Specific Energy Consumption During the Melting of Recycled Aluminum Briquettes as a Function of Geometry and Its Distribution in the Furnace
摘要
In the current context of the circular economy, the recycling of materials is a fundamental pillar to achieve industrial sustainability, reducing both the consumption of natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions. This study evaluates the specific energy consumption of the melting process of recycled aluminum briquettes, obtained from aluminum containers of soft drinks and beers. It is analyzed how the geometry and distribution of the briquettes in the kiln influence the energy behavior during the melting process. The recycled containers were collected, crushed and compacted into briquettes of different geometries (cylindrical, prismatic and spherical), which were subjected to a melting process in an induction furnace to evaluate the Specific Energy Consumption (CSE) based on the geometry of the briquettes and their distribution in the furnace. The results showed that spherical shaped briquettes evenly distributed in the kiln have the lowest energy consumption, compared to other geometries and distribution strategies. This work concludes that the geometry and distribution of the briquettes in the kiln can offer significant energy benefits, which translates into a reduction in environmental impact and greater profitability for the industry. New energy management strategies are proposed that could be implemented in future research and industrial applications.