Patents Assigned to Norsk Hydro ASA
  • Publication number: 20240296915
    Abstract: The present invention relates to mixing raw materials from two or more aluminium metal sources from a Metal Base. The Raw material is categorized (“R”, i=1?n) and stored in a database from where candidate alloys are randomly proposed by a computer and each single Candidate alloy entity is categorized (“C”, j=1?m). Candidate alloys having a CO2 index that is above a set threshold can be discarded for further evaluation. The remaining candidate alloys are further evaluated and qualified with regard to their ability to fulfil the actual functions of use, for instance as a specific product and followingly a set of Qualified Candidate alloys (“QC”, k=1?m) can be defined. The invention also relates to a product produced by the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Applicant: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Trond FURU, Ole Runar MYHR
  • Publication number: 20240263270
    Abstract: A method and an equipment for the treatment of molten aluminium metal, in particular Na removal in a tapping/transport crucible (1) provided with a lid (6). The atmosphere above the molten metal is sub-pressurized to a sub pressure between 300-10 mbar and subsequently exposed to a stirring action generated by an electromagnetic coil (EMS) arranged towards one side of the tapping/transport crucible (1), whereby Na can be removed from the molten aluminium metal without any addition of active or passive agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Applicant: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Inge JOHANSEN, Shahid AKHTAR, Alf Inge ROMFO, Roy Arne CHRISTIANSEN, Jon NYGARD
  • Patent number: 12043880
    Abstract: Method for producing thermally processed material (50), the method comprising providing material (35) to be thermally processed, providing carbon-containing scrap material (20) from an electrolysis cell (10) for the production of primary aluminium (15), introducing the material (35) to be thermally processed into a furnace (40), processing the carbon-containing scrap material (20) to produce a scrap fuel (55), and thermally processing the material (35) to be thermally processed in the furnace (40) using energy generated by burning the scrap fuel (55) such as to produce thermally processed material (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventor: Roland Scharf-Bergmann
  • Publication number: 20240018631
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high temperature stability Al—Si—Cu casting alloy with an addition of Sn to improve ageing kinetics and mechanical properties. The alloy is suitable for gravity die casting and comprises 6 to 8 wt. % Si, 2 to 4 wt. % Cu, 0.03 to 0.09 wt. % Sn, 0.05 to 0.1 wt. % Ti, up to 0.2 wt. % Mn, up to 0.2 wt. % Fe, up to 0.03 wt. % Sr, grain refining element in the scale of 1 N kg/ton and unavoidable impurities up to 0.05 wt. %. The alloy may also contain one or more of the following elements: Mg max 0.25 wt. %, Zr max 0.2 wt. % and Hf max 0.5 wt. %. The addition of Sn leads to the finer and denser distribution of O?—Al2Cu precipitates, enhancing the mechanical properties and ageing kinetics of the alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Norsk Hydro ASA
    Inventors: Petter ÅSHOLT, Martha INDRIYATI
  • Patent number: 11746432
    Abstract: A method and means for application of anode covering material (ACM) in an electrolysis cell for aluminium production where the cell being of Hall-Héroult type with prebaked anodes. The cell contains a cathode pot with a rectangular footprint and a superstructure with a gas collecting hood that lays onto the top of the cathode pot. A floor construction at least substantially surrounds the cell at a level below the top of the cathode pot and ventilation openings provided with grates are arranged in the floor in the close vicinity to the cell. The superstructure's hood is provided with removable lids that are removed for giving access to the cell's anodes through openings. ACM is applied via a feed tube to cover the anodes and the deposit of ACM is supported by a shuttering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Jostein Magnesen, Per Johnny Teigen, Jan Frode Høines, Odd Erik Jacobsen, Are Dyrøy, Morten Karlsen, Juraj Chmelar
  • Patent number: 11654478
    Abstract: The invention provides a casting equipment (1) for casting melt (15) into a cast product (80) comprising a supply reservoir (10) for supplying the melt (15), a distribution reservoir (20), a casting apparatus (25) having a melt inlet connected to the distribution reservoir (20) for producing the cast product (80), a supply conduit (30) fluidly connecting the supply reservoir (10) and the distribution reservoir (20), an electromagnetic pump (35) provided on the supply conduit (30) and operable to generate a force in the melt (15) in the supply conduit (30), a level sensor (40) for measuring a level of the melt (15) in the distribution reservoir (20) and/or in the supply reservoir (10), a controller operably connected to the pump (35) and the level sensor (40), wherein the supply conduit (30) is sealed or sealable from a pressure of the atmosphere, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the pump (35) based on a level signal from the level sensor (40), and wherein, at least during a stea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Arild Håkonsen, Rune Ledal
  • Patent number: 11624102
