Vulcan Aluminum - USA

Pyrotek – EMP Technologies

Case Study llI

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 1

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Aluminum
Foley Alabama USA

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 2

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Aluminum
• Privately owned and operated
• Production Capability 21,000 MT per year
of rolled aluminum sheet products
• 5052 alloy – primary customer is for
internal use – the balance is sold to the
common alloy sheet market in North
America.

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 3

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Process
Pre EMP
• One 240,000 pound Reverb melting furnace.
• Four eight million Btu regenerative burners
which cycle in pairs
• Fuel efficiency approximately 1250 Btu per
pound melted
• A small side well to accommodate two
mechanical pumps
• One mechanical circulation pump
• One Mechanical transfer pump used to feed a
hazlett caster
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 4
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Furnace
Pre EMP
Mechanical Pump
well

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 5

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Process
Pre EMP

• Furnace cycle time (including casting)

approximately 20 hours
• Cast one heat per 24 hours

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 6

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Mechanical Pumps
Pre EMP

• Large exposed open pump well (close proximity to the operator

casting controls).
• Difficult to perform required maintenance on mechanical pumps
• High cost for maintenance
• Safety issues – heat exposure – working over an open well when
pump maintenance was required

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 7

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Mechanical Pumps
Pre EMP
• Circulation
– Mechanical Pump – MMEI Workhorse
– Pump speed - ~ 400 RPM
– Metal flow rate – 6,500 pounds per minute
– Furnace Turn over 1.6 times per hour
• Transfer
– Mechanical Transfer Pump – MMEI
– Must have 13” – 14” of bath for pump to work properly
– Primary reason for stopping cast at 150,000 pounds
of cast.
• Pump operating cost (parts) ~ $ 32,000 per year
each – Total = $ 64,000 per YR
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 8
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Mechanical Transfer Pump
Metal flow

• Transfer height from furnace

floor to supply trough ~ 8 feet.
• Low furnace bath levels
required very high pump
speed to supply caster.
• Experienced extreme bath
turbulence (oxide generation)
in supply trough and at the
filter.
• Frequent breaking of the
graphite pump shafts. Caused
aborted cast and reduced
productivity.

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 9 9

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Mechanical Circulation Pump
• Pump can not operate properly with
less that 15 inches of aluminum bath
• Pump out put ~ 6,500 pounds per
minute.
– Furnace / pump turn over ~ 1.6 times per
hour – less than 1/3 required circulation.
– Graphite (un protected) impeller wears from
oxides which further reduces furnace
circulation.
• Results in reduced furnace
performance and efficiency

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 10

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Process
Pre EMP

• Ideal Circulation = furnace turnover 6

times per hour.
• The current pump provides 1/3 the
required flow – which assumes this benefit
is a productivity gain of 6% .
• Proper furnace circulation would provide
an additional 14% productivity gain

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 11

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Aluminum Goals
• Improve furnace productivity
– Considered a second melting furnace
– Cost for furnace and building ~ 10 million
USD
• Improve Chemical homogeneity
• Improve temperature homogeneity
• Eliminate aborted cast due to mechanical
pump reliability
• Reduce un planned pump maintenance

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 12

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Process Audit Conducted by Pyrotek - EMP
• Limited to one cast per 24 hours from the furnace due to
the following process issues.
• Reliability and quality issues from mechanical transfer
pump.
• Need to improve furnace circulation.
• Safety issues from open pump well “close to the operator
casting controls” excessive heat and metal splash.
• Improve recovery and alloy time for Magnesium
• Aborted cast due to mechanical transfer pump reliability.
• Once casting complete, furnace charging for up to 2
hours to achieve enough bath to operate the mechanical
circulation pump." No circulation during this time”
• Pre mature filter plugging due to oxide generation by
mechanical transfer pump.
• Furnace doors and ledge were small, difficult to
efficiently dry primary ingots before charging.
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 13
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 EMP Challenges
• Improve furnace productivity
– Improve melt rate
– Improve overall furnace productivity
• Improve Chemical & Temperature Homogeneity
• Improve recovery
• Improve recovery from alloy elements
• Use EMP for Metal transfer to caster
• Improve metal quality

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 14

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Metal Transfer Challenges
• Maintain a controlled metal transfer to the
Hazelett continuous strip caster.
• Maintain a constant head level at the
caster feed inlet (8 ft) above the furnace
floor.
• Continue to circulate the furnace and to
automatically adapt to the reducing
furnace metal level.

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 15

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Metal Transfer

• EMP incorporated extensive computational fluid

dynamic calculations and analysis (CFD) of the
proposed system to determine flow patterns in
the furnace for both the melting and casting
phases.
– To ensure the correct flow control to the caster could
be met.
– To ensure proper furnace circulation and eliminate
any dead spots (stagnant zones) within the furnace.
• Development of new technology to improve the
performance of the EMP pump.

