Automatic separation device for ladle filler sand

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic ladle filler sand separating device which comprises a sand collecting tank arranged in an area between a ladle and a tundish. The opening end of the sand collecting groove is provided with a metal wire; the melting point of the metal wire is higher than the temperature of the stuffing sand and lower than the temperature of molten steel; and when the metal wire is fused, the sand collecting tank keeps away from the steel ladle water outlet after staying for a period of time. A metal wire structure with a specific melting point range is arranged at the open end of the sand collecting tank, and the metal wire is kept complete before being in contact with molten steel by utilizing the characteristic that the temperature of the stuffing sand is lower than that of the molten steel. By means of the design, intelligent recognition and selective passing of substances in different stages in the casting process are achieved, ladle filler sand is effectively prevented from entering a tundish, generation of inclusions is remarkably reduced, and the cleanliness and quality stability of a casting blank are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of continuous casting machine technology, specifically to an automatic separation device for ladle sand. Background Technology

[0002] In continuous casting, the ladle, as a key piece of equipment for receiving and transporting high-temperature molten steel, directly impacts the operational efficiency and billet quality of the entire continuous casting system through the stability and safety of its initial pouring process. To achieve automatic initial pouring from the ladle, diverting sand is typically used as the initiating medium at the nozzle. When pouring begins, the diverting sand slides down from the nozzle under gravity, guiding the molten steel to flow out smoothly. However, the handling of diverting sand has long presented significant technical challenges, directly affecting the purity of the molten steel, the stability of the tundish covering agent, and the safety of on-site operators.

[0003] Currently, the industry generally uses two methods for handling diverting sand: one is to directly discharge the diverting sand into the tundish along with the initial steel flow; the other is to manually collect the diverting sand at a high position. While the former is simpler to operate, the diverting sand accumulates gradually as it continuously enters the tundish, altering the composition and physical state of the covering agent, reducing its insulation and oxygen-barrier effects, and leading to secondary oxidation of the molten steel and increased inclusions, severely impacting the cleanliness and quality stability of the final product. The latter, while reducing the amount of diverting sand entering the tundish to some extent, heavily relies on the operator's experience in judging the timing of pouring. The high temperature and pressure environment poses a significant risk of burns, splashes, and mechanical injuries, making safety protection difficult and failing to meet the automation and inherent safety requirements of modern steel plants.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, Chinese patent CN112620622A discloses a ladle sand separation device and an tundish. This device features a guiding ramp at the upper end of the molten steel pipe and an external sand collection trough. When the sand falls, it is guided by the ramp to the sand collection trough outside the molten steel channel, preventing it from entering the tundish. When the molten steel flows down, it melts and breaks through the guiding ramp structure, allowing the molten steel to enter the molten steel channel normally. This solution achieves preliminary separation of the sand to a certain extent.

[0005] However, in practical applications, it has been found that the ladle pouring process has distinct phased characteristics, in the following order: Phase 1 – pure guide sand falls; Phase 2 – guide sand and molten steel mix and fall; Phase 3 – stable molten steel flows down. In the second phase, because high-temperature molten steel falls along with the guide sand, the mixture possesses high thermal energy, which can cause the guide ramp structure to melt through prematurely. As a result, some guide sand will still enter the tundish with the steel flow, making complete isolation impossible.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of automated sand separation device that can reliably intercept and directionally collect sand throughout the entire process of casting in the ladle, preventing it from entering the tundish, thereby improving the intelligence level of the continuous casting process, the stability of product quality, and the safety of operations. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the technical problems in the background art, this invention discloses an automatic separation device for steel ladle drainage sand.

[0008] This invention provides an automatic sand separation device for ladle drainage, including a sand collection trough disposed in the area between the ladle and the tundish; The sand collection trough is driven by a power unit, allowing it to switch between two positions: one directly below the ladle outlet and the other away from the ladle outlet. The sand collection trough opens upwards, and a metal wire is installed at the opening end; The melting point of the metal wire is higher than the temperature of the guiding sand, which is located below the sintering surface and does not come into contact with the molten steel; the melting point of the metal wire is lower than the temperature of the molten steel. The metal wire is positioned such that the suspended portion of the metal wire is located directly below the ladle outlet. When the metal wire melts, the sand collection trough remains for a period of time before moving away from the ladle outlet. This time is configured so that all the diverted sand has fallen into the sand collection trough.

