Upward continuous casting apparatus and upward continuous casting method

Abstract

An upward continuous casting apparatus includes a molten metal retaining furnace that retains a molten metal, a draw-out part that draws out the molten metal from a melt surface of the molten metal that is retained in the molten metal retaining furnace, a shape-defining member that is located in the vicinity of the melt surface and defines a cross-sectional shape of a casting to be cast by applying an external force to a retained molten metal that has been drawn out by the draw-out part, and a solid heat transfer member that is placed to contact a surface of the casting that is formed through the shape-defining member.

1 . An upward continuous casting apparatus, comprising:
 a retaining furnace that retains a molten metal;   a draw-out part that draws out the molten metal from a melt surface of the molten metal that is retained in the retaining furnace;   a shape-defining member that defines a cross-sectional shape of a casting to be cast by applying an external force to a retained molten metal which is a unsolidified molten metal that has been drawn out by the draw-out part, the shape-defining member being located in the vicinity of the melt surface; and   a solid heat transfer member that is placed to contact a surface of the casting that is formed by solidification of the retained molten metal.   
     
     
         2 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member is placed to contact a surface of the casting in the vicinity of an interface between the retained molten metal and the casting.   
     
     
         3 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member has a shape that corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the casting at a portion of the solid heat transfer member placed into contact with the casting.   
     
     
         4 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member has a curved surface shape at a portion of the solid heat transfer member placed into contact with the casting.   
     
     
         5 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member has the shape of a circular column that is rotatable in a direction in which the casting is pulled up.   
     
     
         6 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 further comprising a cooling part through which cooling water is circulated in the solid heat transfer member,   wherein the cooling part has a bucket that scoops up the cooling water as the solid heat transfer member rotates.   
     
     
         7 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a cooling part through which a cooling medium is circulated in the solid heat transfer member.   
     
     
         8 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a cooling nozzle that blows a cooling medium onto an upper surface of the solid heat transfer member.   
     
     
         9 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a supporting member that biases the solid heat transfer member into contact with a surface of the casting.   
     
     
         10 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the supporting member is a spring.   
     
     
         11 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member has a metal wool at a portion of the solid heat transfer member placed into contact with the casting.   
     
     
         12 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member is made of copper or a copper alloy.   
     
     
         13 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising an actuator that moves the solid heat transfer member in response to a movement of the shape-defining member.   
     
     
         14 . The upward continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, when a starter is pulled up from the melt surface, the molten metal is pulled up from the melt surface following the starter by a surface film or surface tension thereof to form a retained molten metal,   a shape is imparted to the retained molten metal by the shape-defining member, and   the retained molten metal is solidified from top to bottom to form a casting.   
     
     
         15 . An upward continuous casting method, comprising:
 placing a shape-defining member that defines a cross-sectional shape of a casting to be cast in the vicinity of a melt surface of a molten metal that is retained in a retaining furnace;   pulling up the molten metal through the shape-defining member; and   cooling the casting by placing a solid heat transfer member into contact with a surface of the casting that is formed by solidification of the molten metal that has been passed through the shape-defining member:   
     
     
         16 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member is placed into contact with a surface of the casting in the vicinity of a interface between a retained molten metal which is a unsolidified molten metal that has been pulled up and the casting.   
     
     
         17 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member has a shape that corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the casting at a portion of the solid heat transfer member placed into contact with the casting.   
     
     
         18 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member has a curved surface shape at a portion of the solid heat transfer member placed into contact with the casting.   
     
     
         19 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member has the shape of a circular column that is rotatable in a direction in which the casting is pulled up.   
     
     
         20 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein a cooling part through which cooling water is circulated is further provided in the solid heat transfer member, and   a bucket that scoops up the cooling water as the solid heat transfer member rotates is provided in the cooling part.   
     
     
         21 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein a cooling part through which a cooling medium is circulated is further provided in the solid heat transfer member.   
     
     
         22 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein a cooling nozzle that blows a cooling medium onto an upper surface of the solid heat transfer member is further provided.   
     
     
         23 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein a supporting member that biases the solid heat transfer member into contact with a surface of the casting is further provided.   
     
     
         24 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 23 , wherein the supporting member is a spring. 
     
     
         25 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein a metal wool is further provided at a portion of the solid heat transfer member placed into contact with the casting.   
     
     
         26 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member is made of copper or a copper alloy.   
     
     
         27 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the solid heat transfer member is moved in response to a movement of the shape-defining member.   
     
     
         28 . The upward continuous casting method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein, when a starter is pulled up from the melt surface, the molten metal is pulled up from the melt surface following the starter by a surface film or surface tension thereof to form a retained molten metal,   a shape is imparted to the retained molten metal by the shape-defining member, and   the retained molten metal is solidified from top to bottom to form a casting.