Metallurgical Vessel Stopper Drive Stiffness via Inverted Motor Mount
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing drive device for stopper closure in metallurgical vessels experiences imprecision due to bending movements caused by the stopper and support arm, leading to deviations in melt quantity control during casting.
Innovation Solution
A height-displaceable adjustment means is mounted on a bearing shaft within a removable housing, featuring upper and lower bearings and a sleeve element, providing increased stiffness and stability by allowing precise alignment and positioning of the stopper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the drive shaft projects upwards out of the housing, then the motor can be arranged detachably on the underside of the drive shaft, but bending movements occur causing imprecision in stopper position and deviations in melt quantity control
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional arrangement by having the drive shaft enter the housing from the top rather than projecting upward from the bottom. The motor is arranged in the housing and drives the drive shaft through a drive connection, reversing the traditional motor-positioning approach and eliminating the bending moment problem while maintaining detachability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the spatial dimension of motor attachment by moving the motor from a bottom-external position to a top-internal position within the housing. This dimensional repositioning allows the motor to be mounted detachably on the upper side of the housing, eliminating the harmful bending movements while preserving ease of installation and maintenance.
2Ease of operation
If the drive shaft projects upwards out of the housing, then the support arm can be secured to the drive shaft, but the stopper and support arm cause bending movements leading to positional deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the support arm attachment arrangement by having the support arm connect to the drive shaft from the top within the housing, rather than from the bottom externally. This inversion eliminates the bending moments caused by the stopper weight while maintaining easy attachment and operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the adjustment means are mounted in a height-displaceable manner on a bearing shaft, then stiffness and stability are increased, but the device complexity increases with upper and lower bearings and sleeve element
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the adjustment means into distinct functional components: upper and lower bearings spaced apart on the bearing shaft, with a sleeve element connecting them. This segmentation provides stiffness and stability through the distributed bearing support while making the complex structure modular and manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Drive device for a stopper closure on a metallurgical vessel, including a housing arranged on the vessel in a removable manner, an adjustment system mounted in the housing so as to be height-displaceable and has a drive which can be coupled to the housing, and an upper connection element for a support arm carrying the fire-proof stopper. The adjustment system for the stopper is mounted so as to be height-displaceable on at least one bearing shaft fastened in the housing. This design of the adjustment system permits an increase in the stiffness of the drive device and hence of the fire-proof stopper suspended by the drive device on the support arm during pouring.