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for producing feedstock in piece form from metal, in particular aluminium and/or aluminium alloys, for a metal-casting installation, in particular aluminium-casting installation, in which scrap parts of metal, in particular of aluminium and/or aluminium alloys, are sorted on the basis of their alloying constituents and/or alloy contents and subsequently, on the basis of an alloy to be produced in the feedstock, the scrap parts are mixed into a composition having a homogeneous distribution of the alloy and fed to a press, in which the scrap parts of the composition are subjected to a pressure that compresses the scrap parts while generating a temperature, wherein, as a result of the application of pressure, the scrap parts are heated up to the transition temperature between solid and liquid of at least some of the scrap parts and/or the alloys and/or alloying constituents thereof before the feedstock is discharged in a specific geometrical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Norsk Hydro ASA
    Inventors: Roland Scharf-Bergmann, Roar Orsund
  • Patent number: 11542576
    Abstract: Aluminium alloys suitable for etched and anodized components, in particular aluminum extrusion alloys of the types containing Magnesium and Silicon, which after being extruded to any wide variety of forms for different applications such as house buildings and other building applications is subjected to etching in a conventional alkaline etching bath and subsequent anodizing, wherein the relation between Cu and Zn is controlled to avoid preferential grain etching and the ratio of Cu/Zn is below 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Øystein Bauger, Oddvin Reiso, Hans Bjerkaas, Tom Hauge, Snorre Kjørstad Fjeldbo
  • Patent number: 11466377
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a material for establishing a cathode barrier layer in electrolysis cells for production of aluminum of Hall-Heroult type, the barrier layer can comprise minerals combined with a compound that lowers the melting temperature of the minerals, such as fluorides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Eirik Hagen, Espen Tjønneland Wefring, Christian Schøning
  • Patent number: 11453938
    Abstract: Method and means for suppressing discoloration during thermal treatment of a product of a magnesium containing aluminium alloy, the alloy contains in wt. % Mg: 0.45-12.0, with a preferred range of 0.45-6.0 wt %. The product, being either an extrusion billet, a sheet ingot, a cast product, or a forged product is heated to a temperature T where it is prone to surface discoloration and oxidation, wherein during the thermal treatment it is exposed to a suppressing atmosphere comprising 0.5-5.0% CO2 gas with a preference for 0.5-1.5% CO2 gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Alf Inge Romfo, Snorre Rist, Idar Kjetil Steen, Geir Øyen, Øystein Bauger, Oddvin Reiso, Tanja Pettersen
  • Patent number: 11376655
    Abstract: A casting apparatus for continuous or semi-continuous casting having a reservoir for supplying liquid metal, a direct chill casting mold having a mold cavity for at least temporarily holding liquid metal and to at least partially solidify the liquid metal into a cast product, and a pump disposed on the flow path between the reservoir and the mold cavity, wherein the pump is operable to generate a force in the liquid metal that is acting against the tendency of the liquid metal to flow along the flow path from the reservoir into the mold cavity by gravity to control a flow of the liquid metal from the reservoir into the mold cavity, wherein the pump is a direct current electromagnetic pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventor: Arild Håkonsen
  • Patent number: 11376654
    Abstract: A method for casting longitudinal cast products including casting longitudinal cast products in a semi-continuous manner using a DC casting apparatus having a mold, wherein the mold has top and bottom openings and partially solidifies molten metal that enters into the mold via the top opening and outputs the cast product via the bottom opening, recording a thermal image of the cast product output via the bottom opening, determining at least three non-overlapping temperature ranges comprising a first, second and third, determining a peak temperature in the thermal image; comparing the peak temperature with the at least three temperature ranges; and performing operations depending on where the peak temperature falls within the at least three temperature ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventor: Britt Elin Gihleengen
  • Publication number: 20220176443
    Abstract: A method for casting longitudinal cast products including casting longitudinal cast products in a semi-continuous manner using a DC casting apparatus having a mold, wherein the mold has top and bottom openings and partially solidifies molten metal that enters into the mold via the top opening and outputs the cast product via the bottom opening, recording a thermal image of the cast product output via the bottom opening, determining at least three non-overlapping temperature ranges comprising a first, second and third, determining a peak temperature in the thermal image; comparing the peak temperature with the at least three temperature ranges; and performing operations depending on where the peak temperature falls within the at least three temperature ranges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventor: Britt Elin GIHLEENGEN
  • Patent number: 11313019
