Automatic centering device and method for tundish submerged nozzle

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic centering device and method for an immersion nozzle of a tundish. The device of the present invention comprises a photoelectric distance meter and a centering control device; the photoelectric distance meter is installed on the lifting platform of the tundish car, a distance measuring target is set on the tundish (1), the distance measuring light emitted by the photoelectric distance meter is aimed at the distance measuring target, and the distance measuring light is parallel to the direction of centering movement; the photoelectric distance meter is connected to the centering control device by electrical signals, and the centering drive device is controlled to be connected to the centering control device. The method of the present invention comprises the centering control device continuously receiving the distance measuring value signal of the photoelectric distance meter, and controlling the action of the centering drive device according to the distance measuring value, so that the immersion nozzle (3) continuously moves to the centering center position, and the distance measuring value of the photoelectric distance meter continuously approaches the zero value. The automatic centering device and method of the present invention can realize the automatic centering operation of the immersion nozzle of the tundish, with small centering deviation, high precision and high speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automatic control technology for slab continuous casting, and in particular to an automatic centering device and method for an immersed nozzle of a tundish. Background Art

[0002] In the modern slab continuous casting production process, the tundish is one of the necessary equipment. The tundish plays the role of relay buffer for molten steel between the ladle and the crystallizer. The molten steel enters the tundish from the ladle, and then enters the crystallizer through the submerged nozzle installed at the bottom of the tundish. The molten steel is cooled in the crystallizer to form a continuous casting slab.

[0003] Dozens of tundishes are equipped in the slab continuous casting operation area, and these dozens of tundishes are circulated during the continuous casting operation. When the continuous casting operation is implemented, the tundish is placed on the tundish car, and the tundish is carried by the tundish car to move back and forth on the track in the operation area. There is a lifting platform on the tundish car, and a tundish seat is provided on the lifting platform. The tundish is placed on the tundish seat of the lifting platform, and the tundish can rise and fall with the lifting platform. A centering drive device is also provided on the lifting platform, and the centering drive device can drive the tundish seat to drive the tundish to move in the center. The tundish placed on the tundish car can move in three dimensions, that is, the movement of the tundish car on the track, the rising and falling movement of the lifting platform of the tundish car, and the centering movement. The movement directions of these three dimensions are perpendicular to each other, so that the tundish can move in three-dimensional space. An operating panel is provided on one side of the tundish car, and various operating handles and buttons are provided on the operating panel. By operating these handles or buttons, the operation of the tundish car can be realized, such as the running of the tundish car, the rising and falling of the lifting platform, the centering movement, etc.

[0004] When continuous casting is started, the tundish car with the tundish placed on it needs to be driven to the position of the crystallizer, and then the lifting platform of the tundish car is controlled to lower the tundish so that the submerged nozzle under the tundish is inserted into the crystallizer. Before inserting the submerged nozzle into the crystallizer, a centering operation needs to be performed. The centering operation refers to aligning the submerged nozzle under the tundish with the center position of the crystallizer by moving the tundish horizontally.

[0005] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 and Figure 2 The tundish 1 shown is already in the crystallizer position (for the convenience of illustration, the tundish car is not shown in the figure). Figure 1 In the process, the tundish 1 has not yet been lowered, and the submerged nozzle 3 has not yet been inserted into the crystallizer 5. Figure 2 In the figure, the tundish 1 is descending and the submerged nozzle 3 has been inserted into the crystallizer 5.

[0006] Below the tundish 1, the submerged nozzle 3 is installed at the lower part of the tundish 1 through the nozzle installation mechanism 2. Tundish seats 6 are provided on both sides of the lifting platform (not shown in the figure) of the tundish car. Ear shafts 10 are provided on both sides of the tundish 1. The tundish 1 is placed on the tundish seat 6 through the ear shafts 10 (only the ear shafts and tundish seat on one side are shown in the figure as an example). A centering electric cylinder 4 is provided at the tundish seat 6 on one side of the tundish as a centering drive device. The centering electric cylinder 4 is installed on the lifting platform, and the telescopic rod of the centering electric cylinder 4 is connected to the tundish seat 6 on the one side. By controlling the extension and contraction of the centering electric cylinder 4, the tundish seat 6 can be controlled to drive the tundish 1 to move laterally, such as Figure 1 As shown by the double arrow A, the submerged nozzle 3 at the bottom of the tundish 1 moves laterally with the tundish 1, so that the centering operation can be realized. This lateral movement is called centering movement. After the centering operation is completed, when it is confirmed that the submerged nozzle 3 is in the center position, the tundish 1 can be lowered. Figure 2 As shown by the middle arrow B, the submerged nozzle 3 is inserted into the crystallizer 5. The centering center position refers to the position when the submerged nozzle 3 is aligned with the center of the crystallizer 5.

