May 2024 Volume 6

ENERGY

The Path to Decarbonization: Electric and Hydrogen Powered Furnaces Play Their Part By Alberto Cantú

Carbon Management Hierarchy

Avoid

Most Favoured Option

Avoid carbon intensive activities

Reduce

Increase energy efficiency, reuse and reduction of material use

Replace

Replace high carbon sources or activities with low carbon solutions including materials and products

Offset

Least Favoured Option

Sequester or offset unavoidable emossions that cannot be eliminated by the adove

Figure 1: Carbon Management Hierarchy

Electric Firing There may be an assumption that electric firing is restricted to lower capacity furnaces, lab units, high-tech products, sintering etc. This is not strictly speaking true, and we can point to the capability of producing ovens and furnaces with operating temperatures ranging from 210°F (100°C) right up to 3,270°F (1,800°C). Another assump tion is that electric heating is a technology that is only suitable for intermittent (batch) firing. This is not the case either, and we have already successfully designed and manufactured electric fired contin uous firing lines. Some features of electric furnaces are beginning to become increas ingly appreciated. For example, temperature uniformity can be improved. Electrical heating systems do not require additional air/O₂ to function, as do gas combustion systems. Therefore, it is easier to limit air infiltration, which is sometimes responsible for temperature variation within the process chamber. They are also controllable from 0 to 100%, making it easy to achieve the minimum thermal capacity necessary to maintain the set temperature. For higher temperature equipment, the location of the heating elements in relation to the load arrangement is generally easier. This leads to more uniform radiation and more flexible zone control.

We are all aware of the greenhouse effect, and the need to contribute toward the reduction of CO2 emissions wherever possible. With this in mind, it is incumbent on responsible manufacturers to look at, and act on, sensible and achievable measures in this regard. Far more often than ever before, customers have been approaching us to ask about the feasibility of alternative heating systems, espe cially with widespread efforts to work towards carbon neutrality. Leading manufacturers have long recognized Nutec Bickley’s creden tials when it comes, firstly, to being ahead of the curve and, secondly, possessing the expertise and willingness to design, plan and execute as is necessary. If we look at the simple ‘Path to Decarbonization’ diagram (see Figure 2) it would be fair to say that convection ovens are the easiest to design as electrically heated units, followed by small radiation furnaces. The trickier propositions are represented in blue on this diagram, and include those traditionally fired by natural gas. What we can say is that we are not dealing here with just brand-new units – retrofitting too, in particular with electrical heating, is not just possible but is something that customers have already asked us to carry out, and we have done so successfully.

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