| Theme | Process monitoring, Industry 4.0 |
|---|---|
| Project title | Increasing the efficiency of an aluminum melting furnace (ALSO 4.0) |
| Project duration | 01.06.2017 – 30.11.2020 |
| Results | |
| Download | |
| Press release |
In order to automatically determine the state of an aluminum melting furnace, the IPH develops a 3D camera system. At present, the amount of molten aluminum is determined manually: at regular intervals, a worker opens the oven door and checks the state of the aluminum. A lot of heat is lost. Because the melting point of aluminum is about 660 ° C, the temperature in the melting furnace must be between 700 and 1000 °C.
The aim of the research project is to determine the state of the aluminum without opening the oven's door. This significantly reduces the energy loss and contributes to increasing the energy efficiency of the cast aluminum industry. The camera system must be shielded from the extreme temperatures inside the furnace.
Publications about the project
Aluminum melting ovens have a very high energy consumption. Opening the oven doors for the visual monitoring of the melting preocess to be carried out by the operator increases the energy requirement and endangers occupational safety. To increase the energy efficiency of the oven, an optical measurement system was developed that monitors both the melting process and the condition of the melt pool. At the same time, the degree of automation was increased and occupational safety improved.
process optimization, energy efficiency, optical process monitoring
Ever-stricter requirements for the quality of the finished product and the energy consumption pose difficult challenges for industry, especially the automotive industry. The market demands high-quality components at a reasonable cost.
Modern technologies and innovative methods help to meet this challenge. Process monitoring has become a key technology and enables the improvement of safety, quality, and efficiency in various fields. Until recently, production ? from the design of the aluminum melting furnace to the daily process ? relied largely on tra-ditional methods and experience.
This thesis investigates a new method for monitoring a melt-ing process and shape changes in the furnace by means of optical sensors for the first time. To this end, this thesis deals with an innovative analysis algorithm for using an optical meas-uring system that is able to monitor the melting block despite the red-hot furnace walls.
melting process, analysis algorithm, light-field camera, process monitoring
The melt level and oxide layer quantity in an aluminum melting furnace cannot be monitored by contact sensors, since the melting bath is not accessible due to the high holding temperature (above 600°C). Therefore, the method of monitoring the melting bath by means of optical sensors is investigated for the first time. For this purpose, suitable optical measuring systems can be applied which will be able to record the melting bath. The height change of the melt is to be elaborated by means of image analysis and any oxide layer on the bath surface is to be detected.
aluminum melting furnace, metling bath monitoring, oxide layer