[0007] When performing continuous casting operations, it is very important to place the submerged nozzle 3 in the center position. However, the current centering operations are all carried out by manual visual inspection. Specifically, there is a button for controlling the centering movement on the operating panel of the tundish car. The centering operation is completed by two operators, one person observes and directs the other person beside the crystallizer 5, and the other person presses the button according to the instruction to perform the centering operation. It is inevitable that there will be deviations when performing the centering operation by manual visual inspection. The deviation of the center position of the submerged nozzle 3 will bring many adverse effects to the continuous casting production. Before the tundish 1 descends, if the submerged nozzle 3 is not completely in the center position, then during the descent of the tundish 1, due to the very narrow space in the crystallizer 5, the submerged nozzle 3 may collide with the crystallizer 5 and break, resulting in an accident of abnormal production interruption. In the normal casting process, the submerged nozzle 3 that deviates from the center position will also affect the quality of the continuous casting slab. In addition, the centering operation is performed manually by visual inspection, which is slow. The continuous casting operation is restricted by process requirements and must be completed within a limited time. If the centering operation is too slow, it will not be conducive to improving the speed of the continuous casting operation.

[0008] In summary, the technical problem to be solved at present is that the centering operation of the submerged nozzle is implemented by manual visual inspection, the deviation of the centering operation is large and the speed is slow. Summary of the invention

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic centering device and method for an immersed water nozzle of a tundish, which can realize automatic centering operation of the immersed water nozzle of the tundish, with small centering deviation, high precision and high speed.

[0010] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0011] An automatic centering device for a tundish submerged nozzle comprises a centering drive device, which is installed on a tundish car and can drive a tundish seat to drive the tundish to move in a centering manner; the automatic centering device also comprises a photoelectric rangefinder and a centering control device; the photoelectric rangefinder is installed on a lifting platform of the tundish car, a distance measuring target is set on the tundish, the distance measuring light emitted by the photoelectric rangefinder is aimed at the distance measuring target, and the distance measuring light emitted by the photoelectric rangefinder is parallel to the direction of the centering movement; the photoelectric rangefinder is connected to the centering control device by electrical signals, and the centering drive device is controllably connected to the centering control device.

[0012] Furthermore, the ranging target is a positioning plate, which is fixedly connected to the lower part of the tundish; the positioning plate is located between the photoelectric rangefinder and the submerged water nozzle, and the projections of the photoelectric rangefinder, the positioning plate and the submerged water nozzle on the horizontal plane are in a straight line.

[0013] Furthermore, the distance measuring target is a nozzle installation mechanism or an immersion nozzle.

[0014] Furthermore, the centering control device is a centering control computer or a centering controller based on a single chip microcomputer.

[0015] An automatic centering method for a tundish submerged nozzle based on the above device, wherein the photoelectric rangefinder and the range-measuring target are pre-calibrated to zero position before using the automatic centering device;

[0016] The automatic centering method comprises the following steps:

[0017] Step 1, driving the tundish car to the crystallizer position;

[0018] Step 2, activating and starting the centering control device;

[0019] Step 3, the centering control device continuously receives the distance value signal of the photoelectric distance meter, and controls the action of the centering drive device according to the distance value, so that the submerged nozzle continuously moves to the center position, and the distance value of the photoelectric distance meter continuously approaches the zero value;

[0020] Step 4: When the distance measurement value of the photoelectric distance meter enters the preset centering allowable deviation range, the centering drive device is controlled to stop moving.

