Abstract: The invention concerns a process for detecting water leaks in smelting furnaces (2; 4) or in metal or alloy treatment plants, comprising the following steps: (i) providing at least one smelting furnace (2; 4), or at least one metal or alloy treatment plant provided with a water cooling system (5) and being connected to a process fume exhaust system; (ii) mixing in the cooling water a tracer chemical which is volatile in the event of water leakage together with the exhaust gases and which is suitable to be detected by an analysis system of the exhaust gases; and (iii) detecting said tracer chemical contained in the exhaust gases by said analysis system comprised in said process fume exhaust plant, wherein said tracer chemical is deuterated water. The invention further refers to a Plant for the production of metals or alloys.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member capable of suppressing deterioration in ductility thereof. In the method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member, an aluminum alloy casting material that contains 2.0 to 5.5 mass % of Cu, and 4.0 to 7.0 mass % of Si in which a content of Mg is 0.5 mass % or less, a content of Zn is 1.0 mass % or less, a content of Fe is 1.0 mass % or less, a content of Mn is 0.5 mass % or less and the balance is made of Al and inevitable impurities is used. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member includes a heating and holding step of heating and holding the aluminum alloy casting material within a solid-liquid coexisting temperature region; and a quenching step of rapidly cooling the aluminum alloy casting material after performing the heating and holding step.

Abstract: A method for the energy efficient production of metals and alloys by carbothermic reduction of minerals and ores in electric reduction reactors is disclosed. The method includes conveying a wood containing material to at least one pyrolysis step for producing charcoal; conveying the produced charcoal, possibly other carbon-containing reduction materials and metal containing raw materials to the at least one reactor for producing metal or alloy; conveying off-gas from the at least one pyrolysis step and off-gas from the at least one reactor to at least one energy recovery step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shaft high temperature continuous graphitizing furnace comprising a furnace body comprising a feeding inlet and a discharging outlet, an electrode pair, a cooling system and a discharging device; the furnace body is designed to be a shaft cylindrical structure; the electrode pair is provided within the furnace body and comprise an upper electrode and a lower electrode, the upper electrode is located below the feeding inlet, and an umbrella or cone table shape electric field having a lower cross section area greater than its upper cross section area arises between the upper electrode and eh lower electrode; and the cooling system is located between the lower electrode and the discharging outlet.

Abstract: Multi-zone, solar cell diffusion furnaces having a plurality of radiant element (SiC) or/and high intensity IR lamp heated process zones, including baffle, ramp-up, firing, soaking and cooling zone(s). The transport of solar cell wafers, e.g., silicon, selenium, germanium or gallium-based solar cell wafers, through the furnace is implemented by use of an ultra low-mass, wafer transport system comprising laterally spaced shielded, synchronously driven, metal bands or chains carrying non-rotating alumina tubes suspended on wires between them. The wafers rest on raised circumferential standoffs spaced laterally along the alumina tubes, which reduces contamination. The high intensity IR flux rapidly photo-radiation conditions the wafers so that diffusion occurs>3× faster than conventional high-mass thermal furnaces. Longitudinal side wall heaters comprising coil heaters in Inconel sheaths inserted in carrier tubes are employed to insure even heating of wafer edges adjacent the side walls.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shaft high temperature continuous graphitizing furnace comprising a furnace body comprising a feeding inlet and a discharging outlet, an electrode pair, a cooling system and a discharging device; the furnace body is designed to be a shaft cylindrical structure; the electrode pair is provided within the furnace body and comprise an upper electrode and a lower electrode, the upper electrode is located below the feeding inlet, and an umbrella or cone table shape electric field having a lower cross section area greater than its upper cross section area arises between the upper electrode and eh lower electrode; and the cooling system is located between the lower electrode and the discharging outlet.

Abstract: A vacuum furnace adapted to cool a load. The vacuum furnace has one or more means for cooling a fluid and a muffle substantially containing the load. The fluid flows in a substantially unidirectional flow substantially within the muffle.

Abstract: A vacuum furnace adapted to cool a load. The vacuum furnace has one or more means for cooling a fluid and a muffle substantially comprised of carbon fiber composite and substantially containing the load. The fluid flows in a substantially unidirectional flow substantially within the muffle.

