When it comes to melting aluminum, different types of furnaces are available, each with its own unique features and efficiency levels.
What Furnace is Used for Melting Aluminum? 4 Key Types Explained
1. Vertical Aluminum Melting Furnace
This type of furnace is particularly popular in small to medium-sized enterprises and the die-casting industry.
It features a vertical flue with a large cross-section at the rear.
A high-speed burner is installed at the bottom of the flue.
Aluminum ingots and charge are added from the top of the flue and are quickly melted at the bottom by the impact of the flame.
The flue gas exchanges heat with the cold charge during discharge, resulting in high thermal efficiency, often exceeding 50%.
This setup ensures a relatively low energy consumption index.
2. Induction Furnaces
Induction furnaces, especially medium frequency furnaces, are highly efficient for melting aluminum.
They can increase efficiency by 60% to 75% and reduce oxidation losses.
These furnaces emit low levels of pollution and produce aluminum with higher purity and uniformity.
The heat source in induction furnaces does not directly contact the aluminum, which is beneficial for alloy production as it allows for the mixing of smelts without contamination.
3. Reverberatory Furnaces
Reverberatory furnaces use fuels like natural gas, coal gas, or heavy oil.
The thermal efficiency of these furnaces is significantly affected by the air content in the fuel combustion.
Too much air can lead to low thermal efficiency as excess air takes away heat in the exhaust smoke.
Too little air results in incomplete combustion and reduced efficiency, along with increased emissions of polluting gases.
These furnaces heat aluminum to melting temperatures using direct-fired wall-mounted burners.
Heat transfer primarily occurs through radiation from refractory brick walls and convective heat transfer from the burners.
They are available in capacities up to 150 tons of molten aluminum, with typical melting efficiencies ranging from 15% to 39%.
4. Conclusion
The choice of furnace for melting aluminum depends on the specific requirements such as production rate, quality and composition of the scrap aluminum, and whether batch or continuous operation is desired.
Vertical aluminum melting furnaces are efficient for small to medium-scale operations.
Induction furnaces offer high efficiency and purity.
Reverberatory furnaces provide a balance between efficiency and capacity.
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