U.S. patent application number 09/875761 was filed with the patent office on 2002-02-21 for gas hardening cell.
Invention is credited to Massot, Jean, Pelissier, Laurent.
Application Number | 20020020948 09/875761 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8851458 |
Filed Date | 2002-02-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020020948 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Massot, Jean ; et
al. |
February 21, 2002 |
Gas hardening cell
Abstract
A cell for hardening steel parts by circulation of a gas in a
tight enclosure, including at least one static aspirator for
circulating the gas, the gas present at the inlet of the static
aspirator being at a pressure greater than the atmospheric
pressure.
Inventors: |
Massot, Jean; (Seyssins,
FR) ; Pelissier, Laurent; (Saint Jean De Morirans,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Arthur L. Plevy, Esq.
Duane, Morris & Heckscher LLP
100 College Road West, Suite 100
Princeton
NJ
08540
US
|
Family ID: |
8851458 |
Appl. No.: |
09/875761 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
266/81 ;
266/249 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C21D 1/613 20130101;
C21D 1/767 20130101; C21D 1/62 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
266/81 ;
266/249 |
International
Class: |
C21B 007/24; C21D
011/00; C21D 001/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 20, 2000 |
FR |
00/07875 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cell (20) for hardening steel parts by circulation of a gas in
a tight enclosure (23), including at least one static aspirator
(26) for circulating the gas, the gas present at the inlet of the
static aspirator (26) being at a pressure greater than the
atmospheric pressure.
2. The hardening cell of claim 1, wherein the gas fluid circulation
in the enclosure (23) occurs in closed circuit except for a
secondary air flow injected as an inductor fluid in the static
aspirator (26).
3. The hardening cell of claim 2, wherein the closed circuit
circulation of the gas passes through cooling thermal exchange
means (9).
4. The hardening cell of claim 2, including means (51, 57, 58) for
recycling the secondary inductor gas flow.
5. The hardening cell of claim 2, wherein the inductor fluid is
injected into the static aspirators (26) with a pressure ranging
between 20 and 80 bars.
6. The hardening cell of claim 1, including: an air-tight enclosure
(23); a cooling chamber (24) within said enclosure, intended for
receiving a load (2) of steel parts to be cooled down; a thermal
exchange means (9) on the path of the flowing of a cooling gas
between an external wall of the cooling chamber and an internal
wall of the tight enclosure; a plurality of gas static aspirators
(26) in an upper wall of the processing chamber, the latter being
opened in an opposite wall to evacuate the processing gas; and
inductor gas ducts (27') under a pressure greater than the pressure
of the gas contained in the enclosure.
7. The hardening cell of claim 6, wherein the cell is associated
with a compressor (27, 57) for injecting the inductor fluid into
the static aspirators (26).
8. The hardening cell of claim 1, wherein the gas is chosen from
among nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, and air.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the processing of steel
parts, and more specifically to the hardening of parts having
undergone thermal processings, especially of cementation, that is,
of introduction of carbon in the surface of the parts to improve
their hardness.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0004] A cementation processing consists of submitting the parts to
be processed, in an airtight chamber, to an alternation of steps of
enrichment in the presence of a cementation gas and of steps of
diffusion under vacuum or under a neutral atmosphere. The
respective durations of the enrichment and diffusion steps as well
as their number especially depend on the desired carbon
concentration and case depth in the parts, and such processings are
well known in the art. An example of a low-pressure cementation
process is described in French patent application N.sup.o 2,678,287
of the applicant.
[0005] Any cementation processing is followed by at least one
hardening step performed either in oil, or in a gas. A main purpose
of the hardening is to obtain a fast cooling down of the cemented
parts without altering the obtained surface state. A gas hardening
is often preferred since it enables directly obtaining clean
cemented parts.
[0006] The present invention also relates to the carbonitriding,
the only difference with respect to the cementation lying in the
enrichment gas used, to which ammonia is generally added. The known
result thereof is the forming of nitride (instead of carbide for
the cementation) at the part surface. It should thus be noted that
all that will be discussed hereafter in relation with cementation
also applies to carbonitriding.
[0007] The hardening processing that follows the cementation or the
carbonitriding must respect several constraints, among which a fast
cooling of the part to avoid damaging its surface. To increase the
hardening rate with a given gas, the gas mass flow must be
increased, that is, the speed and/or the static pressure of the
hardening gas must be increased.
[0008] Hardening and cementation processings are generally
performed in thermal processing installations by batches in which
loads or batches of parts to be processed are significant (often
several hundreds of kilograms).
