Abstract: Disclosed herein are a graphite crucible for electromagnetic induction-based silicon melting and an apparatus for silicon melting/refining using the same, which performs a melting operation by a combination of indirect melting and direct melting. The crucible is formed of a graphite material and includes a cylindrical body having an open upper part through which a silicon raw material is charged into the crucible, and an outer wall surrounded by an induction coil, wherein a plurality of slits are vertically formed through the outer wall and an inner wall of the crucible such that an electromagnetic force created by an electric current flowing in the induction coil acts toward an inner center of the crucible to prevent a silicon melt from contacting the inner wall of the crucible.

Abstract: A combustion tube mounting system releasably mounts a combustion tube to an aperture in the floor of a furnace housing. The combustion tube has a base assembly with a cam and can be manually or automatically unlocked by cam pins in the floor for selectively engaging the cam for lowering the combustion tube from the floor of the furnace. When a new combustion tube is placed on the lower seal assembly and raised, it automatically aligns and engages the upper furnace seal and engages cams on the floor of the furnace housing which lock the combustion tube in place as it is introduced into the furnace.

Abstract: A combustion tube mounting system releasably mounts a combustion tube to an aperture in the floor of a furnace housing. The combustion tube has a base assembly with a cam and can be manually or automatically unlocked by cam pins in the floor for selectively engaging the cam for lowering the combustion tube from the floor of the furnace. When a new combustion tube is placed on the lower seal assembly and raised, it automatically aligns and engages the upper furnace seal and engages cams on the floor of the furnace housing which lock the combustion tube in place as it is introduced into the furnace.

Abstract: A combustion tube mounting system releasably mounts a combustion tube to an aperture in the floor of a furnace housing. The combustion tube has a base assembly with a cam and can be manually or automatically unlocked by cam pins in the floor for selectively engaging the cam for lowering the combustion tube from the floor of the furnace. When a new combustion tube is placed on the lower seal assembly and raised, it automatically aligns and engages the upper furnace seal and engages cams on the floor of the furnace housing which lock the combustion tube in place as it is introduced into the furnace.

Abstract: A melting furnace including a sealed container containing an inert gas atmosphere, a crucible that is located inside the sealed container and melts a raw material by induction heating, and a crucible cooling mechanism. The crucible cooling mechanism includes a pipe portion that includes an intake that communicates with the sealed container and enables the inert gas to be discharged from the sealed container, and an outlet that enables the inert gas to be introduced into the sealed container, a heat exchange portion that is located partway along the pipe portion, and a gas transporting portion that is located partway along the pipe portion.

Abstract: The invention described herein pertains generally to a more efficient and cost-effective method and apparatus for: (1) coupling of microwave energy from a microwave generator or plurality of microwave generators into an integral set of applicators; (2) extraction and separation of organic compounds from a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds; and (3) recovery and conversion of the organic compounds to gaseous and liquid fuels. The apparatus described in this invention result in improved microwave absorption within the mixture flowing through the applicators by increasing residence time within the applicators, resulting in a higher temperature within the material. The higher temperature lowers the viscosity of the solution, but also provides a limited reduction of the combination of complex chain and aromatic organic compounds to allow recovery of syngas and fuel oil.

Abstract: This invention aims at providing a silicon electromagnetic casting apparatus for accurate and easy manufacturing of high quality silicon ingots. This apparatus uses a furnace vessel 100, a conductive crucible 200 installed in the internal part of the furnace vessel 100 and an induction coil 300 installed on the outer circumference of the crucible 200. Constant pressure is maintained in the internal part of the furnace vessel 100 using a prescribed gas and the silicon inside the above mentioned crucible 200 is solidified after melting it by induction heating by applying voltage on the induction coil 300. The induction coil 300 is made by placing 2 induction coils 310 and 320 having different induction frequencies one above the other.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon ingot for solar batteries having a door control device using a hinge. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a crucible, a susceptor which surrounds the crucible, a heater which heats the crucible, and an insulation plate which is disposed below the susceptor and has an opening therein. The apparatus further includes a cooling plate which moves upwards through the opening of the insulation plate and comes into close contact with or approaches the lower end of the susceptor, a cooling plate moving unit which actuates the cooling plate, a temperature sensor which measures the temperature of the crucible, and a control unit which controls the temperature in the crucible and the cooling plate moving unit. Furthermore, a door is provided on the insulation plate to open or close the opening of the insulation plate. The hinge is provided between the door and the insulation plate.

