A gas partition cooling system for special-shaped aluminum alloy rotary casting

Abstract

The present application relates to metal casting technology field, disclose a kind of gas partition cooling system for special-shaped aluminum alloy rotary casting, including mould group, cooling selection mechanism and gas cooling circulation passageway, mould group includes die holder and die shell, die shell is equipped with forming cavity and multiple cooling areas, and multiple cooling channels are equipped in mould group with pouring channel.The cooling selection mechanism includes arc baffle and inertial drive mechanism, and the arc baffle has blocking surface and selection notch.Pouring stage, rotary table rotates along first direction, and arc baffle is in cooling closed position, and the communication of die holder inner cavity and cooling channel is blocked.Cooling stage, rotary table rotates along second direction, and inertial drive mechanism drives arc baffle to switch to cooling open position, so that selection notch is communicated with at least one cooling channel.Gas cooling circulation passageway drives gas cooling medium to flow through cooling area by gas pressure difference, to control cooling position and cooling speed, improve solidification consistency and forming quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal casting technology, and in particular to a gas partition cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys. Background Technology

[0002] Irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings are widely used in high-voltage power transmission and transformation, rail transportation, aerospace, and high-end equipment manufacturing. These castings typically have complex structures such as thin-walled cavities, bosses, flanges, stiffeners, corners, long flow channels, and localized thick-walled hot spots. The wall thickness, heat dissipation conditions, and solidification rates vary significantly in different parts. During the casting process, improper cooling control can easily lead to premature cooling in thin-walled areas, delayed solidification in thick-walled hot spots, and premature failure of feeding channels, resulting in defects such as cold shuts, shrinkage cavities, shrinkage porosity, hot cracks, deformation, and increased residual stress.

[0003] Existing rotary casting equipment typically uses a rotary table to drive the transfer chamber, guide channels, and multiple modules to rotate synchronously. This allows molten metal to enter the mold forming cavity under centrifugal force, enabling the simultaneous casting of multiple parts. This type of equipment can ensure relatively consistent casting conditions across multiple molds during the casting stage, which is beneficial for improving batch forming efficiency and product consistency. However, in the cooling stage after casting, existing equipment often uses natural cooling, overall internal air cooling, external mold cooling, or fixed cooling channels. The cooling location and rate are difficult to match with the solidification requirements of different areas of irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings.

[0004] Especially in the case of overall air cooling within the equipment cavity, the cooling gas primarily acts on the internal environment of the equipment, first lowering the internal temperature, and then indirectly cooling the mold and casting through the outer surface of the mold. This method makes it difficult to timely and accurately introduce the cooling medium into the designated cooling area inside the mold shell. When the overall temperature of the equipment cavity drops, the mold as a whole will passively cool down, and temperature-sensitive areas such as thin-walled areas, rib edges, and ends of long runners in irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings may experience cold shuts, undercasting, or hot cracking due to premature cooling; at the same time, thick-walled hot spots, bosses, flanges, and other areas may develop shrinkage cavities, porosity, or uneven microstructure due to insufficient cooling. Therefore, relying solely on overall cooling within the equipment cavity is insufficient to meet the cooling needs of different areas of irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings.

[0005] Furthermore, for rotary casting equipment where multiple modules are arranged circumferentially along the rotary table and cast synchronously, cooling each module individually during the cooling phase can easily lead to waiting time differences. The molds cooled first and those cooled later may have different initial temperatures at the start of cooling, as well as differences in the casting temperature and ambient temperature. The later-cooled molds will continue to dissipate heat naturally during the waiting period, resulting in inconsistent cooling starting points and solidification conditions for each module. Even using the same cooling procedure, differences in initial mold temperature and cooling medium conditions can cause variations in internal stress, shrinkage porosity, and dimensional stability in the same batch of castings, thus affecting the consistency of batch product quality.

[0006] Existing technologies can also achieve zoned cooling by setting up solenoid valves, pneumatic valves, or independent cooling branches in different cooling zones. However, in rotary casting equipment, the modules are in a high-temperature rotating environment along with the rotary table. If independent valves and electrical control components are arranged on each module or each cooling zone, multiple air paths, electrical circuits, rotary joints, and control signal transmission structures are required. This not only increases the complexity of the equipment and the difficulty of maintenance, but may also affect the reliability of cooling due to high-temperature heat radiation, rotational vibration, seal aging, or control component failure. At the same time, if the cooling channel is accidentally opened during the casting stage, the casting liquid may enter the cooling channel and solidify there, causing blockage of the cooling channel and affecting the flow of subsequent cooling media.

