Overlapping Arm Mechanism for Tundish Nozzle Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tundish nozzle exchanging devices require a minimum distance of 300 mm between holes, limiting the efficient production of H-shaped steel beams with nozzles placed at flange positions, as they cannot accommodate distances of 250 mm or less.
Innovation Solution
The device employs overlapping pairs of arms to support and press lower nozzles, allowing for a shorter gap between nozzle lines, with the arms' fulcrums acting as levers to apply equal pressing forces, enabling the use of zirconia-based nozzles within alumina refractories to reduce size and prevent cracking, thus allowing for a distance of 250 mm or less between holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If conventional juxtaposed arms are used to support lower nozzles, then the structure is simple, but the distance between nozzle holes must be 300 mm or more
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges adjacent arm pairs by making them overlap with each other. The first arm pair and second arm pair are positioned such that they overlap in the lateral direction, allowing the distance between nozzle holes to be reduced to 250 mm or less while maintaining structural support functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The arms are configured in a nested arrangement where the first arm pair and second arm pair overlap and interlace. This nesting allows the arms to share space efficiently, reducing the overall footprint and enabling shorter distances between nozzles without compromising the supporting function
2Productivity
If nozzle distance is reduced to 250 mm or less, then productivity improves for H-shaped steel beam casting, but conventional devices cannot accommodate this distance
Solution Approach 1:
The arms are designed with movable and adjustable characteristics, allowing the device to adapt to different nozzle spacing requirements. The arms can be positioned and adjusted to accommodate various distances between nozzles, making the device versatile for different casting configurations including the optimized 250 mm or less spacing
3Strength
If zirconia-based nozzles are used in alumina refractories, then nozzle size is reduced and cracking is prevented, but the device must accommodate tighter spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The overlapping arm configuration merges the support structures for adjacent nozzles, enabling the device to accommodate the reduced distance between nozzles that results from using smaller zirconia-based nozzles in alumina refractories
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 configuration allows for the reduction of the distance between tundish nozzle holes to less than conventional models, enabling more efficient casting operations and reducing the size of the nozzles, while maintaining stability and tolerance.
Implementation Method 1
the arms' fulcrums acting as levers to apply equal pressing forces
Data Source
AI summary
A tundish nozzle is used in a device for exchanging tundish nozzles juxtaposed at a bottom of a tundish. The device includes a pair of first arms pressing and supporting a first lower nozzle located at an undersurface of a first upper nozzle, the first upper nozzle being placed at the bottom of the tundish. The device includes a pair of second arms pressing and supporting a second lower nozzle located at an undersurface of a second upper nozzle, the second upper nozzle being placed at the bottom of the tundish and next to the first upper nozzle. The pair of first arms and the pair of second arms are adjoined to each other, the pairs at least partly overlapping. The tundish nozzle includes a zirconia based nozzle inserted into an alumina based refractory, and is one of the first and second lower and upper nozzles.