Circulating flow type foam metal material production system

Abstract

The invention discloses a circulating flow type foam metal material production system which comprises a molten liquid pool, a circulating flow type foam metal material production system and a circulating flow type foam metal material production system, and the upper end of the molten liquid pool is open and used for containing molten metal; the bubble generating device is used for generating bubbles; the discharging guide device is arranged above the melt pool and is used for guiding the formed foam metal material to be continuously discharged; the circulation driving device is used for driving the molten metal to flow around the bubble generating device so as to separate the bubbles; the circulating driving device comprises two groups of driving paddle assemblies, and each driving paddle assembly comprises at least one driving paddle unit which is arranged in the length direction of the bubble generating device at intervals; the two sets of driving paddle assemblies are located on the left side and the right side of the bubble generating device respectively, the first set of driving paddle assemblies are located on the upper side of the bubble generating device, and the second set of driving paddle assemblies are located on the lower side of the bubble generating device. The paddle driving unit comprises a driving motor and a driving paddle which is in transmission connection with the driving motor and used for driving molten metal to flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of porous foam materials, and specifically relates to a production system for cyclic flow type foam metal materials. Background Art

[0002] Foamed aluminum is made by adding additives to pure aluminum or aluminum alloy through a foaming process, and has both the characteristics of metal and bubbles. Foamed aluminum has the advantages of low density, strong high-impact absorption ability, high temperature resistance, strong fire resistance, corrosion resistance, sound insulation and noise reduction, low thermal conductivity, high electromagnetic shielding, strong weather resistance, filtering ability, easy processing, easy installation, high forming accuracy, and can be surface coated, etc., and has great market application potential in the fields of railway passenger cars, military, construction, automobiles, decoration, aerospace, aviation, ships, etc. Foamed aluminum can be divided into open-cell foamed aluminum and closed-cell foamed aluminum from the pore structure, and among them, closed-cell foamed aluminum is more widely used. The main preparation method of closed-cell foamed aluminum is the melt blowing method.

[0003] In the melt blowing process, gas is directly injected into liquid aluminum or aluminum alloy through a blowing head, which has the advantages of low cost and continuous production. However, in the existing blowing method, all bubbles are generated in the pores processed on one or more groups of planes, and the gas outlet is uneven and uncontrollable, resulting in different bubble sizes and difficult to precisely control the pore diameter, and finally the pore diameter distribution of the product is uneven.

[0004] The biggest problem of the flat pores in the existing blowing method is that the bubble detachment speed is slow, which greatly affects the production efficiency and the control of bubble pore diameter. In order to control the bubble pore diameter and improve the production efficiency, the rotary blowing method and the reciprocating blowing method are proposed. The rotary blowing method drives the blowing head to rotate to disperse the gas, and the reciprocating blowing method disperses the bubbles by driving the blowing head to reciprocate. However, the rotary blowing method and the reciprocating blowing method cause greater disturbance to the melt, and the bubble detachment conditions are quite different, and the pore uniformity of the prepared foamed aluminum is poor. In particular, the interference caused by vibration makes a large number of bubbles merge, further aggravating the non-uniformity of bubbles and the difficulty of control. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a production system for cyclic flow type foam metal materials, which can effectively accelerate bubble detachment, reduce the size of the generated bubbles, improve the control accuracy of the product pore diameter, and improve the performance of the foam metal material.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A production system for cyclic flow type foam metal materials, comprising:

[0008] A molten liquid pool, the upper end of the molten liquid pool is open and is used to hold molten metal liquid;

[0009] A bubble generating device for generating bubbles;

[0010] A discharge guiding device, which is arranged above the molten metal pool and is used to guide the continuously discharged formed foam metal material;

[0011] A circulating driving device for driving the molten metal to flow around the bubble generating device to separate the bubbles;

[0012] The circulating driving device includes two groups of driving paddle assemblies, and each driving paddle assembly includes at least one driving paddle unit arranged at intervals along the length direction of the bubble generating device; the two groups of driving paddle assemblies are respectively located on the left and right sides of the bubble generating device, and the first group of driving paddle blade assemblies is located on the upper side of the bubble generating device, and the second group of driving paddle assemblies is located on the lower side of the bubble generating device; the paddle driving unit includes a driving motor and a driving paddle that is in transmission connection with the driving motor and is used to drive the molten metal to flow.

[0013] Furthermore, the driving paddle includes a paddle blade and a paddle shaft, the paddle blade is installed on the paddle shaft and rotates synchronously with the paddle shaft; the paddle shaft is rotatably installed on the side wall of the molten metal pool, and a labyrinth seal sleeve is arranged between the paddle shaft and the molten metal pool.