[0007] Therefore, existing rotary casting equipment still has the following shortcomings in the cooling process of irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings: 1) It is difficult to switch between the casting stage and the cooling stage in a simple and reliable mechanical manner under high-temperature rotational conditions; 2) It is difficult to select the cooling position in a timely manner according to the solidification requirements of different parts of the irregularly shaped aluminum alloy casting; 3) It is difficult to achieve consistent cooling of multiple synchronously casting modules through a unified gas medium and unified gas pressure conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys that can control the cooling position and cooling rate in the rotary casting equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregular-shaped aluminum alloys, in order to solve the problems of existing rotary casting equipment, which mainly rely on the overall air cooling of the equipment cavity after the irregular-shaped aluminum alloy casting is completed. It is difficult to select the cooling position according to the solidification requirements of different areas of the irregular-shaped aluminum alloy casting, and it is also difficult to control the cooling rate. This can easily lead to problems such as local overcooling, insufficient cooling of hot spots, obstructed feeding, and inconsistent solidification conditions of castings in the same batch.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a gas partitioned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys, applied to rotary casting equipment, the rotary casting equipment including an inner cavity, a rotary table, and a transfer chamber disposed on the rotary table, the system comprising: A module is disposed on the rotating platform. The module includes a mold base and a mold shell. The mold shell is provided with a forming cavity for forming irregular aluminum alloy castings and multiple cooling areas. The module is provided with a casting channel communicating with the forming cavity and multiple cooling channels communicating with the multiple cooling areas. A blocking block for controlling the opening and closing of the casting channel is movably disposed in the mold base. A cooling selection mechanism is provided on the mold base, which includes an arc-shaped baffle and an inertial drive mechanism. The arc-shaped baffle has a blocking surface and a selection slot that passes through the arc-shaped baffle. And a gas cooling circulation path, which connects the transfer chamber, the inner cavity of the mold base, the cooling channel, the cooling area and the inner cavity of the equipment, and drives the gas cooling medium to flow through the cooling area through the pressure difference between the transfer chamber and the inner cavity of the equipment; The inertial drive mechanism responds to changes in the rotation direction of the rotary table by driving the arc-shaped baffle to switch between a cooling closed position and a cooling open position. During the casting stage, the rotary table rotates along the first direction, and the arc-shaped baffle is in the cooling closed position, so that the blocking surface blocks the communication between the inner cavity of the mold base and the multiple cooling channels; During the cooling stage, the rotary table rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the arc-shaped baffle is in the cooling open position, so that the selection slot is connected to at least one of the multiple cooling channels to control the cooling position of the gas cooling medium entering the mold shell. Furthermore, the gas cooling circulation path adjusts the gas cooling medium flow rate through the cooling area by regulating the gas pressure difference between the transfer chamber and the inner cavity of the equipment, thereby controlling the cooling speed of the cooling area.

[0010] Preferably, the inertial drive mechanism includes a gear, a swing arm, a counterweight, and an elastic element. The upper surface of the mold base is provided with an arc-shaped groove. The arc-shaped baffle is slidably installed in the arc-shaped groove. The gear is rotatably installed on the mold base, and the outer side of the arc-shaped baffle is provided with a tooth groove that meshes with the gear. The swing arm is fixedly connected to the gear. The counterweight is disposed at the end of the swing arm away from the gear. The elastic element is used to apply a preload force to the swing arm. The swing arm swings when the rotation direction of the rotary table changes, and drives the arc-shaped baffle to move along the arc-shaped groove through the gear.

[0011] Preferably, the arc-shaped groove is provided with an air guide hole communicating with the inner cavity of the mold base, and one end of the arc-shaped groove is provided with a first stop end; When the rotary table rotates along the first direction, the end of the arc-shaped baffle contacts the first stop end, and the blocking surface blocks the air guide hole, so that the inner cavity of the mold base is disconnected from the multiple cooling channels; When the rotary table rotates in the second direction, the arc-shaped baffle moves along the arc-shaped groove under the drive of the inertial drive mechanism, so that the air guide hole communicates with at least one of the cooling channels through the selection slot.

[0012] Preferably, the plurality of cooling zones include a lower cooling zone, a middle cooling zone, and an upper cooling zone, and the plurality of cooling channels include a lower cooling channel, a middle cooling channel, and an upper cooling channel respectively connected to the lower cooling zone, the middle cooling zone, and the upper cooling zone; When the rotary table rotates at different speeds along the second direction, the inertial drive mechanism causes the arc-shaped baffle to be in different cooling open positions, thereby connecting the selection slot to the lower cooling channel, the middle cooling channel, or the upper cooling channel respectively, so as to change the cooling position of the gas cooling medium entering the mold shell.

[0013] Preferably, a second stop end is provided at the other end of the arc-shaped groove. When the end of the arc-shaped baffle contacts the second stop end, the air guide hole is simultaneously connected to multiple cooling channels through the arc-shaped groove, so that the gas cooling medium enters multiple cooling areas at the same time.

[0014] Preferably, the lower cooling area corresponds to the bottom of the molding cavity or a position away from the feeding end, the middle cooling area corresponds to the thick-walled hot spot, boss, rib or flange area of ​​the molding cavity, and the upper cooling area corresponds to the upper part of the molding cavity, the feeding area or the upper storage cavity area.

[0015] Preferably, after casting is completed, the sealing block seals the casting channel or isolates the casting channel from the molding cavity. The centrifugal force of the rotating table causes the residual molten metal in the transfer chamber and the pipeline connected to the transfer chamber to be discharged into the inner cavity of the mold base, so as to ensure that the gas cooling passage between the transfer chamber and the mold base is unobstructed.

