Spray quench systems for heat treated metal products

摘要

A method of quenching a workpiece is provided with one or more spray quench rings that eject a controlled variable volume of spray quench onto a workpiece passing through the quench rings by dynamically adjusting the axially adjustable distance between the inner and outer ring elements of each quench ring while the workpiece passes through the quench rings in response to mass cooling requirements of the workpiece passing through the quench rings. The quench rings can also be axial adjusted relative to each other in response to the mass cooling requirements. Dynamically adjustable reflected spray guards can be provided to prevent quench spray pattern interference between adjacent quench rings.

主权项

1. A method of quenching a workpiece comprising the steps of:
passing the workpiece through a quench ring comprising an outer ring element and an inner ring element, the inner and outer ring elements separated from each other by an axially adjustable distance to form a plenum and a variable volume outlet passage between the inner surfaces of the inner and outer ring elements, an outlet of the plenum in communication with the variable volume outlet passage formed between an adjacent facing edges of the inner and the outer ring elements; supplying a quenchant to an opening in the outer ring element, the opening in communication with an inlet of the plenum; and ejecting the quenchant in a conical volume from the variable volume outlet passage onto a surface of the workpiece passing through the quench ring.