Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 17

46 BENEFITS OF EMS • Reduced dross up to 25% • Reduced energy consumption by 25% • Increased productivity 20-25% • Automation - programmable • Safer: no changing out mechanical pumps • Ease of use - it just works The issue becomes how much more electricity do you have to buy to run these EM systems. If that costs you more in carbon footprint than you are saving, then it is not a viable option for reduction in CO2. We already know that induction melting uses a lot of electrical energy and would not be an option for CO2 reduction. HYDROGEN BURNERS To date not one manufacturer has produced a hydrogen burner that can melt more than most die casters use in an hour. However, they are all working on it and it should not be long before that is a reality. The issue with hydrogen is that it is very expensive to produce. Hydrogen fuel in today’s market will cost you 16 times more than what you are now paying for natural gas. For die casters this may not be your best option. There are other options that are too lengthy to be discussed here but one final option that is primarily for larger die casting companies that have multiple large melting furnaces—producing electricity. PRODUCE ELECTRICITY There are large quantities of wasted heat in the usual aluminum melting process, and several techniques for reducing and/or using some of that wasted heat. Any technique that can make use of wasted heat is a form of recovery. The objective of this energy recovery process is to move the wasted heat from the hot and dirty exhaust gas stream into some useful process; such as making your own electricity. If you can manage that you will effectively reduce your carbon footprint in some cases by almost 50%. By combining your furnace exhaust streams into one or two waste heat boilers that uses the heat (which would normally be wasted)—you can create steam. The steam can then be used to drive turbines to produce electricity. Attempting to make a change like this will cost the company management time, and will result in some amount of process disruption, no matter how well it is designed and implemented. Its installation will take time and capital money, and existing plant processes will be disrupted during the implementation of the new systems. Once it is started up and running, it will still require management’s attention. These systems need to be made very simple and as automatic as possible to minimize cost and distractions. The upfront costs are high, but the payback can be less than three years with free electricity as long as it is running. If you produce more electricity that your facility needs, then the power company is mandated to buy the excess from you. None of the options listed here are free, all of them require some capital investment. You can always buy carbon footprint credits, but that does nothing to enhance your bottom line. Plus, you must investigate those so-called carbon credits very carefully as some are scams. We recommend having an outside company perform a feasibility study to determine which is the best route for your company. All the options mentioned will reduce your energy usage and carbon footprint. That results in direct savings to your bottom line and a great marketing tool to be able to say… my company is reducing its carbon footprint to zero by 2025! Contact: DAVE WHITE [email protected]