[0014] Furthermore, bubble outlets are arranged at intervals along the length direction on the top surface of the bubble generating device, and a conical protrusion extending upward is arranged at the bubble outlet, and the conical protrusion is used to reduce the contact area between the bubble and the bubble generating device.

[0015] Furthermore, a gas supply channel is connected to the bubble generating device, and a gas supply pipe is arranged in the gas supply channel corresponding to each bubble outlet, and the gas supply pipe is connected to the corresponding bubble outlet; a buffer tank is arranged on the gas supply pipe, and the buffer tank is used to suppress the pressure oscillation caused by the air pressure fluctuation.

[0016] Furthermore, the discharge guiding device includes a first guiding part and a second guiding part arranged oppositely, a discharge guiding channel for the forming and discharging of the foam metal material is formed between the first guiding part and the second guiding part, and a bubble guiding plate for guiding the floating direction of the bubbles is arranged below the discharge guiding channel.

[0017] Furthermore, first guiding rollers and second guiding rollers are respectively arranged at intervals on the opposite sides of the first guiding part and the second guiding part, a first guiding belt is sleeved on the first guiding roller, and a second guiding belt is arranged on the second guiding roller; the distance between the first guiding part and the second guiding part is adjustable; water-cooled jackets for cooling and forming the foam metal material are arranged in the first guiding part and the second guiding part; the water-cooled jackets control the cooling rate of the foam metal material to be 10 - 50 °C / s.

[0018] Further, a monitoring system for monitoring the bubble size is provided on the discharge guiding device. The monitoring system includes a host computer and a camera. The camera collects the surface images of the foamed metal material in the discharge guiding channel. The host computer calculates the size distribution and bubble coalescence rate of the bubbles based on the collected surface images of the foamed metal material. The method for judging bubble coalescence is as follows: If the bubble diameter is greater than 125% of the target bubble diameter, it indicates that the bubble is obtained by the coalescence of at least two bubbles, and then the bubble coalescence rate is calculated.

[0019] Further, a bubble control system is further included. The bubble control system includes a controller, a first motor control circuit, and a second motor control circuit that are respectively connected to the controller. The first motor control circuit is used to control the rotation speed of the drive motor of the first group of the drive paddle assemblies, and the second motor control circuit is used to control the rotation speed of the drive motor of the second group of the drive paddle assemblies. And:

[0020] When the proportion of bubbles with a diameter greater than the set threshold range is greater than or equal to the set first threshold, the controller controls the corresponding drive motors to increase the rotation speed through the first motor control circuit and the second motor control circuit respectively, so as to accelerate the detachment speed of the bubbles from the bubble generating device;

[0021] When the proportion of bubbles with a diameter less than the set threshold range is greater than or equal to the set first threshold, the controller controls the corresponding drive motors to decrease the rotation speed through the first motor control circuit and the second motor control circuit respectively, so as to slow down the detachment speed of the bubbles from the bubble generating device;

[0022] When the bubble coalescence rate exceeds the set second threshold, the controller controls the corresponding drive motor to decrease the rotation speed through the first motor control circuit, and controls the corresponding drive motor to increase the rotation speed through the second motor control circuit, so that the flow rate of the molten metal above the bubble generating device remains unchanged but becomes more stable.

[0023] Further, at least one of the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion is provided with a high-temperature resistant window, and the camera collects the surface images of the foamed metal material in the discharge guiding channel through the high-temperature resistant window.

[0024] Further, the bottoms of the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion are respectively provided with a first base and a second base, and at least one of the first base and the second base is provided with the high-temperature resistant window.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0026] The circulating flow type production system of foamed metal material of the present invention is provided with a circulating drive device, and two sets of drive paddle assemblies are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the bubble generating device. At the same time, the first set of drive paddle assemblies is arranged on the upper side of the bubble generating device, and the second set of drive paddle assemblies is arranged on the lower side of the bubble generating device. In this way, the drive paddle units arranged in parallel in the two sets of drive paddle assemblies can drive the molten metal to circulate around the bubble generating device. On the one hand, the flowing molten metal will also delay the precipitation of additives (such as ceramic powder) in the molten metal. On the other hand, the flowing molten metal will exert a force on the bubbles generated on the top surface of the bubble generating device, enabling the bubbles to break away from the top surface of the bubble generating device more quickly, thereby reducing the bubble size and improving the performance of the metal foam material. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention provides the following drawings for description:

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the circulating flow type production system of foamed metal material of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A-A cross-sectional view of;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the bubble generating device;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a surface image of the foamed metal material obtained by collection.