[0021] Furthermore, the distance measuring target is a positioning plate, and the zero position calibration of the photoelectric distance meter and the distance measuring target includes:

[0022] i) Take a tundish as the reference tundish, determine the position of the positioning plate on the reference tundish, place the reference tundish on the tundish car, drive the tundish car to the position of the crystallizer, perform the centering operation by manual visual inspection, make the submerged nozzle in the center position, and then adjust the distance value of the photoelectric distance meter to zero;

[0023] ii) For tundishes other than the reference tundish, place the tundish on the tundish car, drive the tundish car to the crystallizer position, and use manual visual inspection to perform centering operations so that the submerged water inlet is in the center position. Then move the positioning plate on the tundish facing the distance measuring light of the photoelectric distance meter until the distance measuring value of the photoelectric distance meter is zero. The position of the positioning plate is determined as the setting position.

[0024] An automatic centering device for a tundish submerged nozzle comprises a centering drive device, which is installed on a tundish car and can drive a tundish seat to drive the tundish to move in a centering manner; the automatic centering device also comprises a photoelectric rangefinder and a centering control device; the photoelectric rangefinder is installed at a fixed position relative to a crystallizer, a distance measuring target is set on the tundish, when the tundish is located at the crystallizer position, the distance measuring light emitted by the photoelectric rangefinder is aimed at the distance measuring target, and the distance measuring light emitted by the photoelectric rangefinder is parallel to the direction of the tundish centering movement; the photoelectric rangefinder is connected to the centering control device by electrical signals, and the centering drive device is controllably connected to the centering control device.

[0025] Furthermore, the distance measuring target is a positioning plate, which is fixedly connected to the lower part of the tundish; when the tundish is located at the crystallizer position, the positioning plate is located between the photoelectric distance meter and the submerged water nozzle, and the photoelectric distance meter, the positioning plate and the submerged water nozzle are in a straight line.

[0026] Furthermore, the distance measuring target is a nozzle installation mechanism or an immersion nozzle.

[0027] An automatic centering method for a tundish submerged nozzle based on the above device, wherein the photoelectric rangefinder and the range-measuring target are pre-calibrated to zero position before using the automatic centering device;

[0028] The automatic centering method comprises the following steps:

[0029] Step 1, drive the tundish car to the crystallizer position, and align the ranging light emitted by the photoelectric rangefinder with the ranging target;

[0030] Step 2, activating and starting the centering control device;

[0031] Step 3, the centering control device continuously receives the distance value signal of the photoelectric distance meter, and controls the action of the centering drive device according to the distance value, so that the submerged nozzle continuously moves to the center position, and the distance value of the photoelectric distance meter continuously approaches the zero value;

[0032] Step 4: When the distance measurement value of the photoelectric distance meter enters the preset centering allowable deviation range, the centering drive device is controlled to stop moving.

[0033] In the automatic centering device of the present invention, a distance measuring target is set on the tundish, and a photoelectric distance meter is set for the distance measuring target. The distance measuring light emitted by the photoelectric distance meter is aimed at the distance measuring target, and the position information of the tundish submerged nozzle in the centering moving direction can be obtained by measuring the distance of the distance measuring target. The centering control device controls the action of the centering drive device according to the distance measuring value signal of the photoelectric distance meter, and the centering drive device drives the tundish to move in the center, thereby realizing the automatic centering operation. In the automatic centering method of the present invention, the centering control device continuously receives the distance measuring value signal of the photoelectric distance meter, and controls the action of the centering drive device according to the distance measuring value, so that the submerged nozzle continuously moves to the centering center position, until the distance measuring value enters the preset centering allowable deviation range, and then controls the centering drive device to stop the action, thereby completing the automatic centering operation.

[0034] The automatic centering device and method of the present invention can realize automatic centering operation of the submerged water nozzle of the tundish. Compared with the centering operation performed by manual visual inspection, the automatic centering operation has a small centering deviation, high precision, and high speed, and can achieve a better centering effect, thereby avoiding the situation where the submerged water nozzle collides with the crystallizer and breaks, reducing the occurrence rate of abnormal production interruption accidents, and also improving the quality of continuous casting slabs, improving the degree of automation of slab continuous casting production, reducing the labor intensity of operators, and improving production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the prior art of the centering of the tundish submerged nozzle, in which the tundish is in an ascending state and the submerged nozzle is not inserted into the crystallizer;

[0036] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the prior art of the centering of the tundish submerged nozzle, in which the tundish is in a descending state and the submerged nozzle has been inserted into the crystallizer;

[0037] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of automatically centering a tundish immersion nozzle using the tundish immersion nozzle automatic centering device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which the ranging light of the laser rangefinder is aligned with the positioning plate;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of automatically centering a tundish submerged nozzle using the tundish submerged nozzle automatic centering device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which the distance measuring light of the laser rangefinder is aligned with the nozzle installation mechanism;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of automatically centering a tundish submerged nozzle using the automatic centering device for the tundish submerged nozzle of embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the figure, the distance measuring light of the laser rangefinder is aimed at the submerged nozzle.