[0009] FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-section view showing a
conventional example of a thermal processing cell 1 of a
cementation installation of the type to which the present invention
applies. Cell 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a dual cell that can be
used to heat up a batch 2 of parts to be processed in a cementation
processing and to submit this batch to a hardening, that is, a fast
cooling down. Cell 1 essentially includes a tight external
enclosure 3 (most often tubular for improving the mechanical
resistance to pressure differences between the outside and the
inside of the enclosure) in which a thermal processing chamber 4 is
defined by appropriate walls, and which generally rests on the
ground via a base 10. Heating elements 5 (for example, electric
resistive bars) are distributed inside the processing chamber in
which load 2 is placed. Enclosure 3 is also equipped with a cooling
turbine 6 that can be driven by an engine 7 to stir air or gas
within enclosure 3 during the hardening step. To enable circulation
of air, chamber 4 is equipped, for example in its upper and lower
walls, of mobile thermal flaps 8, which are intended to be closed
during thermal cementation processings and to be opened during
hardening processings. Turbine 6 sends the air generally outside of
chamber 4 to have it cross a heat exchanger 9 interposed between
the external walls of chamber 4 and the internal walls of enclosure
3. The hardening gas comes into processing chamber 4 through the
bottom of the enclosure and comes out of it at the level of turbine
6 placed at its top, as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 1. This
is of course an example of arrangement and other structures are
also known; in particular, the gas circulation may be inverted. To
simplify, the gas inlets/outlets in enclosure 3 have not been
shown.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-section view showing another
known example of a hardening cell 1' which is here dedicated, that
is, which is only used for the hardening of cemented parts. Such a
cell 1' is, for example, provided in an on-line installation for
receiving batches 2 of parts to be processed having undergone, in
neighboring cells, thermal cementation or carbonitridation
processings. Cell 1' essentially includes, like the
previously-described cell 1, a tight enclosure 3 in which load 2 to
be processed is placed. A hardening chamber 4' is defined by walls
which are here permanently open, at the top and at the bottom of
enclosure 3. An engine 7 is intended for driving, via its shaft 7',
a turbine 6 in charge of sending air or gas towards a thermal
exchanger 9 arranged between the external wall of chamber 41 and
the internal wall of enclosure 3. The gas then follows the path
indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2 to enter processing chamber 4'
through the bottom of enclosure 3 and come out of it at the level
of turbine 6. Other types of turbines allow for an inverted gas
circulation.
[0011] Be it in dual cells or in dedicated cells, several engines
and several turbines are most often aligned in the high portion of
the enclosure to increase the air flow which conditions the
hardening speed.
[0012] The present invention more specifically applies to hardening
cells such as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 where the gas
recirculates on the load to be processed in a closed circuit,
heating up at the contact of the load, then loosing these calories
through an exchanger. Such cells are especially used when the
hardening gas is not air but a gas (for example, nitrogen or
another neutral gas), the used quantities of which are desired to
be spared.
[0013] A disadvantage of conventional processing cells is that the
flow rates required for a fast hardening strain the engines that
must rotate at very high speeds to drive the turbines. For example,
to obtain a hardening pressure on the order of 20 bars with a flow
rate of approximately 5 m.sup.3/s, engines of a power greater than
100 kW that rotate at several thousands of turns per minute are
used. Such rotation speeds accelerate the wearing of the engines,
in particular of the mechanical rolling parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention aims at overcoming the disadvantages
of known hardening and/or thermal processing cells.
[0015] The present invention more specifically aims at avoiding the
problems associated with the engine wearing in the driving of the
turbines of a thermal cooling cell.
[0016] The present invention also aims at providing a solution
which is compatible with a closed circuit operation of the
hardening cell, in particular, if the hardening gas used is not air
and must thus be saved.
[0017] The present invention also aims at maintaining, or even
improving, the hardening speed.
[0018] To achieve these objects, the present invention provides a
cell for hardening steel parts by circulation of a gas in a tight
enclosure, which includes at least one static aspirator for
circulating the gas, the gas present at the inlet of the static
aspirator being at a pressure greater than the atmospheric
pressure.
[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas
circulation in the enclosure occurs in closed circuit except for a
secondary air flow injected as an inductor fluid into the static
aspirator.
[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
closed circuit circulation of the gas passes through thermal
exchange means in charge of cooling it down.
[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
cell includes means for recycling the secondary inductor air
flow.
