Cold Crucible Structure for Titanium Melting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cold crucibles used for melting high-melting point metals like titanium face challenges with low magnetic field penetration efficiency, energy efficiency, and mechanical/thermal stability, which affect the purity and efficiency of the melting process.
Innovation Solution
A cold crucible structure with optimized design features, including hollow top and bottom caps, segments connecting them, slits between segments, and an induction coil unit positioned to cover the outer side, with specific dimensions and spacing to enhance magnetic field penetration and energy efficiency while maintaining mechanical/thermal stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cold crucible is designed with thicker segments and smaller slits to improve mechanical stability, then structural strength increases, but magnetic field penetration efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameters of segment thickness and slit dimensions to achieve the best balance between mechanical stability and magnetic field penetration. By carefully selecting specific ranges for these parameters, the design ensures sufficient structural strength while maintaining adequate magnetic field penetration efficiency for effective induction heating.
2Loss of energy
If the induction coil is positioned closer to the crucible to improve energy efficiency, then heating efficiency increases, but magnetic field penetration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent determines the optimal spacing distance between the induction coil and the crucible by analyzing the relationship between coil position, magnetic field penetration, and energy efficiency. This optimized spacing ensures maximum energy transfer efficiency while maintaining sufficient magnetic field penetration for effective heating of the material.
3Reliability
If indirect heating through crucible wall is used to melt high-melting point metals, then the crucible can contain the molten metal, but impurities are introduced due to chemical reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces indirect thermal conduction heating through the crucible wall with direct electromagnetic induction heating. The induction coil generates a magnetic field that directly induces eddy currents in the material to be heated, eliminating the need for thermal conduction through the crucible wall and thus preventing chemical reactions and impurity introduction while significantly improving heating efficiency.
4Productivity
If the crucible diameter is increased to improve melting capacity, then productivity increases, but magnetic field penetration efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes the optimal crucible diameter range that balances melting capacity with magnetic field penetration efficiency. By optimizing this dimension parameter, the design achieves maximum productivity while ensuring sufficient magnetic field penetration for effective induction heating throughout the material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The optimized design improves magnetic field penetration efficiency, dissolution efficiency, and energy efficiency, along with mechanical/thermal stability, allowing for more efficient melting of high-melting point metals like titanium while maintaining purity.
Implementation Method 1
an induction coil unit disposed to cover the outer side of the cold crucible unit and disposed across the longitudinal directions of the segments and the slits
Implementation Method 2
heats a high-melting point substance to be melted using induction heating
Implementation Method 3
circulating cooling water
Implementation Method 4
circulating cooling water
Data Source
AI summary
A cold crucible structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cold crucible structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cold crucible unit including hollow top and bottom caps, a plurality of segments connecting the top cap and the bottom cap, slits disposed between the segments, and a reaction area surrounded by the segments; and an induction coil unit disposed to cover the outer side of the cold crucible unit and disposed across the longitudinal directions of the segments and the slits, in which the diameter of the reaction area is defined as a crucible diameter, the crucible diameter is 100 to 300 mm, and a width of each of the slits is defined bydslit≤0.3×∅50(mm)(where dslit is the width of each of the slits and Ø is the crucible diameter).