[0016] Preferably, the gas cooling circulation path includes a pump set connected to the transfer chamber; When the pump unit supplies gas to the transfer chamber, the gas pressure inside the transfer chamber is higher than the gas pressure inside the equipment cavity, causing the gas cooling medium to flow from the transfer chamber through the cooling channel and the cooling area to the equipment cavity; When the pump unit draws gas from the transfer chamber, the gas pressure in the transfer chamber is lower than the gas pressure inside the equipment cavity, causing the gas cooling medium to flow back from the equipment cavity through the cooling area and the cooling channel to the transfer chamber.

[0017] Preferably, the rotary casting equipment is provided with an input air duct and an output air duct. The input air duct is used to supply gas into the inner cavity of the equipment, and the output air duct is used to discharge part of the heat-absorbing gas cooling medium from the inner cavity of the equipment, so as to regulate the temperature and pressure of the gas cooling medium in the inner cavity of the equipment.

[0018] Preferably, a plurality of modules are arranged on the rotating platform at circumferential intervals. The gas cooling circulation path is simultaneously connected to the cooling channels of the plurality of modules, so that the gas cooling medium after being regulated by the internal cavity of the equipment enters the cooling area of ​​the plurality of modules respectively, thereby allowing the plurality of modules to share the same transfer chamber, the same internal cavity of the equipment, and the same gas cooling medium for cooling.

[0019] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention provides a cooling selection mechanism on the mold base, comprising an arc-shaped baffle and an inertial drive mechanism. When the rotary table rotates in a first direction, the arc-shaped baffle is in the cooling closed position, blocking the connection between the mold base cavity and the cooling channel. When the rotary table rotates in a second direction, the arc-shaped baffle switches to the cooling open position, connecting at least one cooling channel through the selection slot. Thus, the mechanical switching between the casting and cooling stages can be achieved by utilizing the rotational direction change of the rotary casting equipment itself, avoiding the need for separate electrically controlled valves for multiple cooling zones in high-temperature, rotating environments, reducing control complexity and the risk of accidental opening of cooling channels.

[0020] 2. This invention utilizes an inertial drive mechanism to respond to changes in the rotational speed of the rotary table, allowing the arc-shaped baffle to be in different cooling open positions during the cooling stage. This enables the selection slot to connect with the lower, middle, or upper cooling channels respectively. Consequently, the gaseous cooling medium can enter the designated cooling area according to the solidification requirements of different regions of the irregularly shaped aluminum alloy casting. This transforms the cooling method from overall cooling of the equipment cavity to cooling of a designated area within the mold shell, preventing premature cooling of temperature-sensitive areas such as thin-walled regions, rib edges, and the ends of long flow channels. Simultaneously, it enables timely cooling of thick-walled hot spots, bosses, flanges, and other easily heat-stagnant areas, reducing the probability of cold shuts, shrinkage cavities, thermal cracks, and residual stress defects.

[0021] 3. This invention establishes a gas cooling circulation path connecting the transfer chamber, the mold base cavity, the cooling channel, the cooling zone, and the equipment cavity, making the equipment cavity a mixing and temperature-regulating area after the gas cooling medium absorbs heat. The gas cooling medium absorbs heat from the mold in the cooling zone and then enters the equipment cavity, where it mixes with the added gas or some of the high-temperature gas is discharged through the output duct, thus forming a temperature buffer. The gas cooling medium is then driven back into the cooling zone by the pressure difference between the transfer chamber and the equipment cavity. This avoids the direct and continuous impact of low-temperature gas on the mold shell, preventing localized rapid cooling, and facilitates the adjustment between slow cooling, strong cooling, and uniform temperature cooling.

[0022] 4. This invention, by adjusting the pressure difference between the transfer chamber and the equipment cavity, can change the flow rate of the gas cooling medium within the cooling area, thereby adjusting the heat transfer intensity and cooling rate of the corresponding cooling area. Simultaneously, multiple modules can share the transfer chamber, the equipment cavity, and the gas cooling circulation path for cooling, allowing multiple modules to be cooled under the same rotation direction, speed, gas temperature range, and pressure difference. This reduces the waiting time difference, mold temperature drift, and cooling intensity differences caused by cooling individual molds, improving the solidification consistency, dimensional stability, and quality stability of irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings in the same batch. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rotary casting equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the front section structure of the rotary casting equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the mold base and mold shell provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the orthographic structure of the mold base and mold shell provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the mold base provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a top view of the rotating platform provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a top view of the mold base provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the arc-shaped baffle is in a cooling closed position in contact with the first stop end; Figure 8 This is a top view of the mold base provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the arc-shaped baffle slides along the arc-shaped groove and is in the position during the cooling opening process; Figure 9 This is a top view of the mold base provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the arc-shaped baffle is in a multi-channel connected position in contact with the second stop end.