[0040] Figures 1 to 5 The drawing plane faces the running direction of the middle package car, or in other words, in the drawing, the running direction of the middle package car is perpendicular to the drawing plane.

[0041] In the figure: 1- tundish, 2- nozzle mounting mechanism, 3- immersion nozzle, 4- centering electric cylinder, 5- crystallizer, 6- tundish seat, 7- laser rangefinder, 8- centering control computer, 9- positioning plate, 10- ear shaft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0043] It should be noted that the tundish car involved in the following embodiments has a lifting platform, a tundish seat is provided on the lifting platform, the tundish is placed on the tundish seat of the lifting platform, and the tundish can rise and fall with the lifting platform. An operating panel is provided on one side of the tundish car, and various operating handles and buttons are provided on the operating panel. By operating these handles or buttons, the tundish car can be operated, such as the travel of the tundish car, the rise and fall of the lifting platform, the centering movement, etc.

[0044] Implementation 1:

[0045] See also Figure 3 , Embodiment 1 provides an automatic centering device for the submerged water nozzle of the tundish, which can realize the automatic centering operation of the submerged water nozzle of the tundish, thereby reducing the deviation of the centering operation and improving the speed of the centering operation.

[0046] The automatic centering device of embodiment 1 includes a centering electric cylinder 4, which is installed on the lifting platform of the tundish car. The telescopic rod of the centering electric cylinder 4 is connected to the tundish seat 6. The centering electric cylinder 4 serves as a centering drive device and can drive the tundish seat 6 to drive the tundish 1 to move in a centering manner.

[0047] It should be noted that in the prior art, the centering drive device has various forms, and in the technical solution according to the present invention, the implementation form of the centering drive device is not limited to the centering electric cylinder. As long as it can drive the tundish seat 6 to drive the tundish 1 to move in the center, any form of the centering drive device can be used. For example, in the prior art, a centering oil cylinder is often used as the centering drive device. When the centering oil cylinder is used as the centering drive device, the centering oil cylinder is installed on the lifting platform of the tundish car, and the telescopic rod of the centering oil cylinder is connected to the tundish seat.

[0048] The automatic centering device of embodiment 1 further includes a laser rangefinder 7 and a centering control computer 8 .

[0049] The laser rangefinder 7 is fixedly mounted on the lifting platform of the tundish car, and a positioning plate 9 is arranged on the tundish 1 as a distance measurement target. The positioning plate 9 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the tundish 1 near the immersion nozzle 3. The distance measurement light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 is aimed at the positioning plate 9. The distance measurement light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 aimed at the positioning plate 9 is parallel to the direction of the centering movement of the tundish 1, and the distance measurement light is perpendicular to the positioning plate 9 as much as possible. Since the tundish 1 is lifted and lowered with the lifting platform, the positioning plate 9 connected to the tundish 1 and the laser rangefinder 7 installed on the lifting platform are lifted and lowered synchronously. As long as the tundish 1 is placed on the lifting platform, the distance measurement light of the laser rangefinder 7 can always be aimed at the positioning plate 9.

[0050] The laser rangefinder 7 is connected to the centering control computer 8 via electrical signals. The centering control computer 8 serves as a centering control device, and the centering electric cylinder 4 is controlled and connected to the centering control computer 8 .

[0051] The centering control computer 8 is provided with a specially developed automatic centering control program. The centering control computer 8 receives the distance measurement value signal of the laser distance meter 7 according to the automatic centering control program, and controls the action of the centering electric cylinder 4 according to the distance measurement value, so as to realize the automatic centering operation. In the present embodiment 1, there are two ways to activate and start the automatic centering control program in the centering control computer 8. The first way is that when the tundish car reaches the crystallizer position, the automatic centering control program in the centering control computer 8 is automatically activated and started. The second way is that an automatic centering button is also provided on the tundish car operation panel, and the button is connected to the centering control computer 8 signal. When the centering control computer 8 receives the signal of pressing the automatic centering button, the automatic centering control program in the centering control computer 8 is activated and started.