Abstract: An electric induction gas-sealed tunnel furnace and process are provided. The exterior of the furnace's enclosure that forms a closed tunnel region is surrounded at least along its longitudinal length by a gas-tight barrier chamber that can be filled with a barrier gas to a different pressure than the pressure of the process gas in the closed tunnel region of the furnace. The inductors used to induction heat strips or plates in the closed tunnel region can be positioned within or outside of the gas-tight barrier chamber around the longitudinal length of the closed tunnel region.

Abstract: An induction furnace capable of drawing large diameter preforms of up to 130 mm is described. The induction furnace has top and bottom chimneys surrounding the entire preform during operation of the furnace with an inert conditioning gas which is introduced into the top chimney and flows downward through the furnace body and bottom chimney without significant turbulence. A distributor ring inside the top chimney redirects flow from a circumferential direction to a downward direction. The top chimney also includes a resilient seal to releasably hold the top of the preform. The bottom chimney has a smoothly decreasing cross-sectional area preventing turbulence at the furnace exit. The furnace insulation is preferably a rigid self-supporting graphite cylinder. A method of drawing large diameter preforms either to an optical fiber or to a preform of smaller diameter using such a furnace is also described.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon ingot for solar batteries having a door control device using a hinge. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a crucible, a susceptor which surrounds the crucible, a heater which heats the crucible, and an insulation plate which is disposed below the susceptor and has an opening therein. The apparatus further includes a cooling plate which moves upwards through the opening of the insulation plate and comes into close contact with or approaches the lower end of the susceptor, a cooling plate moving unit which actuates the cooling plate, a temperature sensor which measures the temperature of the crucible, and a control unit which controls the temperature in the crucible and the cooling plate moving unit. Furthermore, a door is provided on the insulation plate to open or close the opening of the insulation plate. The hinge is provided between the door and the insulation plate.

Abstract: In order to provide a magnetic rotation transmitting device capable of obtaining a large transmitting torque without using a large-sized permanent magnet, in an axial-type magnetic rotation transmitting device, which includes a driving rotation body having one or plural magnetic line(s) in which plural first magnets (10A) are disposed in a circumferential direction on a first disk (11A) at almost equal intervals, a drive source rotationally driving a drive shaft of the driving rotation body, and a driven rotation body having one or plural magnet line(s) in which second magnets (20A) of the same number as the first magnets (10A) are disposed in the circumferential direction on a second disk (21A) at almost equal intervals, symmetrically disposed to, and magnetically coupled with the driving rotation body with a magnetic coupling gap and, which utilizes a magnetic operation and which allows the driven rotation body to rotate by rotationally driving the drive shaft by means of the drive source, the first magnet

Abstract: An induction furnace capable of operation at temperatures of over 3100° C. has a cooling assembly (60), which is selectively mounted to an upper end of the furnace wall (76). The cooling assembly includes a dome (62), which is actively cooled by cooling water coils (68). During the cool-down portion of a furnace run, cooling initially proceeds naturally, by conduction of heat away from the hot zone through a furnace insulation layer (58). Once the temperature within the furnace hot zone (20) reaches about 1500° C., a lifting mechanism (80), mounted to the dome, raises a cap (16) of the furnace slightly, allowing hot gases from the hot zone to mix with cooler gas in the dome. This speeds up cooling of the hot zone, reducing cool-down times significantly, without the need for encumbering the furnace itself with valves or other complex cooling mechanisms which have to be replaced periodically.

Abstract: A method of operating an induction furnace so as to receive electric arc furnace (EAF) dust, basic oxygen furnace (BOF) sludge/dust and/or other iron and volatile metals containing materials as a feed stream on a batch, continuous or semi-continuous basis together with a iron-containing material feed, and therefrom produce an iron-containing hot metal or pig iron product while recovering iron value from the feed materials and recovering volatile metal components contained in the feed materials.

Abstract: An induction melting furnace comprises a melt chamber for heating a melt either directly by magnetic induction, or indirectly by magnetic induction heating of the melt chamber, or a combination of the two, and a meter chamber connected to the melt chamber for providing a metered discharge of the melt from the furnace. A gas can be injected into the furnace to provide a blanket over the surface of the melt in the melt chamber and a pressurized flush of the metered discharge of the melt from the meter chamber.