[0024] In the picture: 100. Module; 101. Mold base; 102. Mold shell; 103. Cooling zone; 104. Molding cavity; 105. Casting channel; 106. Cooling channel; 107. Sealing block; 108. Arc groove; 109. Air vent; 110. First stop end; 111. Second stop end; 201. Arc-shaped baffle; 202. Blocking surface; 203. Selection slot; 204. Gear; 205. Swing arm; 206. Counterweight; 207. Elastic element; 300. Pump set; 400. Rotary casting equipment; 401. Equipment cavity; 402. Rotary table; 403. Transfer chamber; 404. Inlet air duct; 405. Outlet air duct. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 This invention provides a gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys, applied to a rotary casting equipment 400. The rotary casting equipment 400 includes an inner cavity 401, a rotary table 402, and a transfer chamber 403 disposed on the rotary table 402. The rotary table 402 can rotate around its own axis, and the transfer chamber 403 rotates synchronously with the rotary table 402, serving to distribute the casting medium to each module 100 disposed on the rotary table 402 during the casting stage. For the anti-gravity casting and multi-module synchronous casting structure of this type of rotary casting equipment, please refer to the publication CN120961893B, "A Directional Solidification Casting Equipment for Complex Structures of Low Internal Stress Aluminum Alloys." The improvement of this invention focuses on the selection of the gas cooling location and the control of the cooling rate after casting is completed; therefore, the basic casting structure of the rotary casting equipment 400 will not be described in detail.

[0028] Example 1, referring to Figure 3 , Figure 4A gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys includes a module 100 mounted on a rotary table 402. The module 100 includes a mold base 101 and a mold shell 102, with the mold shell 102 fixedly mounted on the mold base 101. The mold shell 102 contains a forming cavity 104 for forming irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings, and multiple cooling zones 103. The multiple cooling zones 103 can be formed within the wall of the mold shell 102, specifically one or more of the following: cooling interlayers, cooling channels, annular cooling chambers, spiral cooling grooves, or conformal cooling grooves.

[0029] The module 100 is provided with a casting channel 105 communicating with the molding cavity 104, and multiple cooling channels 106 communicating with multiple cooling zones 103. The casting channel 105 is used to introduce molten aluminum from the transfer chamber 403 into the molding cavity 104 during the casting stage, and the cooling channels 106 are used to introduce gaseous cooling media into the corresponding cooling zones 103 during the cooling stage.

[0030] A sealing block 107 is movably disposed within the mold base 101, and the sealing block 107 is used to control the opening and closing of the casting channel 105. During the casting stage, the sealing block 107 connects the casting channel 105 with the forming cavity 104 so that molten aluminum can enter the forming cavity 104; after casting is completed, the sealing block 107 can block the casting channel 105, thereby reducing the backflow of molten aluminum in the forming cavity 104, and at the same time providing a passage for the subsequent gas cooling medium to enter the inner cavity of the mold base 101 and the cooling channel 106.

[0031] Reference Figures 4 to 9 A cooling selection mechanism is disposed on the mold base 101. The cooling selection mechanism includes an arc-shaped baffle 201 and an inertial drive mechanism. The arc-shaped baffle 201 has a blocking surface 202 and a selection slot 203 penetrating the arc-shaped baffle 201. The blocking surface 202 is used to block the gas cooling path during the casting stage, and the selection slot 203 is used to selectively connect different cooling channels 106 during the cooling stage.

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, the gas cooling circulation path connects the transfer chamber 403, the inner cavity of the mold base 101, the cooling channel 106, the cooling zone 103, and the equipment inner cavity 401. This gas cooling circulation path uses the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 403 and the equipment inner cavity 401 to drive the gas cooling medium to flow through the cooling zone 103. The gas cooling medium in the cooling zone 103 exchanges heat with the mold shell 102 and the surrounding heat of the forming cavity 104, thereby achieving cooling control of different areas of the irregularly shaped aluminum alloy casting.

[0033] like Figure 5 , Figure 7As shown, during the casting stage, the rotary table 402 rotates along the first direction. The inertial drive mechanism responds to the rotation of the rotary table 402, causing the arc-shaped baffle 201 to be in the cooling closed position. At this time, the blocking surface 202 blocks the communication between the inner cavity of the mold base 101 and the multiple cooling channels 106, thereby preventing the cooling channels 106 from being accidentally opened during the casting stage and reducing the risk of molten aluminum entering the cooling area 103.

[0034] like Figure 5 , Figure 8 As shown, during the cooling stage, the rotary table 402 rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction. In response to the change in the rotation direction of the rotary table 402, the inertial drive mechanism drives the arc-shaped baffle 201 to switch from the cooling closed position to the cooling open position. At this time, the selected slot 203 is connected to at least one of the multiple cooling channels 106, allowing the gas cooling medium to enter the corresponding cooling area 103, thereby controlling the entry of the gas cooling medium into the cooling position of the mold shell 102.

[0035] With the above structure, this embodiment can realize the mechanical switching between the casting stage and the cooling stage by utilizing the rotation direction change of the rotary casting equipment 400 itself. It does not require separate electrical control valves for each cooling zone 103, and is suitable for high-temperature, rotating casting environments.