[0052] However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the activation method of the automatic centering control program in the centering control computer 8 is not limited to the above two methods, and other forms of activation methods may also be used, such as: the personnel in the central control room activate the automatic centering control program by clicking the mouse on the centering control computer 8; or, in the normal continuous casting process, when the submerged water nozzle 3 accidentally deviates from the centering center position, the automatic centering control program is automatically activated to ensure that the submerged water nozzle 3 is always in the centering center position.

[0053] It should be noted that, in order to prevent the laser rangefinder 7 from being accidentally disturbed during the continuous casting process, such as a person passing in front of the laser rangefinder 7, causing the automatic centering control program in the centering control computer 8 to be mistakenly activated, the activation restriction conditions and corresponding alarm programs of the automatic centering control program can be set in the centering control computer 8, and the automatic centering control program can be activated only when the restrictions and alarms are lifted. For example, during the continuous casting process, if the submerged nozzle 3 deviates from the centering center position, the centering control computer 8 will first issue an alarm, and the automatic centering control program can be activated only after manual confirmation and the alarm is lifted. If there is no manual confirmation, the automatic centering control program will be restricted and will not be automatically activated.

[0054] Preferably, the positioning plate 9 is placed between the laser rangefinder 7 and the submerged nozzle 3, and the projections of the laser rangefinder 7, the positioning plate 9 and the submerged nozzle 3 on the horizontal plane are in a straight line, so that a higher centering accuracy can be achieved. However, due to the limitations of the working site conditions, the above-mentioned preferred items may not be realized. Therefore, in other embodiments according to the present invention, the projections of the laser rangefinder 7, the positioning plate 9 and the submerged nozzle 3 on the horizontal plane may not be in a straight line, but it must be ensured that the distance measuring light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 to the positioning plate 9 is parallel to the direction of the centering movement of the tundish 1, and the positioning plate 9 is as perpendicular to the distance measuring light as possible.

[0055] It should be noted that in the present embodiment 1, there are requirements for the setting position of the positioning plate 9 on the tundish 1 and the setting of the zero value of the laser rangefinder 7. Specifically, when the submerged water inlet 3 at the bottom of the tundish 1 is in the center position, the distance value of the laser rangefinder 7 to the positioning plate 9 is zero. Therefore, the specific setting position of the positioning plate 9 on the tundish 1 and the zero value of the laser rangefinder 7 need to be determined in advance through zero position calibration. The zero position calibration includes two steps:

[0056] The first step is to adjust the zero value of the laser rangefinder 7 with the tundish as the reference. Specifically, a certain tundish 1 is used as the reference tundish, the position of the positioning plate 9 is first determined on the reference tundish, the reference tundish is placed on the tundish car, and the tundish car is driven to the position of the crystallizer, and the centering operation is performed by manual visual inspection to make the submerged nozzle 3 in the center position, and then the distance value of the laser rangefinder 7 is adjusted to zero.

[0057] In the second step, the setting position of the positioning plate 9 on the tundish 1 is determined based on the zero value of the laser rangefinder 7. Specifically, for all other tundishes 1 except the reference tundish, the tundish 1 is placed on the tundish car, and the tundish car is driven to the position of the crystallizer, and the centering operation is performed by manual visual inspection to make the submerged water inlet 3 in the center position, and then the positioning plate 9 is moved on the tundish facing the distance measurement light of the laser rangefinder 7 until the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7 is zero, and the position of the positioning plate 9 is determined as the setting position.

[0058] After the above-mentioned zero position calibration, for all tundishes 1, as long as the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7 to the positioning plate 9 is zero, the submerged water inlet 3 at the bottom of the tundish 1 should be in the centered position.

[0059] In the first embodiment, before using the automatic centering device to perform the automatic centering operation, it is necessary to perform zero-position calibration on the laser rangefinder 7 and the positioning plate 9 in advance.

[0060] The automatic centering method performed by the automatic centering device of the first embodiment includes the following steps:

[0061] Step 1: Drive the tundish car to the crystallizer position.

[0062] Step 2: When the tundish car reaches the crystallizer position, the automatic centering control program in the centering control computer 8 is automatically activated to start the automatic centering operation. In step 2, the automatic centering control program can also be activated by pressing the automatic centering button on the tundish car operating panel.

