Restauração da eficiência do processo de arrefecimento de lingotes de Alumínio – Mozal

Abstract

The quality of industrial water used at Casthouse is a crucial when it comes to the cooling efficiency of the final product (the Aluminium ingots). Solid suspended particles in the water create obstruction in nozzles, spouts, valves, ducts and pipes thus, affecting the correct operation of the cooling process. The project in question consists of analyzing the ingots cooling process and proposing the installation of a Basket Strainer to retain solid particles that compromise the operation of upstream equipment, to restore the cooling efficiency of aluminium ingots in Cooling Tunnel. The study will focus on heat transfer calculations, process parameters monitoring, ingots temperature measurement comparing with manufacturer specifications, as well as choosing the appropriate filter for the casting lines. The expectation of this study is to improve the cooling efficiency, reduce the frequency of line stoppages for maintenance interventions which include valves cleaning and unblocking, as well as cooling the ingots to a temperature between 50 and 60 °C.