[0036] Example 2, refer to Figures 5 to 9 This embodiment further explains the specific structure and operation process of the inertial drive mechanism.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, the inertial drive mechanism includes a gear 204, a swing arm 205, a counterweight 206, and an elastic element 207. An arc-shaped groove 108 is formed on the upper surface of the mold base 101, and an arc-shaped baffle 201 is slidably installed within the arc-shaped groove 108. The gear 204 is rotatably mounted on the mold base 101, and the outer side of the arc-shaped baffle 201 has toothed grooves that mesh with the gear 204. The swing arm 205 is fixedly connected to the gear 204. The counterweight 206 is located at the end of the swing arm 205 away from the gear 204, and the elastic element 207 is used to apply a preload force to the swing arm 205.

[0038] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, when the rotation direction or speed of the rotary table 402 changes, the swing arm 205 swings under the combined action of the inertia of the counterweight 206 and the preload of the elastic element 207. When the swing arm 205 swings, it drives the gear 204 to rotate. The gear 204 drives the arc-shaped baffle 201 to slide along the arc-shaped groove 108 by meshing with the outer tooth groove of the arc-shaped baffle 201.

[0039] like Figure 5 , Figure 7As shown, the arc-shaped groove 108 is provided with an air guide hole 109 communicating with the inner cavity of the mold base 101, and one end of the arc-shaped groove 108 is provided with a first stop end 110. When the rotary table 402 rotates in the first direction, the swing arm 205, under the pre-tightening action of the elastic member 207, causes the end of the arc-shaped baffle 201 to contact the first stop end 110. At this time, the blocking surface 202 of the arc-shaped baffle 201 blocks the air guide hole 109, disconnecting the inner cavity of the mold base 101 from the multiple cooling channels 106, and the cooling selection mechanism is in the cooling closed position.

[0040] like Figure 8 As shown, when the rotary table 402 rotates in the second direction, the swing arm 205 oscillates under the inertia of the counterweight 206, and drives the arc-shaped baffle 201 to move along the arc-shaped groove 108 via the gear 204. As the position of the arc-shaped baffle 201 changes, the selection slot 203 gradually moves between the air guide hole 109 and at least one cooling channel 106, so that the air guide hole 109 is connected to the corresponding cooling channel 106 through the selection slot 203. At this time, the cooling selection mechanism is in the cooling open position, and the gas cooling medium can enter the corresponding cooling channel 106 from the inner cavity of the mold base 101.

[0041] The advantage of this structure is that the switching action of the arc-shaped baffle 201 is jointly completed by the change in the rotation direction of the rotary table 402 and the inertial drive mechanism, eliminating the need for an additional electric actuator. The elastic element 207 reliably holds the arc-shaped baffle 201 in the cooling closed position during the casting stage; the counterweight 206 and the swing arm 205, in conjunction with the reverse rotation of the rotary table 402 during the cooling stage, switch the arc-shaped baffle 201 to the cooling open position. Therefore, the cooling selection mechanism can adapt to the high-temperature rotational working environment of the rotary casting equipment 400, improving the reliability of the cooling passage opening and closing.

[0042] Example 3, referring to Figures 3 to 9 This embodiment describes the connectivity of multiple cooling zones 103, multiple cooling channels 106, and arc-shaped baffles 201 at different rotational speeds.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, the multiple cooling zones 103 include a lower cooling zone, a middle cooling zone, and an upper cooling zone. Correspondingly, the multiple cooling channels 106 include a lower cooling channel, a middle cooling channel, and an upper cooling channel. The lower cooling channel communicates with the lower cooling zone, the middle cooling channel communicates with the middle cooling zone, and the upper cooling channel communicates with the upper cooling zone.

[0044] The lower cooling zone corresponds to the bottom of the forming cavity 104 or a position far from the feeding end, and is used to establish a solidification starting point after casting, allowing the casting to solidify from a predetermined position. The middle cooling zone corresponds to the thick-walled hot spots, bosses, stiffeners, or flange areas of the forming cavity 104, and is used to enhance cooling of easily heat-stagnant areas, reducing the risk of shrinkage cavities, porosity, and uneven microstructure. The upper cooling zone corresponds to the upper part of the forming cavity 104, the feeding area, or the upper storage cavity area, and is used for delayed cooling or homogenization cooling after the feeding is basically completed, preventing premature failure of the feeding channel.

[0045] like Figure 8 As shown, during the cooling stage, the rotary table 402 rotates along the second direction. Because the counterweight 206 experiences centrifugal force as it rotates with the rotary table 402, the counterweight 206 applies torque to the gear 204 via the swing arm 205, causing the gear 204 to drive the arc-shaped baffle 201 to move along the arc-shaped groove 108. Simultaneously, the elastic element 207 applies a preload or reset force to the swing arm 205 in the opposite direction to this torque to prevent the swing arm 205 from continuing to rotate under centrifugal force. When the rotary table 402 rotates along the second direction at different speeds, the centrifugal force on the counterweight 206 varies. Under the combined action of the centrifugal torque and the elastic torque of the elastic element 207, the swing arm 205 forms different equilibrium angles. The gear 204 rotates at different angles with the swing arm 205, thereby driving the arc-shaped baffle 201 to remain at different cooling open positions. Due to the different positions of the arc-shaped baffle 201, the slot 203 can be connected to the lower cooling channel, the middle cooling channel, or the upper cooling channel respectively, thereby changing the cooling position of the gas cooling medium entering the mold shell 102.

