On-Demand Cooling Water Preparation for Casting Defect Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The composition of cooling water in metallurgical transformation processes, particularly during semi-continuous casting, is not well controlled, leading to issues like cracks, slits, and excessive curvatures in cast plates due to uncontrolled or unsuitable water composition, which affects heat transfer and is difficult to replicate across different industrial sites, causing logistical and cost problems in supplying and transporting suitable cooling water for testing and production.
Innovation Solution
A method for preparing cooling water by analyzing the target composition to determine a final composition, mixing industrial water with treated water solutions containing specific ion concentrations, and adjusting with additives to achieve a desired pH and ion balance, ensuring the cooling water's parameters align within ±10% of the target, using a combination of industrial water, cationic ion exchange resin-treated water, demineralized water, and aqueous solutions with high Mg2+ and Ca2+ ion concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cooling water composition is not controlled, then the casting process can proceed without complex water treatment systems, but defects such as cracks, slits, and excessive curvatures occur in cast plates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by preparing and treating the cooling water in advance before it reaches the casting process. A water treatment system is implemented that includes filtration units, chemical dosing systems, and temperature control mechanisms positioned upstream of the casting equipment. This ensures that when the water reaches the cast plate, it already has the required composition parameters (pH 7.0-9.0, hardness 50-150 French degrees, alkalinity 30-100 French degrees), preventing defects without requiring complex real-time control during casting.
2Manufacturing precision
If cooling water composition is controlled to prevent defects, then cast plate quality improves, but the complexity of the water treatment system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The water treatment system is segmented into multiple independent functional units: a filtration section with mesh filters (50-200 micrometers), a chemical treatment section with separate dosing pumps for pH adjustment and alkalinity control, a temperature control section with heat exchangers, and a monitoring section with sensors. Each unit can be independently adjusted and maintained, reducing overall system complexity while ensuring comprehensive water quality control for defect-free cast plates.
3Measurement precision
If cooling water is transported from production site to testing site, then cooling tests can be performed, but large volumes are required implying logistics and cost problems
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of transporting large volumes of actual production cooling water to testing sites, the patent creates a simplified replica water treatment system at the testing location. This copying approach uses the same treatment principles (filtration, chemical dosing, temperature control) but operates on a smaller scale, generating test water locally with identical compositional characteristics. This reduces water transport requirements from industrial volumes to minimal testing volumes while maintaining measurement accuracy for cooling performance evaluation.
4Manufacturing precision
If composition parameters of cooling water are varied to study their effect, then optimized water composition can be determined, but control and modification of composition is not easy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system with sensors that continuously monitor key water composition parameters (pH, hardness, alkalinity, temperature) and automatically adjust treatment settings. The system includes pH electrodes, conductivity sensors for hardness measurement, and temperature probes that provide real-time data to a control unit. This automated feedback mechanism simplifies composition control and modification, allowing researchers to easily vary parameters to study their effects while maintaining precise control, thereby determining optimized water composition for specific casting applications.
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
This method allows for the creation of cooling water with a consistent thermal efficiency and reproducible composition, addressing the challenges of site-to-site variability and logistical issues in cooling water supply, ensuring optimal casting conditions and reducing defects in cast products.
Implementation Method 1
mixing industrial water with treated water solutions containing specific ion concentrations
Implementation Method 2
cationic ion exchange resin-treated water
Data Source
AI summary
A preparation method for preparing cooling water which aims to reproduce a target cooling water by using at least two aqueous solutions selected from an industrial water solution, a cationic ion exchange resin-treated water solution, a demineralized water solution and an aqueous solution containing Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions; a casting method using the cooling water obtained according to the preparation method; and a casting device (100) including the preparation device.