[0009] Furthermore, the diameter of the metal wire is configured such that when the metal wire melts, all the diverting sand has fallen into the sand collection trough; When the metal wire breaks, the sand collection trough immediately moves away from the ladle outlet.

[0010] Furthermore, the metal wire is either aluminum or copper.

[0011] Furthermore, the portion of the metal wire located directly below the outlet of the ladle is arranged horizontally.

[0012] Furthermore, metal wires connect the opposite ends of the sand collection trough.

[0013] Furthermore, the sand collection trough is equipped with two protruding connecting blocks; The two ends of the metal wire are fixedly connected to the connecting block.

[0014] Furthermore, the connecting block is provided with insertion holes, and the two ends of the metal wire are inserted into the insertion holes.

[0015] Furthermore, the metal wire is tightly fitted to the wall of the insertion hole.

[0016] Furthermore, the open end of the sand collection trough is provided with an inwardly protruding baffle.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. By installing a metal wire structure with a specific melting point range at the opening of the sand collection trough, and utilizing the characteristic that the temperature of the guiding sand is lower than that of the molten steel, the metal wire remains intact before contacting the molten steel. Even if the metal wire is melted by the mixture of guiding sand and molten steel, it can remain in the sand collection trough for a period of time, allowing the mixture of guiding sand and molten steel to completely fall into the sand collection trough until pure molten steel flows out from the ladle outlet. This effectively intercepts and guides the guiding sand into the sand collection trough. This design achieves intelligent identification and selective passage of materials at different stages of the casting process, effectively preventing guiding sand from entering the tundish, significantly reducing inclusion formation, and improving the cleanliness and quality stability of the cast billet.

[0018] 2. By completely preventing the diverting sand from entering the tundish, the damage to the composition and physical state of the tundish covering agent by the diverting sand is avoided, effectively maintaining the heat preservation and oxygen isolation performance of the covering agent, reducing secondary oxidation of molten steel and the formation of inclusions, and significantly improving the cleanliness of molten steel and the quality stability of the final product.

[0019] 3. The device operates automatically throughout the entire process, requiring no manual intervention in the timing of pouring or high-level receiving operations, thus completely eliminating the risks of burns, splashes, and mechanical injuries caused by human intervention under high temperature and high pressure environments.

[0020] 4. By coordinating the switching of the sand collection trough position with the melting of the metal wire, the characteristics of each stage of steel ladle pouring are precisely matched. In particular, it provides an effective solution to the problem of separation between the diverting sand and molten steel during the mixing and falling stage, thereby enhancing the reliability and process adaptability of the device in actual production.

[0021] 5. Although the ladle sand guiding method and ladle pouring process disclosed in Chinese Patent CN109014167A also have a movable sand receiving component, the ladle outlet undergoes a re-blocking process. This process causes the molten steel at the ladle outlet to be cooled by the flow control slide plate and condense, resulting in the molten steel at this location solidifying and blocking the outlet, preventing it from opening automatically. In contrast, the molten steel in this application remains in a falling state and does not undergo a re-blocking process. Therefore, the solution in this application can also avoid the phenomenon of outlet blockage. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front sectional view of the present invention; In the diagram: 1. Sand collection trough; 2. Metal wire; 3. Connecting block; 4. Insertion hole; 5. Stop block; 6. Drive rod. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the invention, and therefore only show the components relevant to the invention.

[0025] Example 1: like Figure 1 As shown, this invention discloses an automatic separation device for ladle drainage sand, including a sand collection trough 1, disposed in the area between the ladle and the tundish. The sand collection trough 1 is rectangular, with a length of 400mm and a width of 250mm. The upper end of the sand collection trough 1 is recessed downward to form a receiving trough for accommodating the drainage sand.

[0026] One end of the side wall of the sand collection tank 1 is connected to a drive rod 6. The drive rod 6 is driven by a power component to switch between two positions, one of which is located directly below the ladle outlet and the other is located away from the ladle outlet.

[0027] The driving device can be a linear moving device such as a linear slide table, which makes the sand collecting tank 1 perform linear reciprocating motion; the driving device can also be a rotating device such as a turntable, which makes the sand collecting tank 1 perform circular motion.

[0028] A horizontally arranged metal wire 2 is connected between the two opposite ends of the opening of the sand collection tank 1. Part of the metal wire 2 is located directly below the outlet of the ladle, so that the material flowing out of the outlet of the ladle will come into contact with the metal wire 2.