Abstract: A method for solidification-controllable induction melting of alloy with cold copper crucible employs the vacuum induction furnace with cold crucible to melt metals, particularly active metals, to obtain alloy ingots having directionally solidified structure at the same time. By using the cold crucible also as a solidification mold in the melting of metal materials, controlling working parameters of the induction furnace, and changing the copper crucible design, it is possible to control the solidified structure of the melted alloy and obtain high quality ingots having impurity-free and directionally arranged or fine-crystalline structure. The problem of low metal melting efficiency in the conventional vacuum induction furnace with cold crucible due to loss of a large amount of heat carried away by cooling water for cooling the crucible can therefore be overcome.

Abstract: A method for solidification-controllable induction melting of alloy with cold copper crucible employs the vacuum induction furnace with cold crucible to melt metals, particularly active metals, to obtain alloy ingots having directionally solidified structure at the same time. By using the cold crucible also as a solidification mold in the melting of metal materials, controlling working parameters of the induction furnace, and changing the copper crucible design, it is possible to control the solidified structure of the melted alloy and obtain high quality ingots having impurity-free and directionally arranged or fine-crystalline structure. The problem of low metal melting efficiency in the conventional vacuum induction furnace with cold crucible due to loss of a large amount of heat carried away by cooling water for cooling the crucible can therefore be overcome.

Abstract: A method of operating an induction furnace so as to receive electric arc furnace (EAF) dust, basic oxygen furnace (BOF) sludge/dust and/or other iron and volatile metals containing materials as a feed stream on a batch, continuous or semi-continuous basis together with a iron-containing material feed, and therefrom produce an iron-containing hot metal or pig iron product while recovering iron value from the feed materials and recovering volatile metal components contained in the feed materials.

Abstract: An induction furnace capable of operation at temperatures of over 3100° C. has a cooling assembly (60), which is selectively mounted to an upper end of the furnace wall (76). The cooling assembly includes a dome and a lifting mechanism (80), mounted to the dome, which raises a cap (16) of the furnace slightly, allowing hot gases from the hot zone to mix with cooler gas in the dome.

Abstract: An induction furnace capable of operation at temperatures of over 3100° C. has a cooling assembly (60), which is selectively mounted to an upper end of the furnace wall (76). The cooling assembly includes a dome (62), which is actively cooled by cooling water coils (68). During the cool-down portion of a furnace run, cooling initially proceeds naturally, by conduction of heat away from the hot zone through a furnace insulation layer (58). Once the temperature within the furnace hot zone (20) reaches about 1500° C., a lifting mechanism (80), mounted to the dome, raises a cap (16) of the furnace slightly, allowing hot gases from the hot zone to mix with cooler gas in the dome. This speeds up cooling of the hot zone, reducing cool-down times significantly, without the need for encumbering the furnace itself with valves or other complex cooling mechanisms which have to be replaced periodically.

Abstract: An induction melting furnace comprises a melt chamber for heating a melt either directly by magnetic induction, or indirectly by magnetic induction heating of the melt chamber, or a combination of the two, and a meter chamber connected to the melt chamber for providing a metered discharge of the melt from the furnace. A gas can be injected into the furnace to provide a blanket over the surface of the melt in the melt chamber and a pressurized flush of the metered discharge of the melt from the meter chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for quenching a metallic material such as steel is provided. The apparatus includes a heating furnace, a liquid metal sodium chamber, a gas cooling chamber, and a liquid metal sodium removal chamber. The heating furnace heats the metallic material to more than 700° C. The liquid metal sodium chamber includes liquid metal sodium, and the metallic material is cooled approximately to between 100° C. and 250° C. The inert gas chamber includes inert gas such as nitrogen or argon, and the metallic material is cooled approximately to room temperature. In the liquid metal sodium removal chamber, the liquid metal sodium remaining on the metallic materials is removed by using vapor, mist, and water.

Abstract: An energy efficient, coal-based method and apparatus that are environmentally friendly which produce under pressure metallized/carbon product and molten metal directly from abundant coal or other carbonaceous material, and low cost fines (or ore concentrate) wherein the metal is devoid of gangue material and possesses the inherent advantage of retaining the heat for subsequent processing. This method and apparatus which are modular and highly integrated significantly reduce capital and operating costs; they also provide the capability selective placement of the reductant for the delivery of high levels of thermal energy input which leads to ease of desulflurization and high productivity. The technology herein disclosed is entirely closed and is applicable to various ores including ferrous and non-ferrous.

