Active temperature feedback control of continuous casting

• Main Authors: LENERTZ, STEVEN, SIDERS, RANDALL DUANE, MYHRE, DOUGLAS, SHELDON, WILLIAM, GRIFFITH, TIMOTHY, PERCIVAL, DAVID, R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 31.10.2007
• Subjects: CASTING; CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES; COLORIMETRY; CONTROLLING; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; POWDER METALLURGY; RADIATION PYROMETRY; REGULATING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRANSPORTING

The invention includes a system, method and machine readable program for dynamically controlling the casting of a material. Generally, the systems and methods described herein include an active control feedback system or aspects thereof including a temperature sensing device that is well-suited for the harsh environment of the interior of a caster such as a caster for casting metal. Temperature measurement can be accomplished either directly or indirectly. The system is configured to compare the measured temperature with an ideal casting temperature. The temperature sensing device is operably coupled to a cooling device that modulates a flow of coolant to dynamically cool the material being cast. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the cooling device includes a plurality of nozzles for delivering one or more cooling fluids to the material being cast.