[0032] Description of the reference numerals:

[0033] 10 - Melting pool; 11 - Molten metal; 12 - Foamed metal material; 20 - Bubble generating device; 21 - Bubble; 22 - Bubble outlet; 23 - Conical protrusion; 24 - Gas supply channel; 25 - Gas supply pipe; 31 - First guiding part; 311 - First base; 32 - Second guiding part; 321 - Second base; 33 - Discharge guiding channel; 34 - Bubble guiding plate; 35 - First guiding roller; 36 - First guiding belt; 37 - Second guiding roller; 38 - Second guiding belt; 39 - High-temperature viewing window; 41 - Drive motor; 42 - Paddle blade; 43 - Paddle shaft; 44 - Labyrinth seal sleeve; 45 - Coupling; 46 - Motor base; 51 - Host computer; 52 - Camera; 53 - Controller; 54 - First motor control circuit; 55 - Second motor control circuit. Detailed Embodiments

[0034] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand the present invention and be able to implement it, but the exemplified embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0035] As Figure 1 shown, the circulating flow type production system of the metallic foam material of this embodiment includes a molten liquid pool 10, a bubble generating device 20, a discharge guiding device and a circulating driving device. In this embodiment, the upper end of the molten liquid pool 10 is open and used for containing molten metal liquid 11. The bubble generating device 20 is used for generating bubbles 21. The discharge guiding device is arranged above the molten liquid pool and used for guiding the formed metallic foam material 12 to continuously discharge. The circulating driving device is used for driving the metal liquid 11 to flow around the bubble generating device 20 so as to separate the bubbles 21.

[0036] The circulating driving device of this embodiment includes two groups of driving paddle assemblies, and each driving paddle assembly includes at least one driving paddle unit arranged at intervals along the length direction of the bubble generating device 20. The two groups of driving paddle assemblies are respectively located on the left and right sides of the bubble generating device 20, and the first group of driving paddle blade assemblies is located above the bubble generating device 20, and the second group of driving paddle assemblies is located below the bubble generating device 20. Thus, by using the two groups of driving paddle assemblies arranged in a staggered manner up, down, left and right, the metal liquid can be driven to circulate around the bubble generating device 20. In this embodiment, the distance between the bottom surface of the bubble generating device 20 and the bottom surface of the molten liquid pool 10 is greater than or equal to 5 cm, and the flow rate of the circulating driving device driving the metal liquid 11 to circulate around the bubble generating device 20 is 20 - 100 mm / s. While ensuring that the bubbles 21 are separated from the bubble generating device 20, the bubbles 21 will not burst or cause a large proportion of the bubbles 21 to merge.

[0037] In this embodiment, the paddle driving unit 40 includes a driving motor 41 and a driving paddle that is in transmission connection with the driving motor 41 and used for driving the metal liquid to flow. In this embodiment, the driving paddle includes a paddle blade 42 and a paddle shaft 43. The paddle blade 42 is installed on the paddle shaft 43 and rotates synchronously with the paddle shaft 43. The paddle shaft 43 is rotatably and fittingly installed on the side wall of the molten liquid pool 10, and a labyrinth seal sleeve 44 is arranged between the paddle shaft 43 and the molten liquid pool 10, which can avoid the leakage of the metal liquid, and the labyrinth seal sleeve 44 has no components such as rubber and can be applicable to the high-temperature environment of the production of metal foam materials. In this embodiment, the paddle shaft 43 and the output shaft of the driving motor 41 are in transmission connection by a coupling 45, and a motor seat 46 for installing the driving motor 41 is arranged on the side wall of the molten liquid pool 10.

[0038] In this embodiment, on the top surface of the bubble generating device 20, bubble outlets 22 are provided at intervals along its length direction. At the bubble outlets 22, there are conical protrusions 23 extending upward. The outer diameter of the conical protrusions 23 gradually decreases along the direction from bottom to top, which is used to reduce the contact area between the bubbles 21 and the bubble generating device 20, so that the bubbles 21 can be more easily detached from the bubble outlets 22. A gas supply channel 24 is connected to the bubble generating device 20 in this embodiment. In the gas supply channel 24, a gas supply pipe 25 is provided corresponding to each bubble outlet. The gas supply pipe 25 is connected to the corresponding bubble outlet 22. In this embodiment, a buffer tank (not shown in the figure) is provided on the gas supply pipe, and the buffer tank is used to suppress the pressure oscillation caused by the air pressure fluctuation.