[0063] Step 3, when the automatic centering control program is activated and started, the centering control computer 8 continuously receives the distance measurement value signal of the laser rangefinder 7, and controls the action of the centering electric cylinder 4 according to the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7, so that the submerged water inlet 3 at the bottom of the middle ladle 1 continuously moves toward the center position, and the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7 continuously approaches the zero value.

[0064] Step 4, in the automatic centering control program, a centering allowable deviation range is pre-set for the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7. When the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7 enters the preset centering allowable deviation range, the centering control computer 8 controls the centering electric cylinder 4 to stop moving, and the automatic centering operation ends.

[0065] The automatic centering device of this embodiment can realize the automatic centering operation of the tundish submerged nozzle 3. Compared with the centering operation performed by manual visual inspection, the automatic centering operation has a small centering deviation, high precision, and fast speed, and can achieve a better centering effect. The improvement of centering accuracy greatly avoids the situation where the submerged nozzle 3 collides with the crystallizer 5 and breaks, reduces the incidence of abnormal production interruption accidents, and also improves the quality of continuous casting slabs. In addition, after the automatic centering device is used for automatic centering operation, the automation level of slab continuous casting production is improved, the labor intensity of operators is reduced, and production efficiency is improved.

[0066] Implementation 2:

[0067] See also Figure 4 , Embodiment 2 provides an automatic centering device for an immersion nozzle of a tundish. The automatic centering device of this Embodiment 2 is similar to the automatic centering device of Embodiment 1 in concept, except that the distance measuring target set on the tundish 1 is different. In Embodiment 1, the positioning plate 9 is fixedly connected to the tundish 1 as a distance measuring target, while in the automatic centering device of this Embodiment 2, the positioning plate 9 is omitted, and the nozzle mounting mechanism 2 is used as the distance measuring target. The distance measuring light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 is aimed at the nozzle mounting mechanism 2, and the distance measuring light is perpendicular to the surface of the nozzle mounting mechanism 2 to which it is aimed as much as possible.

[0068] Since the submerged nozzle 3 is installed on the tundish 1 through the nozzle installation mechanism 2, the positional relationship between the submerged nozzle 3 and the nozzle installation mechanism 2 is relatively stable, so the nozzle installation mechanism 2 is used as a distance measurement target, and determining the moving position of the nozzle installation mechanism 2 is equivalent to determining the moving position of the submerged nozzle 3, thereby providing a reference point for realizing the automatic centering operation. The technical effect achieved by the automatic centering device of this embodiment 2 is basically the same as that of the embodiment 1, and can also achieve the advantages of small centering deviation, high precision, and high speed in the automatic centering operation.

[0069] In the second embodiment, the nozzle installation mechanism 2 is used as the distance measurement target, so it is not necessary to perform zero position calibration on each tundish 1, but only one tundish 1 needs to be zero position calibrated. Specifically, a certain tundish is placed on the tundish car, and the tundish car is driven to the position of the crystallizer, and the centering operation is performed by manual visual inspection, so that the submerged nozzle 3 is in the center position, and then the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7 is adjusted to zero, and the zero position calibration is completed. Compared with the positioning plate 9 used as the distance measurement target in the first embodiment, the zero position calibration in the second embodiment is simpler and more convenient.

[0070] In the second embodiment, before using the automatic centering device to perform the automatic centering operation, it is necessary to pre-calibrate the laser rangefinder 7 and the nozzle installation mechanism 2 to zero position.

[0071] The automatic centering method performed by the automatic centering device of this embodiment 2 is basically the same as the automatic centering method described in embodiment 1, with the only difference being the distance measuring target. The distance measuring target in the automatic centering device of this embodiment 2 is the nozzle mounting mechanism 2.

[0072] Implementation 3:

[0073] See also Figure 5 , Embodiment 3 provides an automatic centering device for the submerged nozzle of the tundish. The automatic centering device of this Embodiment 3 is similar to the automatic centering device of Embodiment 2 in concept, except that the distance measurement target set on the tundish 1 is different. In Embodiment 2, the nozzle installation mechanism 2 is used as the distance measurement target, while in the automatic centering device of this Embodiment 3, the submerged nozzle 3 is directly used as the distance measurement target, and the distance measurement light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 is directly aimed at the submerged nozzle 3, and the extension line of the distance measurement light is ensured to pass through the central axis of the submerged nozzle 3 as much as possible.