[0046] For example, in the initial cooling stage, the rotary table 402 can rotate along the second direction at a first cooling speed, connecting the selection slot 203 with the lower cooling channel. Gas cooling medium enters the lower cooling area, preferentially cooling the bottom of the molding cavity 104 or areas far from the compensation end. Subsequently, the rotary table 402 can be adjusted to a second cooling speed, connecting the selection slot 203 with the middle cooling channel. Gas cooling medium enters the middle cooling area, cooling thick-walled hot spots, bosses, ribs, or flange areas. Afterward, the rotary table 402 can be adjusted to a third cooling speed, connecting the selection slot 203 with the upper cooling channel. Gas cooling medium enters the upper cooling area, achieving delayed cooling after compensation or uniform cooling before demolding.

[0047] Reference Figure 9The other end of the arc-shaped groove 108 is provided with a second stop end 111. When the end of the arc-shaped baffle 201 contacts the second stop end 111, the arc-shaped baffle 201 no longer blocks the air guide hole 109. The air guide hole 109 is connected to multiple cooling channels 106 through the arc-shaped groove 108, allowing the gas cooling medium to enter multiple cooling areas 103 simultaneously. This state can be used for overall cooling after localized cooling is completed or for uniform cooling before demolding, reducing the temperature difference between different areas within the mold shell 102 and lowering the risk of hot cracking, deformation, and increased residual stress in the casting.

[0048] Through this embodiment, the cooling selection mechanism can not only select a single cooling zone, but also simultaneously open multiple cooling channels 106 when the arc-shaped baffle 201 moves to its extreme position. Thus, a single arc-shaped baffle 201 can switch between three states: cooling off, single-zone cooling, and multi-zone synchronous cooling.

[0049] Example 4, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 6 This embodiment describes the gas cooling circulation path and its gas pressure regulation relationship with the equipment cavity 401 and the transfer chamber 403.

[0050] The gas cooling circulation path includes a transfer chamber 403, the inner cavity of the mold base 101, a cooling channel 106, a cooling area 103, and the equipment inner cavity 401. The gas cooling circulation path drives the flow of the gas cooling medium through the pressure difference between the transfer chamber 403 and the equipment inner cavity 401.

[0051] In one implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the gas cooling circulation path includes a pump set 300 connected to the transfer chamber 403. The pump set 300 can be one or more of a gas supply pump, a vacuum pump, a bidirectional gas pump, or a circulating fan.

[0052] When pump unit 300 supplies air to transfer chamber 403, the air pressure inside transfer chamber 403 is higher than the air pressure inside equipment cavity 401. The gaseous cooling medium enters the cavity of mold base 101 from transfer chamber 403, and then enters the corresponding cooling area 103 through cooling channel 106. After absorbing heat from the mold shell 102 and the area around the casting in cooling area 103, the gaseous cooling medium is discharged into equipment cavity 401. At this time, the flow direction of the gaseous cooling medium is: transfer chamber 403, cavity of mold base 101, cooling channel 106, cooling area 103, equipment cavity 401.

[0053] When pump unit 300 draws air from transfer chamber 403, the air pressure inside transfer chamber 403 is lower than the air pressure inside equipment cavity 401. The gaseous cooling medium in equipment cavity 401 enters cooling zone 103 through the outlet of cooling zone 103, and then flows back to transfer chamber 403 through cooling channel 106 and the inner cavity of mold base 101. At this time, the flow direction of the gaseous cooling medium is: equipment cavity 401, cooling zone 103, cooling channel 106, inner cavity of mold base 101, transfer chamber 403.

[0054] The air pressure difference between the transfer chamber 403 and the equipment cavity 401 can be adjusted by regulating the air supply, extraction, or operating frequency of the pump set 300. When the air pressure difference increases, the flow rate of the gas cooling medium in the cooling zone 103 increases, and the heat transfer intensity is improved, which can be used for enhanced cooling of thick-walled hot spots. When the air pressure difference decreases, the flow rate of the gas cooling medium in the cooling zone 103 decreases, and the heat transfer intensity is reduced, which can be used for slow cooling or uniform cooling. Thus, this embodiment can regulate the cooling rate by adjusting the air pressure difference.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, the rotary casting equipment 400 is equipped with an input air duct 404 and an output air duct 405. The input air duct 404 is used to supply gas into the inner cavity 401 of the equipment, and the output air duct 405 is used to discharge part of the heat-absorbing gas cooling medium from the inner cavity 401 of the equipment. The temperature and pressure of the gas cooling medium in the inner cavity 401 of the equipment can be adjusted through the input air duct 404 and the output air duct 405.