    Abstract: Method for producing structural components from heat treatable aluminum alloys based on extruded material, in particular AA 6xxx series alloys, the components having improved crush properties and being particular applicable in crash zones of vehicles, such as longitudinals and crash boxes, the method including the following steps: a. casting a billet from said alloy by DC casting, b. homogenizing the cast billet, c. forming a profile from the billet by extrusion, preferably a hollow section d. optionally, separate solution heat treatment, e. quenching the profile down to room temperature after the forming step and the possible separate solutionising step, f. stretching the extruded or the separate solutionised profile to obtain at least 1.5% plastic deformation, g. artificially ageing the profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Ulf Tundal, Oddvin Reiso
  • Patent number: 11255712
    Abstract: A method to determine a presence or absence of water in a cavity of a starter block having a non-horizontal surface of DC casting equipment including emitting a wave using a device containing a sensor, the wave propagating along a virtual beam path, directing the wave towards the cavity of the starter block such that the wave is reflected on a horizontal surface of the water, if water is present in the cavity, or is reflected on a non-horizontal surface of the cavity of the starter block, if no water is present in the cavity, detecting the reflected wave using the sensor, or not detecting the wave using the sensor, determining that there is water present in the cavity if the sensor detects the reflected wave, and determining that water is absent in the cavity if the sensor does not detect the wave while the sensor emits the wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Britt Elin Gihleengen, Snorre Normann Bache, Tore Eide
  • Publication number: 20210371949
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) of a welded aluminium alloy component and a welded aluminium alloy component treated according to the method. The welded component has initially heat affected zones with reduced load bearing capacity. The method provides that the heat affected zones are located, applying a heat source at least at one first location of said heat affected zones, where the heat source generates a temperature above Tmin, and where the heat source can be kept at said location for at least a period tmin. The apparatus contains a heat source relatively movable with regard to the component, and further being able to be positioned on defined positions thereof, the heat source further being controllable with regard to temperature and resting time that influence the heat transferred to the component at said local position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Trond FURU, Ole Runar MYHR
  • Publication number: 20210341332
    Abstract: A method to determine a presence or absence of water in a cavity of a starter block having a non-horizontal surface of DC casting equipment including emitting a wave using a device containing a sensor, the wave propagating along a virtual beam path, directing the wave towards the cavity of the starter block such that the wave is reflected on a horizontal surface of the water, if water is present in the cavity, or is reflected on a non-horizontal surface of the cavity of the starter block, if no water is present in the cavity, detecting the reflected wave using the sensor, or not detecting the wave using the sensor, determining that there is water present in the cavity if the sensor detects the reflected wave, and determining that water is absent in the cavity if the sensor does not detect the wave while the sensor emits the wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Norsk Hydro ASA
    Inventors: Britt Elin GIHLEENGEN, Snorre Normann BACHE, Tore EIDE
  • Publication number: 20210323050
    Abstract: The invention provides a casting equipment (1) for casting melt (15) into a cast product (80) comprising a supply reservoir (10) for supplying the melt (15), a distribution reservoir (20), a casting apparatus (25) having a melt inlet connected to the distribution reservoir (20) for producing the cast product (80), a supply conduit (30) fluidly connecting the supply reservoir (10) and the distribution reservoir (20), an electromagnetic pump (35) provided on the supply conduit (30) and operable to generate a force in the melt (15) in the supply conduit (30), a level sensor (40) for measuring a level of the melt (15) in the distribution reservoir (20) and/or in the supply reservoir (10), a controller operably connected to the pump (35) and the level sensor (40), wherein the supply conduit (30) is sealed or sealable from a pressure of the atmosphere, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the pump (35) based on a level signal from the level sensor (40), and wherein, at least during a stea
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Arild HÅKONSEN, Rune LEDAL
  • Publication number: 20210310099
    Abstract: Method for producing thermally processed material (50), the method comprising providing material (35) to be thermally processed, providing carbon-containing scrap material (20) from an electrolysis cell (10) for the production of primary aluminium (15), introducing the material (35) to be thermally processed into a furnace (40), processing the carbon-containing scrap material (20) to produce a scrap fuel (55), and thermally processing the material (35) to be thermally processed in the furnace (40) using energy generated by burning the scrap fuel (55) such as to produce thermally processed material (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventor: Roland SCHARF-BERGMANN
  • Publication number: 20210310139
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a material for establishing a cathode barrier layer in electrolysis cells for production of aluminum of Hall-Heroult type, the barrier layer can comprise minerals combined with a compound that lowers the melting temperature of the minerals, such as fluorides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Eirik HAGEN, Espen Tjønneland WEFRING, Christian SCHØNING