[0074] In this embodiment 3, since the submerged nozzle 3 is directly used as a distance measurement target, the automatic centering operation will not be affected by the installation position deviation of the positioning plate 9 or the nozzle installation mechanism 2. On the basis of the technical effect achieved by the automatic centering device of embodiment 2, the automatic centering operation achieved by the automatic centering device of embodiment 3 is more accurate and the centering effect is better.

[0075] As in Embodiment 2, in Embodiment 3, it is not necessary to perform zero-position calibration on each tundish 1, but only one tundish 1 needs to be zero-position calibrated. Specifically, a tundish is placed on a tundish car, and the tundish car is driven to the position of the crystallizer, and the centering operation is performed by manual visual inspection so that the submerged nozzle 3 is in the center position, and then the distance measurement value of the laser rangefinder 7 is adjusted to zero, and the zero-position calibration is completed.

[0076] In the third embodiment, before using the automatic centering device to perform the automatic centering operation, it is necessary to pre-calibrate the laser rangefinder 7 and the submerged nozzle 3 to zero position.

[0077] The automatic centering method performed by the automatic centering device of this embodiment 3 is basically the same as the automatic centering method described in embodiment 1, and the only difference is that the ranging target is different. The ranging target in the automatic centering device of this embodiment 3 is the submerged water outlet 3.

[0078] In addition, in other embodiments according to the present invention, the laser rangefinder 7 can be separated from the tundish car and installed at a fixed position relative to the crystallizer 5. The specific installation position of the laser rangefinder 7 can be determined according to the surrounding conditions, such as being installed on a column or railing in the working area, or a special fixed bracket can be set up to fix the laser rangefinder 7 on the fixed bracket, and the ranging light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 should be made to pass through the central axis (i.e., the central vertical line) of the crystallizer 5 as much as possible. When the tundish 1 is driven to the crystallizer position, the ranging light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 should be able to be aligned with the ranging target, and the ranging light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 aligned with the ranging target should be parallel to the direction of the centering movement of the tundish 1. The settings of other aspects can refer to the settings in combination with the embodiments 1, 2 and 3.

[0079] If the laser rangefinder 7 is installed away from the tundish car, the zero position calibration of the laser rangefinder 7 and the ranging target is basically similar to the zero position calibration of implementation modes 1 and 2. The only difference is that the tundish car with the tundish 1 placed thereon needs to be driven to the crystallizer position before the zero position calibration can be performed.

[0080] If the laser rangefinder 7 is installed away from the tundish car, the method of automatic centering is basically similar to embodiments 1, 2, and 3. The difference is that after the tundish car is driven to the crystallizer position, the ranging light emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 must be aligned with the ranging target, and then the automatic centering control program of the centering control computer 8 can be activated to realize the automatic centering operation.

[0081] In other embodiments of the present invention, other forms of photoelectric rangefinders may be used to replace the laser rangefinder 7 , for example, an infrared rangefinder may be used to replace the laser rangefinder 7 .

[0082] In other embodiments of the present invention, other forms of centering control devices may be used to replace the centering control computer 8, such as a centering controller based on a single chip microcomputer.

[0083] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic centering device for a tundish submerged nozzle, comprising a centering drive device, the centering drive device being mounted on a tundish vehicle, the centering drive device being capable of driving a tundish seat (6) to drive the tundish (1) to move in a centering manner; Features: The automatic centering device also includes a photoelectric distance meter and a centering control device; The photoelectric distance meter is installed on the lifting platform of the tundish car, a distance measurement target is set on the tundish (1), the distance measurement light emitted by the photoelectric distance meter is aimed at the distance measurement target, and the distance measurement light emitted by the photoelectric distance meter is parallel to the direction of centering movement; The photoelectric distance meter is connected to the centering control device by electrical signals, and the centering drive device is controlled to be connected to the centering control device.

2. According to claim 1, the automatic centering device for the tundish submerged nozzle is characterized by: The distance measuring target is a positioning plate (9), and the positioning plate (9) is fixedly connected to the lower part of the tundish (1); the positioning plate (9) is located between the photoelectric distance meter and the submerged water outlet (3), and the projections of the photoelectric distance meter, the positioning plate (9) and the submerged water outlet (3) on a horizontal plane are in a straight line.