[0056] In this embodiment, the inner cavity 401 of the equipment not only accommodates the module 100 but also serves as a mixing and temperature-regulating zone for the gas cooling medium. After flowing through the cooling zone 103 and absorbing heat, the gas cooling medium enters the inner cavity 401, where it mixes with the gas supplied by the inlet duct 404, or is partially discharged through the outlet duct 405, thus forming a temperature buffer for the gas cooling medium. The gas cooling medium, after being mixed and temperature-regulated in the inner cavity 401, can re-enter the cooling zone 103 under the influence of pressure difference to participate in cooling. This avoids the continuous direct impact of low-temperature gas on the mold shell 102, preventing localized rapid cooling, and also allows for switching between strong cooling, slow cooling, and uniform cooling according to the solidification stage of the casting.

[0057] Reference Figure 6 Multiple modules 100 can be installed on the rotary table 402, and the multiple modules 100 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the rotary table 402. The gas cooling circulation passage is simultaneously connected to the cooling channel 106 of the multiple modules 100, so that the multiple modules 100 share the same transfer chamber 403, the same equipment cavity 401, and the same gas cooling medium for cooling.

[0058] After multiple modules 100 are cast simultaneously, if each mold is cooled individually, there may be a time difference in cooling start-up between different molds. Furthermore, the molds cooled later will experience natural cooling during the waiting period, resulting in different initial cooling temperatures for each mold. This embodiment utilizes the same rotary table 402, the same transfer chamber 403, the same equipment cavity 401, and the same gas cooling medium, enabling multiple modules 100 to cool simultaneously under the same or nearly identical rotation direction, speed, gas temperature range, and gas pressure difference. This reduces mold temperature drift and cooling intensity differences, improving the solidification consistency, dimensional stability, and quality stability of irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings in the same batch.

[0059] It should be noted that the specific shape, wall thickness distribution, hot spot location, and feeding path of irregularly shaped aluminum alloy castings usually vary. Irregularly shaped castings may simultaneously have thin-walled areas, ribbed areas, boss areas, flange areas, long runner areas, and locally thick-walled hot spot areas. The heat dissipation rate and solidification time of different areas are not consistent. Among them, thin-walled areas, ribbed edges, and long runner ends are more sensitive to temperature changes. If cooling is too early or the cooling rate is too fast, cold shuts, undercasting, hot cracking, or local stress concentration are likely to occur. If the thick-walled hot spots, bosses, and flanges are not cooled enough, shrinkage cavities, shrinkage porosity, or coarse microstructure are likely to occur. If the feeding area is cooled too early, the feeding channel may also fail prematurely. Therefore, during the cooling process after casting, it is not advisable to rely solely on the overall cooling of the equipment cavity 401 or a fixed cooling path for cooling. Instead, it is necessary to control the cooling position of the gas cooling medium entering the mold shell 102 and the cooling rate flowing through the cooling area 103 according to the solidification requirements of different areas of the irregularly shaped aluminum alloy casting.

[0060] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys, applied to a rotary casting equipment (400), the rotary casting equipment (400) comprising an inner cavity (401), a rotary table (402), and a transfer chamber (403) disposed on the rotary table (402), characterized in that, include: A module (100) is disposed on the rotary table (402). The module (100) includes a mold base (101) and a mold shell (102). The mold shell (102) is provided with a forming cavity (104) for forming irregular aluminum alloy castings and multiple cooling zones (103). The module (100) is provided with a casting channel (105) communicating with the forming cavity (104) and multiple cooling channels (106) communicating with the multiple cooling zones (103). A blocking block (107) for controlling the opening and closing of the casting channel (105) is movably disposed in the mold base (101). A cooling selection mechanism is provided on the mold base (101), which includes an arc-shaped baffle (201) and an inertial drive mechanism. The arc-shaped baffle (201) has a blocking surface (202) and a selection slot (203) that passes through the arc-shaped baffle (201). And a gas cooling circulation path, which connects the transfer chamber (403), the inner cavity of the mold base (101), the cooling channel (106), the cooling area (103) and the inner cavity of the equipment (401), and drives the gas cooling medium to flow through the cooling area (103) through the pressure difference between the transfer chamber (403) and the inner cavity of the equipment (401). The inertial drive mechanism responds to the change in the rotation direction of the rotary table (402) and drives the arc-shaped baffle (201) to switch between the cooling closed position and the cooling open position. The inertial drive mechanism includes a gear (204), a swing arm (205), a counterweight (206), and an elastic element (207). An arc-shaped groove (108) is formed on the upper surface of the mold base (101). An arc-shaped baffle (201) is slidably mounted within the arc-shaped groove (108). The gear (204) is rotatably mounted on the mold base (101), and the outer side of the arc-shaped baffle (201) has a toothed groove that meshes with the gear (204). The swing arm (205) is fixedly connected to the gear (204), the counterweight (206) is disposed at the end of the swing arm (205) away from the gear (204), the elastic element (207) is used to apply a preload to the swing arm (205), the swing arm (205) swings when the rotation direction of the rotary table (402) changes, and drives the arc-shaped baffle (201) to move along the arc-shaped groove (108) through the gear (204); During the casting stage, the rotary table (402) rotates along the first direction, and the arc-shaped baffle (201) is in the cooling closed position, so that the blocking surface (202) blocks the communication between the inner cavity of the mold base (101) and the multiple cooling channels (106); During the cooling stage, the rotary table (402) rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the arc-shaped baffle (201) is in the cooling open position, so that the selection slot (203) is connected to at least one of the plurality of cooling channels (106) to control the gas cooling medium to enter the cooling position of the mold shell (102); Furthermore, the gas cooling circulation path adjusts the gas cooling medium flow rate through the cooling zone (103) by adjusting the gas pressure difference between the transfer chamber (403) and the equipment cavity (401), thereby controlling the cooling speed of the cooling zone (103).

