Method of Maintaining a Slope Surface of Molten Metal by Using a Single-Sided Linear Induction Motor

Abstract

This paper presents a method of maintaining a slope surface by using a Single-sided Linear Induction Motor (SLIM). The points discussed are as follows:
(1) It is clarified in principle that a slope surface of molten metal can be generated by supplying electromagnetic force of SLIM in the transverse direction to the gravity force. This technology will have great potentiality to improve the float process of flat glass production.
(2) A mathematical model of a surface shape of molten metal controlled by SLIM is derived. It is shown that the calculated values of the surface shape of molten metal agree with the measured values within 5% error.
(3) The experiments using a 0.3 meter-wide SLIM verify that the SLIM can maintain a slope surface of molten metal in the width of SLIM excluding the bus bar width. It is also demonstrated that SLIM can prevent an overflow of molten metal even if the level of molten metal is higher than the fence of molten metal bath.