[0029] The melting point of metal wire 2 is higher than the temperature of the guiding sand, which is located below the sintering surface and does not contact the molten steel; the melting point of metal wire 2 is lower than the temperature of the molten steel. In this embodiment, metal wire 2 is aluminum wire, but copper wire can also be selected in other embodiments. The reason for choosing aluminum and copper wire is that they are relatively inexpensive.

[0030] The specific installation structure of the metal wire 2 is as follows: Two symmetrically arranged connecting blocks 3 are provided at the open end of the sand collecting trough 1, with the connecting blocks 3 protruding towards the opening of the sand collecting trough 1. A through insertion hole 4 is provided on the sand collecting trough 1, and both ends of the metal wire 2 are inserted into the insertion hole 4. Furthermore, the metal wire 2 is tightly fitted to the wall of the insertion hole 4. This configuration has the following advantages: 1. By setting two protruding connecting blocks 3 and providing insertion holes 4, both ends of the metal wire 2 can be accurately inserted and fixed. This structure ensures that the horizontal arrangement position of the metal wire 2 at the open end of the sand collecting trough 1 is accurate and the tension is stable, avoiding deviation of the metal wire 2 due to installation errors or vibration, thus ensuring its reliable interception position directly below the ladle outlet. 2. The plug-in connection method simplifies the assembly process of the metal wire 2. When the metal wire 2 needs to be replaced due to melting or routine maintenance, the operator can directly pull out the old wire and insert the new wire without complex disassembly or adjustment, significantly reducing maintenance time and labor costs, and adapting to the fast-paced demands of continuous production. 3. The raised design of the connecting block 3 ensures that the fixing point of the metal wire 2 is higher than the edge of the sand collection tank 1, reducing the direct impact of high-temperature molten steel or diverting sand splashes on the connection. Simultaneously, the tight fit between the insertion hole 4 and the metal wire 2 prevents loosening due to thermal vibration or expansion, ensuring long-term reliability under high-temperature conditions. 4. The metal wire 2 is fixed to the connecting block 3 at both ends, distributing the force evenly on both sides of the sand collection tank 1. When diverting sand falls and accumulates on the metal wire 2, the weight is directly transferred to the connecting block 3 and the main body of the sand collection tank 1 through the metal wire 2, avoiding localized stress concentration. Once the molten steel contacts the metal wire 2 and melts it, the fixing points on both sides fail simultaneously, improving the system's responsiveness to changes during the pouring stage.

[0031] Because the molten steel falling into the sand collecting tank 1 will cause impact splashing, it is easy for it to fly out of the sand collecting tank 1, therefore... Figure 2 As shown, the open end of the sand collecting tank 1 is provided with an inwardly protruding baffle 5 to block the splashed molten steel and prevent the splashed molten steel from flying out of the sand collecting tank 1.

[0032] Compared to existing technologies, the advantages of this embodiment are: 1. By setting a metal wire 2 structure with a specific melting point range at the opening end of the sand collecting tank 1, and utilizing the characteristic that the temperature of the guiding sand is lower than that of the molten steel, the metal wire 2 remains intact before contacting the molten steel. Even if the metal wire 2 is melted by the mixture of guiding sand and molten steel, it can still be retained in the sand collecting tank 1 for a period of time, allowing the mixture of guiding sand and molten steel to completely fall into the sand collecting tank 1 until pure molten steel flows out from the ladle outlet, thereby effectively intercepting and guiding the guiding sand into the sand collecting tank 1. This design realizes intelligent identification and selective passage of substances at different stages during the casting process, effectively preventing guiding sand from entering the tundish, significantly reducing inclusion formation, and improving the cleanliness and quality stability of the billet. 2. By completely preventing guiding sand from entering the tundish, the damage to the composition and physical state of the tundish covering agent by the guiding sand is avoided, effectively maintaining the heat preservation and oxygen isolation performance of the covering agent, reducing secondary oxidation of molten steel and inclusion formation, and significantly improving the cleanliness of molten steel and the quality stability of the final product. 3. The device operates automatically throughout the entire process, requiring no manual intervention in the timing of pouring or high-level receiving operations, completely eliminating the risks of burns, splashes, and mechanical injuries caused by high temperatures and pressures. 4. Through the coordinated control of the sand collection trough 1 position switching and the melting of the metal wire 2, the device precisely matches the characteristics of each stage of ladle pouring, providing an effective solution, especially for the separation problem during the mixing and falling stage of the guiding sand and molten steel, enhancing the reliability and process adaptability of the device in actual production. 5. Although the ladle guiding sand external guide method and ladle pouring process disclosed in Chinese Patent CN109014167A also have movable sand receiving components, the ladle outlet undergoes a re-blocking process. This process causes the molten steel at the ladle outlet to solidify due to cooling by the flow control slide plate, blocking the outlet and preventing it from opening automatically. In contrast, the molten steel in this application remains in a falling state during its descent, avoiding the re-blocking process. Therefore, the solution in this application also avoids outlet blockage.