2. The gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc-shaped groove (108) is provided with an air guide hole (109) that communicates with the inner cavity of the mold base (101), and a first stop end (110) is provided at one end of the arc-shaped groove (108). When the rotary table (402) rotates in the first direction, the end of the arc-shaped baffle (201) contacts the first stop end (110), and the blocking surface (202) blocks the air guide hole (109), so that the inner cavity of the mold base (101) is disconnected from the multiple cooling channels (106); When the rotary table (402) rotates in the second direction, the arc-shaped baffle (201) moves along the arc-shaped groove (108) under the drive of the inertial drive mechanism, so that the air guide hole (109) communicates with at least one of the cooling channels (106) through the selection slot (203).

3. The gas partition cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of cooling zones (103) include a lower cooling zone, a middle cooling zone and an upper cooling zone, and the plurality of cooling channels (106) include a lower cooling channel, a middle cooling channel and an upper cooling channel respectively connected to the lower cooling zone, the middle cooling zone and the upper cooling zone; When the rotary table (402) rotates at different speeds along the second direction, the inertial drive mechanism causes the arc-shaped baffle (201) to be in different cooling open positions, thereby connecting the selection slot (203) with the lower cooling channel, the middle cooling channel or the upper cooling channel respectively, so as to change the cooling position of the gas cooling medium entering the mold shell (102).

4. A gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 3, characterized in that: The other end of the arc groove (108) is provided with a second stop end (111). When the end of the arc baffle (201) contacts the second stop end (111), the air guide hole (109) is connected to multiple cooling channels (106) through the arc groove (108) at the same time, so that the gas cooling medium enters multiple cooling areas (103) at the same time.

5. A gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lower cooling area corresponds to the bottom of the molding cavity (104) or the position away from the feeding end, the middle cooling area corresponds to the thick-walled hot section, boss, stiffener or flange area of ​​the molding cavity (104), and the upper cooling area corresponds to the upper part of the molding cavity (104), the feeding area or the upper storage cavity area.

6. The gas partition cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that: After casting is completed, the sealing block (107) seals the casting channel (105) or isolates the casting channel (105) from the molding cavity (104). The centrifugal force of the rotating table (402) causes the residual molten metal in the transfer chamber (403) and the pipeline connected to the transfer chamber (403) to be discharged into the inner cavity of the mold base (101) to ensure that the gas cooling passage between the transfer chamber (403) and the mold base (101) is unobstructed.

7. A gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas cooling circulation path includes a pump unit (300) connected to the transfer chamber (403). When the pump unit (300) supplies gas to the transfer chamber (403), the gas pressure in the transfer chamber (403) is higher than the gas pressure in the equipment cavity (401), so that the gas cooling medium flows from the transfer chamber (403) through the cooling channel (106) and the cooling area (103) to the equipment cavity (401). When the pump unit (300) draws gas from the transfer chamber (403), the gas pressure in the transfer chamber (403) is lower than the gas pressure in the inner cavity (401) of the equipment, so that the gas cooling medium flows back from the inner cavity (401) of the equipment through the cooling area (103) and the cooling channel (106) to the transfer chamber (403).

8. A gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary casting equipment (400) is provided with an input air duct (404) and an output air duct (405). The input air duct (404) is used to supply gas into the inner cavity (401) of the equipment, and the output air duct (405) is used to discharge part of the heat-absorbing gas cooling medium from the inner cavity (401) of the equipment, so as to regulate the temperature and pressure of the gas cooling medium in the inner cavity (401) of the equipment.

9. A gas-zoned cooling system for rotary casting of irregularly shaped aluminum alloys according to claim 8, characterized in that: The rotary table (402) is provided with a plurality of modules (100), which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the rotary table (402). The gas cooling circulation passage is simultaneously connected to the cooling channels (106) of the plurality of modules (100), so that the gas cooling medium after being regulated by the inner cavity (401) of the equipment enters the cooling area (103) of the plurality of modules (100) respectively, thereby allowing the plurality of modules (100) to share the same transfer chamber (403), the same inner cavity (401) of the equipment and the same gas cooling medium for cooling.

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