Abstract: An apparatus for quenching a metallic material such as steel is provided. The apparatus includes a heating furnace, a liquid metal sodium chamber, a gas cooling chamber, and a liquid metal sodium removal chamber. The heating furnace heats the metallic material to more than 700° C. The liquid metal sodium chamber includes liquid metal sodium, and the metallic material is cooled approximately to between 100° C. and 250° C. The inert gas chamber includes inert gas such as nitrogen or argon, and the metallic material is cooled approximately to room temperature. In the liquid metal sodium removal chamber, the liquid metal sodium remaining on the metallic materials is removed by using vapor, mist, and water.

Abstract: A sealed evacuatable crucible (1) for inductive melting of metals or other electrically conductive materials, including a plurality of palisades (2,2', . . . ) which are arranged parallel to one another, and for enclosing the melt and forming the crucible wall, and having a crucible base part (3) which carries the palisades (2,2', . . . ), and having an induction coil (18) which is wound around the palisades (2,2', . . .

Abstract: A method of refining metal to be processed to a high degree of purity by heat-melting the metal in a melting furnace in the form of a metal crucible placed in a vacuum vessel. The method includes evacuating prior to melting, preheating the inside of the entire vacuum atmosphere including the inner wall surface of the vacuum vessel, component parts inside the vessel and the like in order to keep the total pressure within the vessel at 1.times.10.sup.-8 Torr or lower, and effecting high frequency induction heating while controlling the partial pressure of each of O.sub.2, H.sub.2, CO in the atmosphere inside the vessel. Further, the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and an induction heating coil attached to the crucible, each of which has double jacket structure, are heated or cooled by supplying circulating heating or cooling water in a water-passage space of each of the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and the induction heating coil, so that the inside of the melting furnace is baked.

Abstract: The present invention prevents a lowering of the baking quality of a baked product due to a variation in the temperature distribution in a baking furnace due to the inflow of air into the baking furnace. A baking furnace has an inlet disposed in a clean room and an outlet disposed in a normal pressure room lower in pressure than the clean room. The baking furnace is provided with a differential pressure gauge, a controller, an inverter, and an exhaust fan installed in a return duct, the arrangement being such that the difference in pressure between the clean room and the normal pressure room is detected by the differential pressure gauge and the operation of the exhaust fan is controlled by the controller according to the detected differential pressure, so that the air flowed in through the inlet is discharged through the return duct. Thus, the air is prevented from flowing into the baking furnace.

Abstract: A method of refining metal to be processed to a high degree of purity by heat-melting the metal in a melting furnace in the form of a metal crucible placed in a vacuum vessel. The method includes evacuating prior to melting, preheating the inside of the entire vacuum atmosphere including the inner wall surface of the vacuum vessel, component parts inside the vessel and the like in order to keep the total pressure within the vessel at 1.times.10.sup.-8 Torr or lower, and effecting high frequency induction heating while controlling the partial pressure of each of O.sub.2, H.sub.2, CO in the atmosphere inside the vessel. Further, the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and an induction heating coil attached to the crucible, each of which has double jacket structure, are heated or cooled by supplying circulating heating or cooling water in a water-passage space of each of the vacuum vessel, the metal crucible and the induction heating coil, so that the inside of the melting furnace is baked.

Abstract: A heating module for use in steel processing is provided. The module includes one or more gas heating zones and one or more induction heating coils intermixed among the gas heating zones. The modules are used to heat steel slabs to a consistent temperature throughout. Generally, the induction coils are used to increase the temperature of the slab, while the gas heating zones function to hold the slab at the increases temperature and to allow the heat to soak into the interior of the slab. The gas heating zones are generally lined with refractory material and include sufficient rollers to carry the steel slabs through the heating modules. The rollers are positioned in such a manner that the majority of the surface area of the roller is not within the interior of the gas heating zone at any one time. At least a segment of the floor of the gas heating zone is pivotable such that debris can be easily removed from the heating zone and such that the interior of the heating zone is easily accessed.

