.

2. The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phased array ultrasonic metal melting equipment also includes: a liquid level position sensing component for detecting the liquid level position of the molten metal in the smelting chamber; The transducer electronic control unit is connected to the liquid level position sensor assembly and the transducer respectively, and the transducer electronic control unit dynamically adjusts the output power of each transducer according to the collected liquid level position signal.

3. The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic tool heads are arranged in a two-dimensional rectangular array, and the transverse spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads is constant, and the longitudinal spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads is constant.

4. The phased array ultrasonic metal smelting method according to claim 3, characterized in that: At least one of the transverse spacing or the longitudinal spacing between the ultrasonic tool heads is between 0.5 and 5 centimeters.

5. The phased array ultrasonic metal smelting method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The diameters of the ultrasonic tool heads are the same, and the diameters of the ultrasonic tool heads are between 0.5 and 5 centimeters.

6. The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The output power of the transducer is positively correlated with the liquid level, and the transducer electronic control unit is used to control the output power of each transducer to maintain balance.

7. The phased array ultrasonic metal melting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Angle β The control range is between -90° and +90°.

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