Thermal management system for a continuous casting molten metal mold

Abstract

A thermal management system for use in continuous casting mold for controlling and managing the thermal characteristics of the mold above the direct chill zone, more particularly controlling the thermal characteristics in the corner portions of the castpart compared to other portions of the castpart.

1 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system to thermally manage the pre-chill portion of a mold cavity inner wall, comprising
 a continuous casting mold configured to produce a castpart, the mold comprising:   a mold framework with a mold cavity disposed to receive molten metal, the mold cavity including a molten metal entry and a castpart exit;   an inner wall within the mold framework, the inner wall generally defining the perimeter of the mold cavity, the inner wall including a direct chill portion and a pre-chill portion upstream from the direct chill portion; and   wherein one or more identified perimeter corner sections in the pre-chill portion of the inner wall are configured to reduce heat transfer as compared to other portions of the inner wall around the inner wall perimeter.   
     
     
         2 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and further wherein the one or more identified perimeter sections provide dissimilar heat transfer characteristics correlated to perimeter sections on the castpart. 
     
     
         3 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and further wherein the dissimilar heat transfer characteristics include providing less lubricant to the one or more identified perimeter sections. 
     
     
         4 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and further wherein the dissimilar heat transfer characteristics include providing supplemental heat to the one or more identified perimeter sections. 
     
     
         5 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and further wherein the one or more identified perimeter sections in the pre-chill portion of the inner wall are identified for dissimilar heat transfer characteristics to provide a more uniform temperature around the castpart perimeter. 
     
     
         6 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and further wherein the one or more identified perimeter sections include a series of grooves in the corner portions of the perimeter of the inner wall. 
     
     
         7 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and further wherein less lubricant is provided to the one or more identified perimeter sections which are corner portions of the inner wall. 
     
     
         8 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and wherein the one or more identified perimeter sections in the pre-chill portion of the inner wall are configured to provide dissimilar heat transfer characteristics than other portions of the inner wall around the inner wall perimeter to provide a lower temperature differential between the pre-chill portion and the direct chill portion of the inner wall in the one or more identified perimeter sections. 
     
     
         9 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more identified perimeter sections in the pre-chill portion of the inner wall are configured to provide dissimilar heat transfer characteristics than other portions of the inner wall around the inner wall perimeter to provide a lower temperature differential between the pre-chill portion and the direct chill portion of the castpart in the one or more identified perimeter sections. 
     
     
         10 . A continuous casting mold thermal management system as recited in  claim 1 , and wherein a first lubricant supply is operably connected to the one or more identified perimeter corner sections and a second lubricant supply is operably connected to other portions of the inner wall; and
 further wherein the first lubricant supply provides one of a dissimilar lubricant or an increased lubricant flow to the one or more identified perimeter corner sections compared to that supplied by the second lubricant supply to the other portions of the inner wall.