Casting mold for uranium-zirconium alloy solid and annular cast ingot

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of casting molds, and provides a uranium-zirconium alloy solid and annular cast ingot casting mold which comprises a crucible and a mold arranged at the bottom of the crucible, and the mold comprises a pouring cup and a forming mold cavity; a plurality of through holes are evenly formed in the bottom face of the pouring cup, the top end of the forming die cavity is arranged on the bottom face of the pouring cup and communicated with the pouring cup through the through holes, the uranium-zirconium metal fuel pressure machining requirement can be fully met, meanwhile, the problem that the zirconium element in the uranium-zirconium alloy cast ingot is prone to segregation is solved, and the casting quality of the uranium-zirconium alloy cast ingot is improved. The pressure processing quality and the yield of the uranium-zirconium alloy are improved, and the uranium-zirconium alloy solid cast ingot with uniform and accurate components and excellent surface and internal quality is obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of casting mold technology, and more specifically, to a casting mold for solid, ring-shaped uranium-zirconium alloy ingots. Background Technology

[0002] Uranium-zirconium metal fuel is one of the candidate fuels for fast neutron reactors. It has high density of heavy nuclei, no moderator elements, high breeding ratio, high thermal conductivity, hard neutron spectrum, and high safety and reliability, which can achieve the goal of high burnup. At the same time, uranium-zirconium alloy can achieve dry reprocessing and closed-loop circulation, which is environmentally friendly.

[0003] Uranium-zirconium alloy fuels are generally produced directly through melting and casting. In order to further improve the efficiency of research and development, an attempt was made to prepare uranium-zirconium alloy cores by using ingot pressure processing technology. However, the high zirconium content in the uranium-zirconium alloy matrix makes the ingot prone to central segregation during solidification and cooling. Therefore, how to prepare ingots with uniform composition is a challenge in the preparation work for pressure processing. At present, there is a lack of a mature method and mold specifically for preparing uranium-zirconium alloy ingots for pressure processing. Therefore, relevant research is urgently needed. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a solid, ring-shaped ingot casting mold for uranium-zirconium alloy, which can fully meet the pressure processing requirements of uranium-zirconium metal fuel, while solving the problem of easy segregation of zirconium elements inside the uranium-zirconium alloy ingot, improving the pressure processing quality and yield of uranium-zirconium alloy, and obtaining a solid uranium-zirconium alloy ingot with uniform and accurate composition and excellent surface and internal quality.

[0005] The embodiments of this utility model are achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A casting mold for a solid, ring-shaped uranium-zirconium alloy ingot includes a crucible and a mold disposed at the bottom of the crucible.

[0007] The mold includes a pouring cup and a molding cavity; the bottom surface of the pouring cup is evenly provided with multiple through holes, and the top of the molding cavity is located on the bottom surface of the pouring cup and is connected to the pouring cup through the multiple through holes.

[0008] Furthermore, the molding cavity and the pouring cup are arranged along the same center line.

[0009] Furthermore, a positioning post is provided at the center of the molding cavity along the longitudinal direction, and multiple through holes are evenly arranged in a circle relative to the positioning post.

[0010] Furthermore, the positioning post is a graphite core rod.

[0011] Furthermore, the two ends of the positioning post abut against the two inner sides of the molding cavity and are sealed to the molding cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, a bottom plug is provided at the bottom of the crucible, and the outlet end of the bottom plug is located directly above the pouring cup; the diameter of the bottom plug is in the range of 10-15 mm.

[0013] Furthermore, both the bottom plug and the mold are made of graphite.

[0014] The technical solution of this utility model embodiment has at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0015] This invention utilizes a vacuum induction furnace to directly melt and alloy within a graphite crucible. The high-temperature alloy molten metal is then poured into a mold using a bottom-pouring method. It flows downwards through a pouring cup into the forming cavity. During this process, multiple through-holes on the bottom surface of the pouring cup allow the high-temperature alloy molten metal poured from the crucible bottom to be diverted through these holes before being poured into the forming cavity. This results in a more uniform flow rate and a smoother, downward flow of the high-temperature alloy molten metal, eliminating the problems associated with directly pouring it into the forming cavity during the casting process. The process addresses defects such as porosity and shrinkage cavities in the upper part of the ingot, while simultaneously suppressing the segregation effect of zirconium and eliminating cold shut defects on the ingot surface. The ingot is formed within the forming mold cavity through a diversion method, and then cooled in the furnace, unloaded, and demolded to obtain a solid ingot blank. This fully meets the pressure processing requirements of uranium-zirconium metal fuels, solves the problem of easy segregation of zirconium inside the uranium-zirconium alloy ingot, improves the pressure processing quality and yield of uranium-zirconium alloys, and yields solid uranium-zirconium alloy ingots with uniform and accurate composition and excellent surface and internal quality. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the solid and annular ingot casting mold of uranium-zirconium alloy provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the solid and annular ingot casting mold of uranium-zirconium alloy provided in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 A top view of the pouring cup provided by this utility model;

[0020] Icons: 1-Crucible, 2-Bottom plug, 3-Pouring cup, 31-Through hole, 4-Molding cavity, 5-Positioning post. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0022] Example 1

[0023] A casting mold for solid uranium-zirconium alloy ingots includes a crucible 1 and a mold disposed at the bottom of the crucible 1.