Abstract: An annular exhaust gas passage 2 and an airtight retention member 3 for keeping the inside of a crucible induction furnace 1 airtight are installed on the top of the furnace 1, and an exhaust system under atmospheric pressure is connected to a valve 4 via an air duct that penetrates the airtight retention member 3. In addition, a sealing cover 7 that has a valve 8, which can be opened and closed, is used to keep the inside of the furnace airtight, while a system under reduced pressure is connected to the valve 8. These two systems constitute the entire exhaust system.

Abstract: In a method of disposing of organic and inorganic substances, the substances are gasified and decomposed in and/or above a liquid bath of a metal alloy under negative pressure, off-gases forming are seized, collected and purified and separated.To prevent the formation of health-endangering emissions, such as dioxins and furans, and to recover pure starting materials for the production of organic substances, the substances are charged under negative pressure into an induction furnace containing a melt (18) of an iron alloy, in particular a steel melt, and are decomposed in the latter at liquid steel temperature, whereby the entry of gaseous O.sub.2 is avoided.This is also the case at the production of steel from scrap interspersed with organic substances.

Abstract: A furnace chamber contains a chassis to which a closure plate for said chamber is removably fixed. A tilting frame is borne by said chassis in a pair of coaxial tilting bearings, one of which incorporates a rotary lead through for power lines and cooling lines to an induction coil surrounding a crucible on the tilting frame. The chassis includes a pair of rails which are movable horizontally on wheels mounted to the floor of the furnace chamber.

Abstract: In a fast-melting induction furnace, an elevationally movable pressing cover 4 suppresses the swell of molten metal 3 inside a crucible 2 on which a coil 1 is wound. The pressing cover 4 has a lower surface which is made concave. An upper half part of the motion of the molten metal 3 caused by electromagnetic force is made in conformity with the concave shape of the lower surface 5, so that the dangerous blowout of molten metal through a gap 8 is effectively prevented. Accordingly, the fast melting by the supply of high electric power can be performed. The lower surface 5 may be shaped as a cylindrical surface, a paraboloidal surface of revolution, a partial spherical surface, or the like, or may be shaped like a runner bucket of a Pelton turbine which has a slightly projecting center portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to an induction melting furnace 1 for metals which are difficult to melt including an induction coil 2 surrounding the crucible 3 and a mold receptacle 4 surrounded by an annular chamber 5 to hold the cooling agent. The crucible 3 is disposed in a housing 7 provided with a vacuum connection 6. In order to improve the microporous nature, the melt contained in the mold receptacle 4 is compressed by means of a pressure which is build up in the mold receptacle 4 prior to the cooling.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inductively melting a quantity of metal, without having to contain the metal in a crucible, is described. The solid metal to be melted is placed within a first induction coil excited by an alternating current and adapted to provide a greater electromagnetic force towards the lower portion of the quantity of metal. The solid metal rests on a support, having an opening therethrough, which also comprises means for keeping the support at a low temperature relative to the metal as it melts. When energy in the form of the alternating current is provided to the coil, the metal melts from the top downward, but the concentration of electro-magnetic force towards the bottom of the metal causes the liquid metal to retain a cylindrical shape. A non-varying electromagentic field is applied to the quantity of metal to minimize violent stirring of the molten portion of the quantity of metal caused by the time-varying field.

Abstract: A method of continuously melting a material comprises the steps of depositing carbon in a crucible furnace provided with a melt outlet and an inlet in an upper portion thereof, heating the carbon by electromagnetic induction heating by an electromagnetic coil provided around the outer periphery of the furnace, continuously supplying the material to be melted onto the heated carbon through the inlet and melting the material to be melted by electromagnetic induction heating so as to cause a melt to continuously flow out of the furnace through the melt outlet. The temperature of the melt flowing out of the furnace is adjusted by controlling the ratio between the quantities of heat supplied by the electromagnetic induction heating to the carbon and to the material to be melted.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the regeneration of active carbon comprising particularly:a hopper for introducing the active carbon;a reactor (7) delimited by an elongated shaped sheath;a continuous Archimedes screw (10) situated inside the reactor to transport the active carbon to be regenerated;structure for heating by resistances (8), arranged inside the sheath of the reactor;structure situated above the unload end of the reactor (19) and in communication with the reactor, particularly for removing the gases;a coffer into which the Arichmedes screw unloads;structure for communication with the reactor and situated on the one hand close to the input of the reactor and on the other hand along the reactor to regulate the pressure inside the reactor and to inject steam.This apparatus for regenerating active carbon enables the powder active carbon to be regenerated efficiently.