MAGNHEAT LIFE
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Description and objectives
MAGNHEAT will demonstrate new DC induction heating concepts, representing an innovative breakthrough in the aluminum extrusion sector.
The project will define the requirements and specifications for designing the MAGNEAT prototype for continuous aluminum extrusion.
The technical performance, environmental advantages and economic benefits of the MAGNHEAT inductive heating prototype will be tested in real industrial conditions.
Finally, a specific methodology for environmental impact assessment and thermo-economic analysis will be used to compile quantitative results.
In addition, MAGNHEAT will contribute to identify and test possible updates to the BREF (“Best Available Techniques Reference Document”) of the non-ferrous metals sector.
The MAGNHEAT project aims to demonstrate the first industrial-scale application of a new DC induction furnace concept to mitigate the energy, environmental and economic impacts of the metal extrusion process.
It will be based on a rotating permanent magnet system for aluminum extrusion, and developed through the combination of eco-design and engineering, exploiting and valorizing previous related R&D experiences carried out by the project partners.
Value proposition
The MAGNHEAT inductive furnace will provide:
- Superior technological performance compared to gas or inductive furnaces in AC, allowing to perform in a single step, billet heating with uniform T distribution and T profiles (taper); this leads to more flexibility and also means a lower investment for the manufacturer.
- 50% savings in primary energy compared to the new generation of gas-fired furnaces.
- Up to 30% reduction in the time required for metal extrusion, thus increasing productivity, reducing costs and gaining in competitiveness.
- Environmental benefits in terms of primary energy consumption and pollutant emissions due to higher energy efficiency.
CIRCE will conduct LCA and LCC studies to analyze and advise on innovative technologies developed and novel processing techniques, with the objective of contributing to process design and estimation of environmental impact indicators, as well as economic optimization through LCC.