[0039] In this embodiment, the discharge guiding device includes a first guiding part 31 and a second guiding part 32 which are oppositely arranged. A discharge guiding channel 33 for the forming and discharging of the foamed metal material 12 is formed between the first guiding part 31 and the second guiding part 32. Below the discharge guiding channel 33, there is a bubble guiding plate 34 for guiding the floating direction of the bubbles 21. The bubble guiding plate 34 is used to guide the bubbles 21 to float upward and enter the discharge guiding channel 33.

[0040] In this embodiment, on the opposite sides of the first guiding part 31 and the second guiding part 32 facing each other, first guiding rollers 35 and second guiding rollers 37 are respectively provided at intervals. A first guiding belt 36 is sleeved on the first guiding roller 35, and a second guiding belt 38 is provided on the second guiding roller 37. The distance between the first guiding part 31 and the second guiding part 32 is adjustable. In this way, by driving the first guiding belt 36 and the second guiding belt 38 to move upward synchronously by the first guiding roller 35 and the second guiding roller 37, the foamed metal material 12 can be driven to move upward along the discharge guiding channel 33 and continuously discharged. In the first guiding part 31 and the second guiding part 32 of this embodiment, there is a water-cooling jacket (not shown in the figure) for cooling and forming the foamed metal material; the water-cooling jacket controls the cooling rate of the foamed metal material 12 to be 10 - 50 °C / s.

[0041] In this embodiment, a monitoring system for monitoring the bubble size is provided on the discharge guiding device. The monitoring system includes a host computer 51 and a camera 52. The camera 52 collects the surface image of the foamed metal material 12 in the discharge guiding channel 33, as Figure 4 shown. The host computer 51 statistically analyzes the size distribution and bubble merging rate of the bubbles according to the collected surface image of the foamed metal material 12. Specifically, the judgment method for bubble merging is: if the bubble diameter is greater than 125% of the target bubble diameter, it indicates that the bubble is obtained by the merging of at least two bubbles 21, and then the bubble merging rate is calculated.

[0042] Specifically, at least one of the first guiding portion 31 and the second guiding portion 32 is provided with a high-temperature resistant window 39, and the camera 52 acquires the surface image of the foamed metal material 12 in the discharge guiding channel 33 through the high-temperature resistant window 39. In the preferred embodiment of the present embodiment, the bottoms of the first guiding portion 31 and the second guiding portion 32 are respectively provided with a first base 311 and a second base 321, and at least one of the first base 311 and the second base 321 is provided with the high-temperature resistant window 39. In this embodiment, the high-temperature resistant window 39 is arranged on the first base 311, that is, the high-temperature resistant window 39 is arranged on the first guiding portion 31.

[0043] The circulating flow type foamed metal material production system of this embodiment further includes a bubble control system. The bubble control system includes a controller 53, a first motor control circuit 54 and a second motor control circuit 55 which are respectively connected to the controller 53. The first motor control circuit 54 is used to control the rotation speed of the driving motor 41 of the first group of driving paddle assemblies, and the second motor control circuit 55 is used to control the rotation speed of the driving motor 41 of the second group of driving paddle assemblies; and:

[0044] When the proportion of bubbles with a diameter greater than the set threshold range is greater than or equal to the set first threshold, the controller 53 respectively controls the corresponding driving motors 41 to increase the rotation speed through the first motor control circuit 54 and the second motor control circuit 55, so as to accelerate the separation speed of the bubbles 21 from the bubble generating device 20 and reduce the size of the bubbles 21;

[0045] When the proportion of bubbles with a diameter less than the set threshold range is greater than or equal to the set first threshold, the controller 53 respectively controls the corresponding driving motors 41 to decrease the rotation speed through the first motor control circuit 54 and the second motor control circuit 55, so as to slow down the separation speed of the bubbles 21 from the bubble generating device 20 and increase the size of the bubbles 21;

[0046] When the bubble coalescence rate exceeds the set second threshold, the controller 53 controls the corresponding driving motor 41 to decrease the rotation speed through the first motor control circuit 54, and controls the corresponding driving motor 41 to increase the rotation speed through the second motor control circuit 55, so that the flow rate of the molten metal 11 above the bubble generating device 20 remains unchanged but becomes more stable, thereby reducing the bubble coalescence rate without having a great impact on the size of the bubbles 21.

[0047] The above embodiments are only preferred embodiments given to fully illustrate the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or transformations made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the present invention are all within the protection scope of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is subject to the claims.