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 16

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan / EMP Concept

• Pump operation in the forward position

– Creates vortex for charging & alloying
– Increases head level in charge well for transfer to caster
• Pump operation in reverse position
– Creates strong sub surface metal flow directed at charged solids,
improving heat transfer to the bath.

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 17

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Furnace Geometry Used

18
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 18
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Circulation through the furnace
• Aluminum inlet mass flow rate
• Aluminum outlet mass flow
rate
• Aluminum mass flow rate
through the side chamber
• Maximum aluminum local
mean age of aluminum in the
furnace
• Average aluminum local mean
age of aluminum in the furnace

19
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 19
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
EMP Charge well Geometry
• Design Considerations
– Dimension of
discharge hole
– Inlet ramp angle
degrees of 90 and
100
– Discharge plug
– Support for discharge
plug
– Return pipe to furnace
– Spillway to casting
trough
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 20
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Charge well design
with our without stopper rod

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 21

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Charge well
Design Criteria
• Aluminum inlet mass flow rate
• Aluminum casting mass flow
rate
• Aluminum return flow rate to
the furnace
• Presence of air within the
furnace return – pipe
• Maximum height of the vortex
• Minimum height of the vortex

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 22

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Stopper Plug design
• Design with two flat
sides
• Allow for some metal
by pass for furnace
circulation during
casting

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 23

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 EMP Pump Head Vs pump power

• The performance model indicates the EMP can

easily deliver 1000 pounds per minute with a
head of >2.5 M at 65 Kw power setting.
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 24
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 New Pump Design

• Result – 20% more pump power using the same

electrical power settings.
25
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 25
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 New Pump Design
New EMP Pump EMP pump Pre Vulcan

• Steel lamination packs fitted around pump coil

• Direct more of the electromagnetic force to the
aluminum
• Result – 20% more pump power using the same
electrical power settings.
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 26
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Aluminum / Pyrotek EMP

Process Improvements

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 27

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Furnace With EMP

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 28

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Elimination of Open Pump Well
• Installed an insulated
steel cover over the open
pump well
• Safety issues resolved
– excess heat exposure to
operators
– Metal splash & burn
exposure issues
– Confined working area
– Mechanical pump
maintenance

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 29

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Metal Transfer to Caster with EMP
Fig-A Fig B
Fig-B Fig-C

• The Thyristor based EMP pump power circuit , coupled with laser
level device enables a fully controlled quiescent metal flow into the
transfer launder
• A steady state transfer rate is achieved, while maintaining furnace
circulation for temperature and chemical homogeneity during a 5
hours casting cycle

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 30

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Metal Transfer to Caster

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 31

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Metal Quality
• Eliminated Premature Filter
Plugging
– Providing quiescent bath flow
& minimum oxide generation
– Replaced 23” x 23” CFF with
recommended dual filter bowl
two 20” x 20” CFF, increasing
effective filter surface area by
37%.

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 32

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Vulcan Furnace, Recommended Modifications
Pre EMP Post EMP

• The project also included a complete refractory re-line of the Vulcan

Furnace
• EMP recommended the existing two small doors be replaced with one large
door and include a larger ledge.
• This modification provided improved efficiency in –
– Drying primary aluminum on the furnace ledge
– Charging internal scrap into the furnace

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 33

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Charging the Main Furnace Chamber
• Primary charging method is
through the front door
• EMP in reverse position directs
a powerful sub surface flow
directly at the charged solids.
• Mass flow rates > 25,000 Lbs /
Min and metal velocity > 22 Ft
/ Sec dramatically improved
the furnace melt rate.
• Exceeded circulation target for
the furnace turn over of 6 times
per hour (each pound of aluminum
in the furnace passes through the
pump 6 times per hour)

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 34

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Main Chamber Circulation

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 35

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Magnesium Additions

• Alloying time improved from 90 minutes to 20

minutes (~2000 Lbs per heat)
• Recovery improved from 85% to 95%

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 36

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Magnesium Additions

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 37

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
Vulcan Process Improvements with EMP
• Pump reliability issues eliminated
• Proper furnace circulation was achieved
• Safety issues from open pump well eliminated
• Magnesium Recovery improved by10%
• Eliminated aborted cast due to pump reliability.
• When casting complete the EMP provided ability
to circulate the furnace at low bath levels
• Pre mature filter plugging resolved due to less
oxide generation and addition of dual 20” CFF.
• Improved furnace charging and preheating
efficiency by larger furnace door and ledge
• Over all productivity improved by 30%

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 38

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 Return on Investment
• The investment for the EMP and
modifications to the existing furnace were
much less than adding second furnace
and building expansion.
• Vulcan was then able to divert capital
funds to the down stream rolling process
to remove other bottlenecks.
• Results were a much more efficient and
balanced process.
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 39
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 A True Win - Win

• Our Operators Absolutely Love the EMP

– “Robert Lee CEO”
Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 40
Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008
 The End

Questions

Presented at the 4th Melt Quality Workshop 41

Istanbul, Turkey, 20-23rd May 2008