[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
inductor fluid is injected into the static aspirators with a
pressure ranging between 20 and 80 bars.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
cell includes an air-tight enclosure; a cooling chamber within said
enclosure, intended for receiving a load of steel parts to be
cooled down; a thermal exchange means on the circulation path of a
cooling gas between an external wall of the cooling chamber and an
internal wall of the tight enclosure; a plurality of static gas
aspirators in an upper wall of the processing chamber, the latter
being opened in an opposite wall to evacuate the processing gas;
and inductor gas ducts under a pressure greater than the pressure
of the gas contained in the enclosure.
[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
cell is associated with a compressor for injecting the inductor
fluid into the static aspirators.
[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas
is chosen from among nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, and air.
[0026] The foregoing objects, features and advantages of the
present invention, will be discussed in detail in the following
non-limiting description of specific embodiments in connection with
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-section view of an example of a
conventional thermal processing cell of the type to which the
present invention applies;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-section view of an example of a
conventional hardening cell of the type to which the present
invention applies;
[0029] FIG. 3 shows, in a very simplified cross-section view, a
first embodiment of a hardening cell according to the present
invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of a static aspirator of a
hardening cell according to an embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0031] FIG. 5 shows, in a view similar to that of FIG. 3, a second
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] The same elements have been designated with the same
references in the different drawings. For clarity, only those
elements of a hardening cell, and more generally of a thermal
installation, that are necessary to the understanding of the
present invention have been shown in the drawings and will be
described hereafter.
[0033] A feature of the present invention is to use, as elements
for forcing the air or gas circulation in the hardening cell, flow
multipliers associated with a compressed air source providing a
relatively low flow of acceleration gas. According to the present
invention, so-called "venturi" effect flow multipliers are used,
which are known to increase ambient air flows by means of
compressed air. This type of device is also known as a static
aspirator.
[0034] FIG. 3 is a simplified cross-section view showing an
embodiment of a cooling cell according to the present
invention.
[0035] A gas hardening cell 20 includes an air-tight enclosure 23
supported by a base 30 and intended for receiving a load 2 to be
cooled down. Load 2 is introduced into a chamber 24 which is opened
on a single side, for example, at its low portion. On the side
opposite to the opening of chamber 24, at least one static
aspirator 26 is provided, in which the inlet for gas to be drawn in
is located at the outside of chamber 24 and the induced gas outlet
is directed towards load 2 to be processed. Preferably, several
static aspirators are used due to the volumes to be processed.
Aspirators 26 receive, as a working fluid, air or gas under
pressure coming from ducts 27' originating from an air or gas
compressor 27. Compressor 27 is preferentially external to
enclosure 23. The cell 20 also includes a heat exchanger 9 of
conventional structure. Although this has not been shown in the
drawings, exchanger 9 uses, as a heat-conducting fluid, a gaseous
or liquid fluid and communicates with the outside of enclosure 23
to cool down this heat-conducting fluid.
[0036] The flow of air or gas under pressure in a cell 20 according
to the present invention is performed from static aspirators 26,
which inject the gas flow into chamber 24, from which it comes out
through the opening at the lower portion and then flows through
heat exchangers 9 to be drawn back in by flow multipliers 26.
[0037] According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a
controlled-flow air vent 28 is further provided, having the
function of evacuating the excess gas injected into enclosure 23
through ducts 27' to be used as a working fluid.
[0038] FIG. 4 shows, in a simplified cross-section view, a static
compressed air aspirator usable in a hardening cell according to
the present invention. Such a static aspirator, also called a
venturi nozzle, conventionally has the function of converting a low
gas flow at medium pressure into a very large induced atmospheric
flow. According to the present invention, this aspirator is used to
convert a low gas flow at very high pressure into a very large gas
flow at medium pressure.
[0039] Such a device uses a primary supply gas flow introduced by
an inductor 41 into a annular chamber 42. Chamber 42 opens by an
annular slot 43 into inlet 44 of a venturi nozzle. The working gas
follows the surface of the venturi nozzle by surface effect, while
being accelerated. The working gas flow creates a high depression
in groove 45 of the venturi nozzle, which results in drawing in the
gas present in front of the inlet by the center. The induced and
inductor gas flows mix in a diverging nozzle 46, to be ejected at
the nozzle outlet with a high speed. At the outlet of diverging
nozzle 46, gas external to envelope 47 of the aspirator is also
moved along. Inductor flow annular chamber 42 may include an
additional annular slot 48 at the periphery of the outlet of
diverging nozzle 46 to further accelerate the phenomenon. The
static flow multipliers enable obtaining induced flows having rates
from 5 to 30 times greater than the gas flow at the inlet of the
venturi nozzle.
