Automatic dam positioning systems and methods for controlling molten metal distribution to continuous casters

Abstract

A metal feeding system includes an injector for distributing a molten metal into a movable mold, a supply container upstream from the injector and defining a receiving area for receiving the molten metal, and a dam system. The dam system includes a dam positionable within the receiving area and a controller that may vertically position the at least one dam for controlling a flow of molten metal from the receiving area to the injector. A method of controlling a molten metal distribution to a continuous casting device includes at least partially blocking a flow of a molten metal from a receiving area to an injector using at least one dam in the receiving area. The method may include detecting a temperature of the molten metal downstream from the at least one dam and controlling a vertical position of the at least one dam based on the detected temperature.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A metal feeding system comprising:
 an injector for distributing a molten metal into a movable mold;   a supply container upstream from the injector and defining a receiving area configured to receive the molten metal; and   a dam system comprising:
 at least one dam positionable within the receiving area; and 
 a controller operably coupled to the at least one dam, the controller configured to vertically position the at least one dam within the receiving area for controlling a flow of molten metal from the receiving area to the injector. 
   
     
     
         2 . The metal feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is mechanically coupled to the at least one dam. 
     
     
         3 . The metal feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein the dam system further comprises a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the molten metal downstream from the at least one dam, wherein the temperature sensor is communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to control a vertical position of the at least one dam based on the temperature of the molten metal detected by the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The metal feeding system of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to predict a temperature profile of a cast metal product based on a detected flatness profile of the cast metal product, compare the predicted temperature profile to a predetermined temperature profile, and control the vertical position of the at least one dam based on a difference between the predicted temperature profile and the predetermined temperature profile. 
     
     
         5 . The metal feeding system of  claim 3 , wherein the temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the molten metal upstream from a tip of the injector. 
     
     
         6 . The metal feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one dam comprises a plurality of dams provided along at least a portion of a width of the receiving area and in a direction transverse to a flow direction of the molten metal from the receiving area to the injector, wherein the controller is operably coupled to each dam of the plurality of dams and is configured to independently control a vertical position of each dam of the plurality of dams. 
     
     
         7 . The metal feeding system of  claim 6 , wherein the dam system further comprises a plurality of temperature sensors, wherein each temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors is communicatively coupled to the controller and is configured to detect a temperature of the molten metal downstream from a corresponding dam of the plurality of dams, and wherein the controller is configured to independently control the vertical position of each dam of the plurality of dams based on the detected temperature of the molten metal from the corresponding temperature sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The metal feeding system of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of dams comprises at least five dams. 
     
     
         9 . A twin roll casting system comprising the metal feeding system of  claim 1  and a twin roll caster. 
     
     
         10 . The twin roll casting system of  claim 9 , further comprising a flatness sensor downstream from the twin roll caster configured to detect a flatness profile of a cast metal product downstream from the twin roll caster, wherein the flatness sensor is communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to control a vertical position of the at least one dam at least partially based on the detected flatness profile. 
     
     
         11 . A dam system for a metal feeding system, the dam system comprising:
 a plurality of dams; and   a controller operably coupled to each dam of the plurality of dams, wherein the controller is configured to control a vertical position of each dam of the plurality of dams independently from the other dams of the plurality of dams.   
     
     
         12 . The dam system of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors, wherein each temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors is configured to detect a temperature of a molten metal downstream from a corresponding dam. 
     
     
         13 . The dam system of  claim 12 , wherein each temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors is communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to control each dam of the plurality of dams based on the detected temperature of the molten metal from the corresponding temperature sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The dam system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is mechanically coupled to each dam of the plurality of dams. 
     
     
         15 . The dam system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the vertical position of each dam of the plurality of dams for controlling a temperature profile of a molten metal. 
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling a molten metal distribution to a continuous casting device, the method comprising:
 at least partially blocking a flow of a molten metal from a receiving area to an injector using at least one dam in the receiving area;   detecting a temperature of the molten metal downstream from the at least one dam; and   controlling a vertical position of the at least one dam based on the detected temperature.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one dam comprises a plurality of dams, and wherein detecting the temperature of the molten metal comprises detecting the temperature of the molten metal downstream from each dam of the plurality of dams. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein controlling the vertical position of the at least one dam comprises independently controlling the vertical position of each dam of the plurality of dams based on the detected temperature corresponding to the particular dam of the plurality of dams. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one dam comprises a plurality of dams, and wherein controlling the vertical position of the at least one dam comprises controlling the vertical position of each dam of the plurality of dams. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising predicting a temperature profile of a cast metal product based on a detected flatness profile of the cast metal product, comparing the predicted temperature profile to a predetermined temperature profile, and controlling the vertical position of the at least one dam based on a difference between the predicted temperature profile and the predetermined temperature profile.