Claims

1. A production system for a cyclic flow type foamed metal material, characterized in that: Comprising: A molten liquid pool, which has an open upper end and is used to contain molten metal liquid; A bubble generating device, which is used to generate bubbles; A discharge guiding device, which is arranged above the molten liquid pool and is used to guide the continuous discharge of the formed foam metal material; A circulation driving device, which is used to drive the metal liquid to flow around the bubble generating device to make the bubbles break away; The circulation driving device includes two groups of driving paddle assemblies, and each driving paddle assembly includes at least one driving paddle unit arranged at intervals along the length direction of the bubble generating device; the two groups of driving paddle assemblies are respectively located on the left and right sides of the bubble generating device, and the first group of driving paddle blade assemblies is located on the upper side of the bubble generating device, and the second group of driving paddle assemblies is located on the lower side of the bubble generating device; the paddle driving unit includes a driving motor and a driving paddle that is in transmission connection with the driving motor and is used to drive the metal liquid to flow.

2. The circulating-flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 1, wherein: The driving paddle includes paddle blades and a paddle shaft, and the paddle blades are installed on the paddle shaft and rotate synchronously with the paddle shaft; the paddle shaft is rotationally and cooperatively installed on the side wall of the molten liquid pool, and a labyrinth seal sleeve is arranged between the paddle shaft and the molten liquid pool.

3. The circulating-flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 1, wherein: Bubble outlets are arranged at intervals along the length direction on the top surface of the bubble generating device, and a conical protrusion extending upward is arranged at the bubble outlet, and the conical protrusion is used to reduce the contact area between the bubble and the bubble generating device.

4. The circulating-flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 3, characterized in that: A gas supply channel is connected to the bubble generating device, and a gas supply pipe is arranged in the gas supply channel corresponding to each bubble outlet, and the gas supply pipe is connected to the corresponding bubble outlet; a buffer tank is arranged on the gas supply pipe, and the buffer tank is used to suppress the pressure oscillation caused by the air pressure fluctuation.

5. The circulating flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The discharge guiding device includes a first guiding part and a second guiding part arranged oppositely, and a discharge guiding channel for the forming and discharging of the foam metal material is formed between the first guiding part and the second guiding part, and a bubble guiding plate for guiding the floating direction of the bubbles is arranged below the discharge guiding channel.

6. The circulating flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 5, characterized in that: First guiding rollers and second guiding rollers are respectively arranged at intervals on the opposite sides of the first guiding part and the second guiding part, a first guiding belt is sleeved on the first guiding roller, and a second guiding belt is arranged on the second guiding roller; the distance between the first guiding part and the second guiding part is adjustable; water-cooled jackets for cooling and forming the foam metal material are arranged in the first guiding part and the second guiding part; the water-cooled jackets control the cooling rate of the foam metal material to be 10 - 50 °C / s.

7. The circulating flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 5, characterized in that: A monitoring system for monitoring the bubble size is arranged on the discharge guiding device, and the monitoring system includes a host computer and a camera. The camera collects the surface image of the foam metal material in the discharge guiding channel, and the host computer statistically analyzes the size distribution and bubble coalescence rate of the bubbles according to the collected surface image of the foam metal material; the method for judging bubble coalescence is: if the bubble diameter is greater than 125% of the target bubble diameter, it indicates that the bubble is obtained by the coalescence of at least two bubbles, and then the bubble coalescence rate is calculated.

8. The circulating-flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 7, wherein: It further includes a bubble control system, which includes a controller, a first motor control circuit and a second motor control circuit respectively connected to the controller. The first motor control circuit is used to control the rotational speed of the drive motors of the first group of the drive paddle assemblies, and the second motor control circuit is used to control the rotational speed of the drive motors of the second group of the drive paddle assemblies; And: When the proportion of bubbles with diameters larger than the set threshold range is greater than or equal to a set first threshold, the controller controls the corresponding drive motors to increase the rotational speed through the first motor control circuit and the second motor control circuit respectively, so as to accelerate the detachment speed of the bubbles from the bubble generating device; When the proportion of bubbles with diameters smaller than the set threshold range is greater than or equal to a set first threshold, the controller controls the corresponding drive motors to decrease the rotational speed through the first motor control circuit and the second motor control circuit respectively, so as to slow down the detachment speed of the bubbles from the bubble generating device; When the bubble coalescence rate exceeds a set second threshold, the controller controls the corresponding drive motor to decrease the rotational speed through the first motor control circuit, and controls the corresponding drive motor to increase the rotational speed through the second motor control circuit, so that the flow rate of the molten metal above the bubble generating device remains unchanged but becomes more stable.

9. The circulating flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 7, wherein: At least one of the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion is provided with a high-temperature resistant window, and the camera collects the surface image of the foamed metal material in the discharge guiding channel through the high-temperature resistant window.

10. The circulating flow type foamed metal material production system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The bottoms of the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion are respectively provided with a first base and a second base, and at least one of the first base and the second base is provided with the high-temperature resistant window.

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