Engineer a solid aluminium coil inductor and bespoke motor drive system
Lead Participant:
INDUCTELEC LIMITED
Abstract
Electro Magnet Stirrers (EMSs) used in reverberatory furnaces require specialised non-contact
bottom or side mount inductors, bespoke electrical drive systems and advanced air cooling.
The current state of art comprises laminar mild steel cores adjoined by copper wound coils
(aka pancakes) which through induction allow the circulation of 15 to 100 Tonnes of molten
metal around aluminium furnace bath without contact (from a distance of 500mm away. Each
copper pancake weighs around >200kg with a huge cost penalty at the current commodity
prices. The cost penalty associated with manufacture, maintenance and replacement of copper
coils is therefore very significant and demanding to the metals industry.
We wish to conduct a period of R&D to develop a commercially viable pre-production
prototype EMS solution encompassing aluminium wound inductor coils as opposed to copper.
Switching to aluminium will create a massive reduction in inductor raw material costs; again
based on current commodity prices the equivalent cost of aluminium would be approximately
£3,276, allowing a massive saving of over £14,000 per 230Kg coil; additional savings are
evident through more efficient machining processes. Further, we will also design and develop
an enhanced inductor drive and control system adapted from our proprietary design
specifications. The collective system will allow us to maintain customer base and promote UK
exports; additional benefits include company and supply chain job creation and taxation paid
to the UK Government. The high intrinsic value of scrap metal has always been the main
impetus for recycling and re-melting. In 1990 total aluminium production was 28 million
tonnes (with over 8 million tonnes re-melted from scrap) and today the total is approaching 50
million tonnes (with close to 18 million tonnes re-melted from scrap). By 2020 metal demand
is projected to have increased to around 97 million tonnes (with around 31 million tonnes remelted
from scrap).
bottom or side mount inductors, bespoke electrical drive systems and advanced air cooling.
The current state of art comprises laminar mild steel cores adjoined by copper wound coils
(aka pancakes) which through induction allow the circulation of 15 to 100 Tonnes of molten
metal around aluminium furnace bath without contact (from a distance of 500mm away. Each
copper pancake weighs around >200kg with a huge cost penalty at the current commodity
prices. The cost penalty associated with manufacture, maintenance and replacement of copper
coils is therefore very significant and demanding to the metals industry.
We wish to conduct a period of R&D to develop a commercially viable pre-production
prototype EMS solution encompassing aluminium wound inductor coils as opposed to copper.
Switching to aluminium will create a massive reduction in inductor raw material costs; again
based on current commodity prices the equivalent cost of aluminium would be approximately
£3,276, allowing a massive saving of over £14,000 per 230Kg coil; additional savings are
evident through more efficient machining processes. Further, we will also design and develop
an enhanced inductor drive and control system adapted from our proprietary design
specifications. The collective system will allow us to maintain customer base and promote UK
exports; additional benefits include company and supply chain job creation and taxation paid
to the UK Government. The high intrinsic value of scrap metal has always been the main
impetus for recycling and re-melting. In 1990 total aluminium production was 28 million
tonnes (with over 8 million tonnes re-melted from scrap) and today the total is approaching 50
million tonnes (with close to 18 million tonnes re-melted from scrap). By 2020 metal demand
is projected to have increased to around 97 million tonnes (with around 31 million tonnes remelted
from scrap).
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| INDUCTELEC LIMITED | £442,573 | £ 199,158 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Paul Sharpe (Project Manager) |