3. The automatic centering device for the submerged nozzle of the tundish according to claim 1 is characterized by: The distance measuring target is a nozzle installation mechanism (2) or an immersion nozzle (3).

4. The automatic centering device for the submerged nozzle of the tundish according to claim 1 is characterized by: The centering control device is a centering control computer (8) or a centering controller based on a single chip microcomputer.

5. An automatic centering device for a tundish submerged nozzle, comprising a centering drive device, the centering drive device being mounted on a tundish car, the centering drive device being capable of driving a tundish seat (6) to drive the tundish (1) to move in a centering manner; Features: The automatic centering device also includes a photoelectric distance meter and a centering control device; The photoelectric distance meter is installed at a fixed position relative to the crystallizer (5), and a distance measurement target is set on the tundish (1). When the tundish (1) is located at the crystallizer position, the distance measurement light emitted by the photoelectric distance meter is aligned with the distance measurement target, and the distance measurement light emitted by the photoelectric distance meter is parallel to the direction of the tundish (1) moving in alignment; The photoelectric distance meter is connected to the centering control device by electrical signals, and the centering drive device is controlled to be connected to the centering control device.

6. The automatic centering device for the submerged nozzle of the tundish according to claim 5 is characterized by: The distance measuring target is a positioning plate (9), and the positioning plate (9) is fixedly connected to the lower part of the tundish (1); when the tundish (1) is located at the crystallizer position, the positioning plate (9) is located between the photoelectric distance meter and the submerged water outlet (3), and the projections of the photoelectric distance meter, the positioning plate (9) and the submerged water outlet (3) on a horizontal plane are located in a straight line.

7. The automatic centering device for the submerged nozzle of the tundish according to claim 5, characterized in that: The distance measuring target is a nozzle installation mechanism (2) or an immersion nozzle (3).

8. A method for automatically centering a tundish submerged nozzle based on the automatic centering device for a tundish submerged nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before using the automatic centering device, the photoelectric rangefinder and the range-measuring target are pre-calibrated to zero position; The automatic centering method comprises the following steps: Step 1, driving the tundish car to the crystallizer position; Step 2, activating and starting the centering control device; Step 3, the centering control device continuously receives the distance value signal of the photoelectric distance meter, and controls the action of the centering drive device according to the distance value, so that the submerged water outlet (3) continuously moves to the center position, and the distance value of the photoelectric distance meter continuously approaches zero; Step 4: When the distance measurement value of the photoelectric distance meter enters the preset centering allowable deviation range, the centering drive device is controlled to stop moving.

9. The method for automatically centering a tundish submerged nozzle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The distance measuring target is a positioning plate, and the zero position calibration of the photoelectric distance meter and the distance measuring target includes: i) Take a tundish as the reference tundish, determine the position of the positioning plate on the reference tundish, place the reference tundish on the tundish car, drive the tundish car to the position of the crystallizer, perform the centering operation by manual visual inspection, make the submerged nozzle in the center position, and then adjust the distance value of the photoelectric distance meter to zero; ii) For tundishes other than the reference tundish, place the tundish on the tundish car, drive the tundish car to the crystallizer position, and use manual visual inspection to perform centering operations so that the submerged water inlet is in the center position. Then move the positioning plate on the tundish facing the distance measuring light of the photoelectric distance meter until the distance measuring value of the photoelectric distance meter is zero. The position of the positioning plate is determined as the setting position.

10. A method for automatically centering a tundish submerged nozzle based on the automatic centering device for a tundish submerged nozzle according to claim 5, characterized in that: Before using the automatic centering device, the photoelectric rangefinder and the range-measuring target are pre-calibrated to zero position; The automatic centering method comprises the following steps: Step 1, drive the tundish car to the crystallizer position, and align the ranging light emitted by the photoelectric rangefinder with the ranging target; Step 2, activating and starting the centering control device; Step 3, the centering control device continuously receives the distance value signal of the photoelectric distance meter, and controls the action of the centering drive device according to the distance value, so that the submerged water outlet (3) continuously moves to the center position, and the distance value of the photoelectric distance meter continuously approaches zero; Step 4: When the distance measurement value of the photoelectric distance meter enters the preset centering allowable deviation range, the centering drive device is controlled to stop moving.

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