Horizontal Crucible Waste Filter for Stable Aluminothermic Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional filters for aluminothermic welding are structurally unstable, prone to clogging, and inefficient in capturing waste products, particularly when used with lively aluminothermic welding chemicals, posing safety risks to welders.
Innovation Solution
A horizontally placed filter with a low center of gravity, comprising a rectangular box-shaped body, protruding portions, and baffle plates, along with a seal felt, to stabilize the filter on the crucible, enhance waste capture, and minimize leakage, using fire-resistant materials for multiple uses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the filter is placed vertically on the crucible, then the filter structure is simple, but the filter becomes structurally unstable and rocks on the crucible due to pressure from waste
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is reoriented from a vertical placement to a horizontal placement on the crucible. This dimensional change transforms the filter body from extending vertically to extending horizontally, with the filtering surface facing upward. This reorientation lowers the center of gravity and distributes the weight more stably on the crucible surface, preventing rocking while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter incorporates a composite structure combining a horizontal filter body with a sealing flange assembly. The sealing flange with gasket material creates a composite joint between the filter and crucible, enhancing stability by preventing movement and leakage while maintaining the overall structural simplicity of the design.
2Reliability
If two layers of high density filter material are used, then the initial filtration capacity is high, but the filter life is reduced due to rapid clogging of the lower filter
Solution Approach 1:
The filter employs a two-layer filtration system where each layer has different local qualities optimized for its specific function. The upper layer uses a coarser filter material designed to capture larger particulate matter first, while the lower layer uses a finer filter material optimized for capturing smaller particles. This gradient structure prevents the lower filter from becoming rapidly clogged by large particles, thereby extending filter life while maintaining high initial filtration capacity.
3Power
If the filter is used with lively aluminothermic welding chemicals, then the welding reaction is more effective, but the filter material life is undesirably reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The filter incorporates a slag trap chamber positioned between the crucible and the filter material. This chamber acts as a cushioning buffer that captures and contains the intense slag and waste products generated by lively aluminothermic welding reactions before they reach the filter material. This preliminary containment protects the filter material from direct exposure to harsh conditions, extending its service life while allowing the use of highly reactive welding chemicals.
4Length of stationary object
If the filter extends vertically from the crucible, then the filter height is sufficient for filtration, but the filter structure becomes unstable during the filtering process
Solution Approach 1:
The filter design transitions from a vertical extension to a horizontal extension with the filtering surface facing upward. The filter body extends horizontally from the sealing flange, providing sufficient filtration depth in the horizontal dimension while maintaining a low profile vertically. This reorientation ensures stability by lowering the center of gravity and preventing rocking, while the horizontal length provides adequate filtration path length.
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 filter provides enhanced stability, effective waste capture, and safety by reducing exposure to harmful gases and particulates, extending the filter's lifespan and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
Implementation Method 1
a seal felt, to create a seal between the filter and the crucible
Implementation Method 2
The filter includes a waste passage, an inlet, a filter material, to capture waste produced by the aluminothermic reaction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
The present invention relates to a filter for filtering waste produced from a crucible during the aluminothermic welding reaction, the filter (1) being used for placing on an outlet (60) of the crucible (6), the filter (1) comprising: a body (10) including: a waste passage (100), an inlet (103) for directing the waste (5) from the outlet (60) of the crucible (6) into the waste passage (100), a filter material (104) for filtering the waste (5), characterized in that the body (10) includes: a first protruding portion (101) extending adjacent to the side of the crucible (6) and including a first outlet (1010), and a second protruding portion (102) extending adjacent to the side of the crucible (6) and including a second outlet (1020).