Copper Contact Jaw Cooling Channel Segmentation for Easier Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of copper contact jaws for electric smelting units faces challenges such as deep-hole drilling due to their large size, requiring large drill diameters and intensive preheating for welding, which leads to material recrystallization and inadequate sealing, affecting the microstructure and service life.
Innovation Solution
A copper contact jaw with a cooling channel system comprising a central coolant inlet and outlet, and multiple small, radially and axially extending cooling channels, replacing traditional large bores, ensuring improved heat dissipation and eliminating the need for welding, thus preserving the microstructure and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large drill diameters (at least 24 mm) are used to drill bores through the contact jaw, then the cooling channels can be established, but the structural integrity and microstructure of the copper material are compromised due to the large removal of material and subsequent welding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The single large bore is segmented into multiple smaller cooling channels (e.g., four channels of 6 mm diameter instead of one 24 mm channel). This segmentation allows the cooling function to be maintained while preserving the structural integrity of the copper contact jaw, as the smaller channels remove less material and do not require welding to seal the large openings.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channel system is extended radially through the entire contact jaw thickness, with channels drilled from both front and rear faces to meet in the middle. This dimensional approach allows for effective cooling without requiring excessively large single-channel diameters, as the cooling function is distributed across multiple channels spanning the full thickness.
2Reliability
If welding is used to seal the cooling channel openings, then the cooling channels are sealed, but the high temperatures cause local recrystallization and loss of material hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are drilled through the entire thickness of the contact jaw from both faces, with the channels meeting in the middle. The openings are then sealed with threaded locking screws before the contact jaw is installed in the smelting unit. This preliminary sealing action avoids the need for welding during or after installation, preventing thermal damage to the copper microstructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding process (thermal-chemical joining) is replaced with mechanical fastening using threaded locking screws to seal the cooling channel openings. This mechanical substitution eliminates the high temperatures and recrystallization effects associated with welding, while still providing reliable sealing of the cooling channels.
3Reliability
If deep-hole drilling is performed on large contact jaws (750 mm x 600 mm x 150 mm), then cooling channels can be created, but the manufacturing complexity and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channel system is divided into multiple smaller channels drilled from different faces of the contact jaw. Instead of drilling one or two extremely deep holes through the entire 750 mm length, multiple channels of moderate depth are drilled from the front and rear faces to meet in the middle, reducing the difficulty and time of each individual drilling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are drilled to meet in the middle of the contact jaw rather than drilling complete holes through the entire thickness from one face. This partial action approach reduces the total drilling depth required for each channel while still achieving the cooling function, as the channels only need to extend halfway through the material from each face.
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 cooling channel system enhances heat dissipation, maintains the material's microstructure integrity, extends service life, and simplifies manufacturing by eliminating welding, thereby reducing costs and setup time.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling channel system having a coolant inlet opening and a coolant outlet opening and a plurality of cooling channels that extend axially and radially through the main body
Implementation Method 2
improved heat dissipation is achieved on the one hand, due to the increased number of cooling channels
Data Source
AI summary
A copper contact jaw for an electrical smelting unit can be attached to an electrode carrying arm of the smelting unit. By the contact jaw an electrode of the smelting unit can be electrically conductively connected to the electrode carrying arm. The copper contact jaw has a main body having a rear face and an oppositely arranged front face, a first end face and a second, axially oppositely arranged end face, and at least one first and one second side face; two contact faces arranged on the front face of the main body, which contact faces are designed to be mirror-symmetrical relative to one another and extend axially along the main body; and a cooling channel system having a coolant inlet opening and a coolant outlet opening and a plurality of cooling channels that extend axially and radially through the main body.