Abstract: An electric resistance high temperature vacuum furnace having radiant heating units evenly spaced around the sides and ends of the furnace hot zone. Pairs of units are automatically regulated both radially and longitudinally according to the temperature required by the workload in the hot zone. The units each comprise parallel aligned elements electrically connected in series at their one ends. Each element has lengthwise surfaces angularly disposed from each other to form a beam structure of high section modulus for stiffness and resistance to sagging. Also, the angles of the element surfaces facing a heat-reflective assembly substantially enable all of the energy radiated toward the assembly to be reflected into the hot zone in addition to the direct radiation from the surfaces facing the hot zone. The furnace includes a re-circulating cooling system for rapid cooling of the furnace and workload.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to provide a means of also cooling the lower part of electric arc furnaces and/or resistance furnaces. To this end, said lower part—the actual melting vessel (4)—is surrounded with a jacket (9) at a certain distance, forming a shell, and the resulting intermediate space is configured as a cooling device (10) and subjected to the action of a cooling medium (14).

Abstract: A heat generating part (1) of semiconductor manufacturing equipment is cooled by cooling water. An inner fluid passage (21) having an inlet port (31) of the cooling water on a vertically lower portion thereof is formed so as to surround a periphery of the heat generating part (1). An outer fluid passage (22) having an outlet port (32) of the cooling water on a vertically upper portion thereof is formed so as to surround a periphery of the inner fluid passage (21) and be capable of exchanging heat with the cooling water in the inner fluid passage. A communication passage (24) is provided to connect a vertically upper portion of said inner fluid passage and a vertically lower portion of said outer fluid passage. The cooling water flowing out of the outlet port (32) of the outer fluid passage (22) is supplied to the inlet port (31) of the inner fluid passage (21).

Abstract: A blackbody furnace, mainly comprising a radiation cavity, a thermally insulating layer, a heater, a housing, a temperature controller, an airflow controller and a high-pressure air source. Besides, a gas channel is provided at the bottom of the radiation cavity to conduct the interior of the furnace chamber with the exterior. In the process of lowering the temperature of the blackbody furnace, the airflow controller could be actuated by the temperature controller or by an operator. Therefore, the room-temperature high-pressure air will enter the radiation cavity through the gas channel to fast cool down the radiation cavity. Finally, heat air will be vented from an opening at the front end of the radiation cavity. The present invention utilizes forced convection to enhance the efficiency of heat dissipation to fast lower the temperature of the blackbody furnace.

Abstract: A cooling and heat recovery system for chemical processing vessels. An inner vessel is located within an outer vessel, defining a gap between the two vessels. A heat removal agent is pumped in and out of the gap thereby cooling the wall of the inner vessel which is exposed to exceedingly high temperatures within its interior. Baffling is provided within the gap to ensure the uniform and continuous flow of heat removal agent within the gap. The design of the system increases the rate and efficiency at which heat is transferred from the inner vessel wall to the heat removal agent. In one embodiment, at least one helical bar attached to the inner vessel wall enhances the heat transfer rate and efficiency. Each helical bar generates turbulent flow of the heat removal agent, which in turn enhances the heat transfer between the inner vessel wall and the heat removal agent.

Abstract: A heat treating furnace has a hot zone enclosure with a substantially rectangular cross section. The floor of the hot zone enclosure is formed such that it is removable independently of the remainder of the hot zone enclosure. The heat treating furnace has a heating element with a novel support element that is readily mounted on and removed from the hot zone enclosure and which adjusts to accommodate a wide range of heating element thicknesses and insulation shield thicknesses. The electrically insulating components of the support element are formed to resist electrical shorting resulting from metallization and to resist cracking from thermally induced stress. The heat treating furnace further includes a cooling gas injection nozzle formed to reduce turbulence in the injected gas stream and to be readily attached to or removed from the hot zone enclosure.

Abstract: An improved cooling arrangement is disclosed for an industrial heat treat furnace. The furnace includes a closed end cylindrical heat treat chamber in which a plenum plate is suspended adjacent the rear end thereof. The plenum plate has a central underpressure opening and a fan between the rearward end of the furnace and the plate develops a wind mass which circulates into the furnace chamber and is drawn back into the fan through the plate central underpressure opening. Between the plenum plate and the furnace rearward end is positioned a first fixed fan diffuser followed by a second fixed fan diffuser. The first fan diffuser permits wind mass flow therethrough when the fan is rotated in a first direction but not in a second direction and similarly the second fan diffuser permits wind mass flow therethrough when the fan is rotated in a second direction but not in a first direction.

