Apparatus for heating or cooling a meltable material

Abstract

An apparatus for heating or cooling a meltable material in a container, comprising a heating element ( 10 ) and a holding device ( 20 ), the heating element ( 10 ) being of a tubular design, with an inflow opening ( 11 ) and an outflow opening ( 12 ) for a heat transfer medium to flow through, and being fastened to the holding device ( 20 ) movably in at least one spatial direction as the main direction of movement, wherein the apparatus also has a stirrer ( 30 ) for mixing liquid material through, which is likewise arranged movably in the main direction of movement.

1 . An apparatus for heating or cooling a meltable material in a container, comprising a heating element ( 10 ) and a holding device ( 20 ), the heating element ( 10 ) being of a tubular design, with an inflow opening ( 11 ) and an outflow opening ( 12 ) for a heat transfer medium to flow through, and being fastened to the holding device ( 20 ) movably in at least one spatial direction as the main direction of movement, wherein the apparatus also has a stirrer ( 30 ) for mixing liquid material through, which is likewise arranged movably in the main direction of movement. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding device ( 20 ) is designed in such a way that the heating element ( 10 ) and the stirrer ( 30 ) are movable in the vertical direction as the main direction of movement through an opening in the upper side of the container. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , the heating element ( 10 ) comprising a tube helix ( 15 ), which has a hollow-cylindrical contour, and the axis of the cylinder corresponding substantially to the main direction of movement. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , the axial distance between neighboring tube portions being from 20% to 400%, preferably from 50% to 200%, on the outside diameter of the tube. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , the tube helix ( 15 ) comprising two part-helixes with the same outside diameter of the hollow cylinders, the part-helixes running one into the other in the axial direction, being connected to one another at their respective one end and opening out into the inflow opening ( 11 ) or the outflow opening ( 12 ) with their respective other end. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , the tube helix ( 15 ) comprising two part-helixes with different outside diameters of the hollow cylinders, the part-helixes running one into the other in the radial direction, being connected to one another at their respective one end and opening out into the inflow opening ( 11 ) or the outflow opening ( 12 ) with their respective other end. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , the heating element ( 10 ) being dimensioned in such a way that the ratio of its length to its outside diameter is from 1 to 10, preferably from 1.5 to 8, in particular from 2 to 6, and the outside diameter of the heating element ( 10 ) being from 4 to 60 cm, preferably from 8 to 20 cm, in particular from 10 to 16 cm. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , the stirrer ( 30 ) comprising a stirrer shaft ( 31 ), on which at least one stirring element ( 32 ) is arranged, and the axis of which corresponds substantially to the main direction of movement. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , the stirrer shaft ( 31 ) being arranged inside the hollow-cylindrical tube helix ( 15 ). 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , the heating element ( 10 ) and the stirrer ( 30 ) being fastened on the holding device ( 20 ) movably in the main direction of movement independently of one another. 
     
     
         11 . A method for melting a meltable material in a container that has an opening on its upper side, by means of an apparatus according to  claim 1 , which comprises the steps of:
 placing the lower end of the heating element ( 10 ) onto the surface of the material to be melted through the opening in the container,   making the heat transfer medium flow through the heating element ( 10 ),   lowering the heating element ( 10 ) into the material as the liquefaction of the material proceeds,   mixing already molten material through by rotation of the stirrer ( 30 ).   
     
     
         12 . A method for cooling a molten material in a container that has an opening on its upper side, by means of an apparatus according to  claim 1 , which comprises the steps of:
 introducing the heating element ( 10 ) into the molten material through the opening in the container,   making a cold heat transfer medium flow through the heating element ( 10 ),   after the material has solidified, raising the temperature of the heat transfer medium briefly to melt the heating element ( 10 ) free,   withdrawing the heating element ( 10 ) from the melted-free region.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , the container being a drum, a transporting container, a railroad wagon, a container truck or a road tanker.