[0024] The mold includes a pouring cup 3 and a molding cavity 4; the bottom surface of the pouring cup 3 is evenly provided with a plurality of through holes 31, and the top end of the molding cavity 4 is located on the bottom surface of the pouring cup 3 and is connected to the pouring cup 3 through the plurality of through holes 31.

[0025] Working Principle: This invention uses uranium ingots and sponge zirconium as raw materials, and directly melts and alloys them in a graphite crucible 1 using a vacuum induction furnace. The bottom of the graphite crucible 1 is equipped with a bottom-pouring plug 2, and a mold is placed below the bottom-pouring plug 2. The high-temperature alloy liquid is then poured into the mold using a bottom-pouring method from the graphite crucible 1. Specifically, it flows downwards through a pouring cup 3 into the forming mold cavity 4. During this process, because the bottom surface of the pouring cup 3 has multiple through holes 31, the high-temperature alloy liquid poured from the bottom of the crucible 1 into the mold pouring cup 3 can be diverted through the through holes 31 before being poured into the forming mold cavity 4, resulting in a uniform flow rate of the high-temperature alloy liquid from top to bottom. The smoother flow eliminates defects such as porosity and shrinkage cavities at the top of the ingot that occur when directly poured into the forming mold cavity 4 during the casting process. It also suppresses the segregation effect of zirconium and eliminates cold shut defects on the ingot surface. The ingot is formed within the forming mold cavity 4 through a diversion method, and then cooled in the furnace, unloaded, and demolded to obtain a solid ingot blank. This fully meets the pressure processing requirements of uranium-zirconium metal fuels, while solving the problem of easy segregation of zirconium inside the uranium-zirconium alloy ingot, improving the pressure processing quality and yield of uranium-zirconium alloys, and obtaining solid uranium-zirconium alloy ingots with uniform and accurate composition and excellent surface and internal quality.

[0026] In this embodiment, the forming cavity 4 and the pouring cup 3 are arranged on the same center line; this better ensures the uniformity of the alloy liquid flow rate, allowing it to enter the forming cavity 4 more smoothly from top to bottom, thereby improving the pressure processing quality and yield of uranium-zirconium alloy.

[0027] In this embodiment, a bottom plug 2 is provided at the bottom of the crucible 1, and the outlet end of the bottom plug 2 is located directly above the pouring cup 3; the diameter of the bottom plug 2 is in the range of 10-15 mm.

[0028] In this embodiment, both the bottom plug 2 and the mold are made of graphite.

[0029] Example 2

[0030] This embodiment provides a uranium-zirconium alloy annular ingot casting mold. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that: a positioning post 5 is also provided in the longitudinal direction at the center of the forming mold cavity 4, and multiple through holes 31 are evenly arranged in a circle relative to the positioning post 5; this is to process an annular ingot. When the high-temperature alloy liquid enters the forming mold cavity 4, since the positioning post 5 is located in the center of the forming mold cavity 4, it occupies the center of the forming mold cavity 4 in the longitudinal direction. In this way, the center of the ingot can form a hollow columnar annular ingot blank, and then after peeling, removing the head and tail, and drilling, the annular ingot is obtained.

[0031] In this embodiment, the positioning post 5 is a graphite core rod.

[0032] In this embodiment, the two ends of the positioning post 5 abut against the two inner sides of the forming mold cavity 4 and are sealed to the forming mold cavity 4; by keeping the positioning post 5 and the forming mold cavity 4 at the same height, a hollow columnar annular ingot with uniform height can be obtained, eliminating the need for subsequent reprocessing and improving the quality of the finished product.

[0033] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A casting mold for a solid, ring-shaped uranium-zirconium alloy ingot, characterized in that, Includes a crucible and a mold located at the bottom of the crucible. The mold includes a pouring cup and a molding cavity; the bottom surface of the pouring cup is evenly provided with multiple through holes, and the top of the molding cavity is located on the bottom surface of the pouring cup and is connected to the pouring cup through the multiple through holes.

2. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid and ring-shaped ingot casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The molding cavity and the pouring cup are arranged along the same center line.

3. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid and ring-shaped ingot casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, A positioning post is also provided at the center of the molding cavity along the longitudinal direction, and multiple through holes are evenly arranged in a circle relative to the positioning post.

4. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid and ring-shaped ingot casting mold according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two ends of the positioning post abut against the two inner sides of the molding cavity and are sealed to the molding cavity.

5. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid and ring-shaped ingot casting mold according to claim 3, characterized in that, The positioning post is a graphite core rod.

6. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid and ring-shaped ingot casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crucible is provided with a bottom pouring plug at the bottom, and the outlet end of the bottom pouring plug is located directly above the pouring cup; the diameter of the bottom pouring plug is in the range of 10 to 15 mm.

7. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid and ring-shaped ingot casting mold according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both the bottom plug and the mold are made of graphite.

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