Abstract: A high temperature vacuum furnace has a circulating path external to the heating chamber for facilitating inert gas circulation during initial convection heating of a high temperature vacuum furnace. The heating chamber of the furnace and a surrounding cooling gas introduction chamber are within a metallic convection shroud in such a way that the space in between defines a heating gas circulation chamber for circulating heated inert gas during low temperature heating for accelerating the heating-up of the hot zone to its normal operating temperatures. Once the hot zone has reached a selected temperature, the inert gas is pumped out and the furnace then operates in a vacuum. Quenching is achieved by introducing cooling gas into the heating chamber via nozzles through the heating chamber walls.

Abstract: In an apparatus and process for the activation of carbon from carbon feedstocks by electrical resistance heating in the presence of steam, which comprises preheating particles of the carbon feedstock in a preheater, having the particles descend by gravity into and through a vertical reactor connected to the preheater, introducing steam at the bottom of the reactor so that it moves upward against the downward flow of the particles, passing an electric current through the particles in the reactor, and discharging the activated carbon from the bottom of the reactor, the improvements that comprise feeding the carbon feedstock through the side of the preheater, controlling the electric input, having the reactor project into the preheater, using a knife-gate valve and a discharge-limiting device to control the discharge of the activated carbon, using a carbon feedstock that contains up to about 25% of organic volatiles, maintaining the preheating temperature within a range from about 550.degree. C. to about 750.

Abstract: The manufacturing of high temperature superconducting crystals and high quality crystals in general requires a furnace design with very precise process control to minimize the crystal defects. A furnace design of this type can be realized by growing crystals in the cavity of the evaporator section of a specially designed heat pipe, since the temperature of the working fluid in the heat pipe, and thus in the cavity and crystal, can be maintained very accurately by the control of the evaporating pressure of the heat pipe's working fluid. The crystals are grown from the melt from the bottom of a cooled and rotating crucible which is placed into the heat pipe evaporator cavity. The growth of high temperature superconducting crystals requires high furnace temperatures and an oxygen atmosphere. The high temperature furnace condition is achieved with sodium and potasium heat pipes.

Abstract: The invention is a device and method for cooling a high temperature furnace. A typical high temperature furnace will include a hot zone that is insulated with carbon-based materials, such as lamp-black. The cooling device is a probe consisting of two elongate tubular members. The smaller diameter member fits lengthwise inside the larger member, such that an annulus is defined within the probe. A tapered metal tip at the lower end of the probe is positioned above a frangible disk, and the disk fits over a guide tube that extends into the insulation section. In operation, the probe is shoved downwardly through the frangible disk into the guide tube, to position the tip near the hot zone of the furnace. An inert gas is then passed through the inside member of the probe, and exhausted through the annulus, to dissipate the furnace heat.

Abstract: A process for refining aluminum using a segregation solidification process under a positive pressure inert gas protecting atmosphere comprising, maintaining the temperature of molten aluminum in the vessel by a plurality of electric heater sections arranged around the periphery of said vessel in vertically superposed relationship to each other, cooling a narrow peripheral portion of the inner surface of said vessel beneath the level of the molten aluminum therein by means of a peripheral cooling section arranged around the periphery of said vessel between adjacent heater sections to crystallize the molten aluminum onto said peripheral portion of the inner surface of said vessel, scraping off the refined and solidified aluminum on said peripheral portion by scraping and tamping means having a cross-sectional configuration complementary to that of the inner surface of said vessel, tamping the heaped aluminum by said scraping and tamping means, and deenergizing some of said heater sections located at positions a

Abstract: A vacuum furnace for heating dental reconstructionproducts using sintered powder metal that includes a sealed vacuum tube made of a material having a relatively low thermal shock resistance characteristic. The vacuum tube is desirably relatively short. The vacuum tube chamber has a heating chamber and end seals for the vacuum tube have a maximum use temperature of less than 200.degree. C. Insulation is positioned around and connected to the tube proximate the ends of the tube, and heating elements are placed around the heating chamber in an annular insulation chamber formed in the insulation between the insulation and the vacuum tube. Opposed annular clearances extending to positions proximately spaced from the ends of the tube and opening to the central annular insulation chamber are formed between the insulation means and the vacuum tube. The insulation prevents heat from passing to the ends of the tube and overheating the seals there.

Abstract: A process and arrangement for the continual zonal heating or cooling of perably elongate treatment members within at least one zone extending perpendicular or transverse to the longitudinal axis, which programmatically traverses the treatment member in the longitudinal direction.