[0040] The operating principle and the structure of a
venturi-effect nozzle or air aspirator are known. FIG. 4 shows a
conventional example thereof but other structures may be used in a
cell according to the present invention.
[0041] The use of static aspirators in a steel part hardening cell
takes advantage of the fact that enclosure 23 of the hardening cell
is designed to stand strong pressure differences between the
outside and the inside of the cell. Thus, while static aspirators
are conventionally used to accelerate an ambient air flow by means
of compressed air, the present invention provides using them to
accelerate a gas flow inside the cell, which already is at a
pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure, and using very high
gas pressures for the inductor fluid.
[0042] Another feature of the present invention is to recycle the
gas fluid induced by the static aspirators. Indeed, most often, the
gas used in a hardening cell is not air but is an inert gas, which
should preferably not be consumed in too large amounts.
Accordingly, it is provided to enclose aspirators 26 within the
cell to organize the flowing of the gas fluid in closed
circuit.
[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a gas compressed at a pressure ranging between 20 and 80
bars is used as an inductor flow to obtain an induced flow at a
pressure ranging between 10 and 20 bars.
[0044] An advantage of the present invention is that instead of
imposing an air flow by the speed of an engine, a compressed gas
source and flow multipliers are used. Accordingly, for a same
cooling rate, the engine of compressor 27 rotates slower than that
of a conventional turbine. Due to the flow multipliers, a
coefficient on the order of 5 to 15 in terms of gas flow is gained
in the cell.
[0045] Another advantage of the present invention is that it
enables transferring most of the mechanical parts (compressor
engine) outside of the enclosure, which enables not only
suppressing moving components within the hardening cell, but also
reducing the hardening cell volume for a given air flow.
Accordingly, the present invention enables, by an induced
advantage, decreasing the gas consumption in a hardening cell.
[0046] It should be noted that the present invention applies
whatever the gas fluid used. It may even be air in some
applications. However, the working or inductor fluid is,
preferably, of same nature as the ambient fluid in the
enclosure.
[0047] It should also be noted that the acceleration of the ambient
gas in the cementation enclosure 23 preferably occurs after cooling
down of the gas in exchanger 9. The system output is thus optimized
by accelerating cooled gas rather than hot gas. However, an
alternative embodiment consists of placing the flow multipliers at
the outlet of chamber 24, that is, on the hot gas.
[0048] FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a hardening cell
according to the present invention. Within cell 23, this embodiment
shows the same elements as those described in relation with FIG. 3.
The compressed air static aspirators have been shown more
schematically in FIG. 5. The difference between the embodiments of
FIGS. 3 and 5 is that, according to the second embodiment, it is
provided to reuse the gas flow discharged through vent 28. For this
purpose, this secondary flow is recycled by using a buffer
reservoir 51 which receives the gas fluid coming out of vent 28 via
a compressor 57 and, if necessary, an additional heat exchanger 58
for cooling down the air discharged through opening 28. The outlet
of reservoir 51 is connected to ducts 27' supplying venturi nozzles
26 with inductor fluid.
[0049] An advantage of the embodiment of FIG. 5 is that it further
reduces the volume of used gas.
[0050] The number of static aspirators 26 in a hardening cell
depends, in particular, on the cell dimensions and on the desired
cooling rate. The sizing of the static aspirators and their number
and distribution are within the abilities of those skilled in the
art based on the functional indications given hereabove and on the
application to a given hardening cell. In particular, it should be
noted that the present invention only requires slight modifications
of a conventional hardening cell. In an extreme case, the present
invention may be implemented without modifying the thermal exchange
network in a hardening cell and by simply replacing the turbine and
the engine with static aspirators while of course ascertaining to
maintain the enclosure tightness.
[0051] Of course, the present invention is likely to have various
alterations, modifications, and improvements which will readily
occur to those skilled in the art. In particular, although the
present invention has been described in relation with dedicated
hardening cells, it should be noted that it applies to dual cells
of the type of that illustrated in FIG. 1 where the hardening is
performed in the very enclosure where the cementation or
carbonitridation thermal processing has been carried out. Further,
other static aspirators than those indicated as an example may be
used, provided to respect the essential feature of the present
invention, which is to enable acceleration, by means of a working
gas, of the ambient gas of the cementation enclosure. Among
hardening gases likely to be used, neutral gases such as nitrogen,
helium, or hydrogen should be mentioned.
* * * * *