[0033] Example 2: Compared with Example 1, the difference is that the metal wire 2 is thickened, and its diameter is configured such that when the metal wire 2 melts, all the diverting sand has fallen into the sand collection trough 1; when the metal wire 2 melts, the sand collection trough 1 immediately moves away from the ladle outlet. In this example, the diameter of the metal wire 2 is 6mm.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the above configuration are as follows: 1. By configuring the diameter of the metal wire 2 to melt only after all the diverting sand has fallen into the sand collection trough 1, it ensures that during the diverting sand falling stage (including the pure diverting sand stage and the stage of diverting sand mixing with molten steel), the sand collection trough 1 remains stably located directly below the ladle outlet, thus being able to receive all the diverting sand and preventing it from leaving prematurely and causing some diverting sand to enter the tundish. This design achieves "full interception" of the diverting sand in terms of time, solving the problem of diverting sand leakage caused by premature melting and penetration of the guiding slope in the existing technology. 2. After the metal wire 2 melts, the sand collection trough 1 immediately moves away from the ladle outlet, allowing the molten steel channel to quickly become unobstructed, preventing the molten steel flow from being blocked or interfered with by the sand collection trough 1. This "instant response" switching mechanism not only ensures that the molten steel can flow smoothly and stably into the tundish without affecting the continuity of the continuous casting process, but also prevents the continuous thermal effect of high-temperature molten steel on the structure of the sand collection trough 1, extending the service life of the device.

[0035] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic sand separation device for steel ladle drainage, characterized in that: Includes a sand collection trough (1), located in the area between the ladle and the tundish; The sand collection trough (1) is driven by a power component to switch between two positions, one of which is located directly below the ladle outlet and the other is located away from the ladle outlet. The sand collection trough (1) has an upward opening, and a metal wire (2) is provided at its opening end. The melting point of the metal wire (2) is higher than the temperature of the guiding sand, which is located below the sintering surface and does not come into contact with the molten steel; the melting point of the metal wire (2) is lower than the temperature of the molten steel. The metal wire (2) is positioned such that the suspended portion of the metal wire (2) is located directly below the outlet of the ladle. When the metal wire (2) melts, the sand collection trough (1) stays away from the outlet of the ladle for a period of time. This time is configured as follows: all the diverted sand has fallen into the sand collection trough (1).

2. The automatic sand separation device for ladle drainage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the metal wire (2) is configured such that when the metal wire (2) melts, all the diverting sand has fallen into the sand collection trough (1); When the metal wire (2) melts, the sand collection trough (1) immediately moves away from the ladle outlet.

3. The automatic sand separation device for steel ladle drainage according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The metal wire (2) is an aluminum wire or a copper wire.

4. The automatic sand separation device for ladle drainage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The portion of the metal wire (2) located directly below the outlet of the ladle is arranged horizontally.

5. The automatic sand separation device for ladle drainage according to claim 4, characterized in that: The metal wire (2) connects the opposite ends of the sand collection trough (1).

6. The automatic sand separation device for ladle drainage according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sand collection trough (1) is provided with two protruding connecting blocks (3); The two ends of the metal wire (2) are fixedly connected to the connecting block (3).

7. The automatic sand separation device for steel ladle drainage according to claim 6, characterized in that: The connecting block (3) is provided with a plug hole (4), and the two ends of the metal wire (2) are inserted into the plug hole (4).

8. The automatic sand separation device for ladle drainage according to claim 7, characterized in that: The metal wire (2) is tightly fitted to the wall of the insertion hole (4).

9. The automatic sand separation device for ladle drainage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sand collection trough (1) has an inwardly protruding baffle (5) at its open end.

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