Development of sensors and monitoring elements to be implemented in industrial facilities

The REVaMP project aims to optimise the energy efficiency and the productivity levels of the metal recovery industry. The Technology Centre AZTERLAN (member of the BRTA) directs its efforts in optimizing the energy efficiency and the productivity during the aluminium refining process by rotary kiln, working in close cooperation with the companies GHI Hornos Industriales, INATEC and REFIAL.

The third follow-up meeting of the REVaMP European project has been held recently with the active participation of the different members of the consortium, sharing the progress made in the different areas and milestones associated with the project. Thus, one of the main items of the agenda was to follow up the activities regarding the development and adaptation to industrial metallurgical installations of the various sensors, equipment, and dynamic control monitoring systems that will be installed in the plants of ArcelorMittal Bremen, Sidenor (Basauri), Grupal Art, Refial and Exide.

During the working meeting, the researchers from AZTERLAN presented the progress of the developments achieved together with GHI Hornos Industriales, Inatec and Refial, aimed at optimising energy efficiency and productivity during the aluminium refining process by rotary kiln.

A new fuel derived from waste, an aluminium metallurgical quality control system and innovative control technologies

On one hand AZTERLAN has shared the advances obtained in the combustion study that it is carrying out regarding a new a fuel derived from shredded vehicle residues that will be used to preheat aluminium scrap by means of a heat exchanger that is being designed by GHI Hornos Industriales, prior to loading in the rotary furnace. In addition to the fuel characterization and the study of combustion kinetics in different oxidising atmospheres, the Technology Centre is also in charge of monitoring the environmental aspects, such as the composition of the gases and the solid waste generated in the combustion chamber.

Likewise, AZTERLAN has reported on the novelties about the equipment for the determination of the metallurgical quality of the aluminium alloys that it is also developing, as well as on the steps taken in the search and selection of optimal solutions using evolutionary algorithms. A remarkable work is also being performed when it comes to the tasks of distribution, interconnection and access to the different models and optimisers that the consortium will deliver by creating a SaaS solution.

AZTERLAN has three research lines involved in this ambitious collaborative project: the Aluminium and Light Materials research line, the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technological Solutions research line and the Sustainability and Environment research line. The advances developed by the team participated by technicians and specialists from GHI Hornos Industriales, Inatec and Refial will later be tested at pilot plant scale in the facilities of the company Refial.

AZTERLAN research team shares the progress made within the REVaMP project at the 3rd follow-up meeting.