“In the near term, the thermal processing industry faces landmark decisions and the most commonly postulated future, based entirely on electricity is only one of many possible outcomes. This option, however, is not realistically implementable… there is insufficient green energy surplus to meet expected demand in its entirety.”
Everyone is talking about the future of heat treat and how to process parts for the future. Technology, such as systems related to IoT and 4D, is seen as the solutions. So what about the future of combustion? The color is green.
Read this guest column from WS Thermalwhich summarizes a few key caveats which stand in the way of transforming energy sources. Give it a read, and email editor@heattreattoday.com if you have an op-ed or guest column that you would like to submit to Heat Treat Today!
WS is well known when it comes to low NOx combustion of natural gas in industrial furnaces. By means of the patented FLOX® technology, WS burners can achieve NOx emissions lower than 0.07 #/MMBTU in most operating scenarios, which sets the benchmark for modern gas heated furnaces around the globe. The future, however, belongs to renewable energy sources. Aside from their ecological advantages, it is foreseeable that the economic benefits will become reality far sooner than previously predicted. Even more so, if external effects such as an adequate carbon tax are considered.
In the [short] term, the thermal processing industry faces landmark decisions and the most commonly postulated future, based entirely on electricity is only one of many possible outcomes. This option, however, is not realistically implementable. At this point in time, there is insufficient green energy surplus to meet expected demand in its entirety: heating of thermal process applications, electrolytically generated hydrogen for direct reduction of iron ore, or for fueling long-haul transportation, battery electric mobility, space heating and cooling via heat pumps and many additional applications. Renewable electricity faces demand many times greater than its short or medium-term generation capacity. All this does not even take into consideration the necessity of simultaneous demand and generation in the electric network.
Using a broad spectrum of green energy sources, likely generated in a decentralized manner, and with regional focus on infrastructure capabilities such as transportation and storage of energy carriers, seems more plausible than focusing purely on an electricity-based energy system. However, at this point in time it is impossible to foresee which energy carrier will play the dominant role, or which market shares the various options will garner over time. Hydrogen from electrolysis or from reforming biogas, bio propane, synthetic fuel like ammonia synthesized in sunny regions, or synthetic CH4 which could utilize the existing global transportation infrastructure and current end user devices. The only thing that seems certain is that chemical energy carriers will continue to play a large role in the future. Only they offer the unique advantages such as high availability, high energy density and storage capability, which ultimately enable an airplane to fly, or make it possible to supply thermal processing applications with enough green energy to reliably maintain process temperature for long periods. Therefore, at WS we are committed to our core message: We are …
Regardless of which renewable chemical energy carrier you will ultimately be using in the future, it is already in our focus. Even now, we are implementing technologies aiming at our green future in WS combustion systems. For example, we are exploring technologies that minimize NOx emissions even when combusting ammonia or hydrogen. On a case-by-case basis, we can determine if your WS burners are suitable for use with a given new energy carrier or if a retrofit kit is needed. In any case, due to the long service life of your equipment, what is essential for you to know today is: WS will provide you a state-of-the-art combustion system solution – even if the future comes faster than anticipated.
Kenneth W. Gronbach, President/CEO, KGC Direct LLC
“The United States is about to experience a monumental cultural shift, and Gen Y Millennials are the catalyst,” says Kenneth W. Gronbach, expert in the field of demography and generational marketing. Read his encouragement to Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 as he highlights significant demographic trends and life realities to help them determine their strategy for embarking on this next wave of opportunity.
So, you are approaching forty, big deal. Most of you could easily live into your nineties, so you are not even halfway through this life. My advice to you? Make the most of it. How? Get a handle on what is next and prepare. Demographics is a wonderful common-sense forecasting tool that precipitates accurate revelations. Really. So, let’s have a look into the demographic crystal ball as it relates to you. For the sake of this writing, I am going to consider you all part of the 88 million Generation Y Millennials born 1985 to 2004. Gen Y is the largest generation ever born in the United States. A few of you are actually Generation X born 1965 to 1984, but hey, close enough.
The United States is about to experience a monumental cultural shift, and Gen Y Millennials are the catalyst. Yeah, you. I have been warning my audiences and readers to stop living in a white bubble and to lose the bigotry. It is 2020. By 2045, white non-Latinos will be a minority in the U.S. How do we know? Simple, the young people who will shape the United States fifty years from now are already born. And they are very diverse. Much more diverse than the white non-Latino adults that dominate our demography today.
So why are you millennials the catalyst? You don’t see race, religion, or color. You see people. It’s how you were raised and taught in school. In addition, you take the anti-bullying issue very seriously. You marry outside your race, religion, and color routinely. As a result, the skin tone of the average American will be slightly darker 25 years from now and red heads will be almost extinct. (If you have redheads in your family, hang on to them because they could be worth serious money.) Black Lives Matter is an idea whose time has finally come. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the diversity of the BLM protesters and demonstrators. What do you see? They are complimented by young whites, Latinos, and Asians in significant proportions. Eighty-eight million diverse Millennials will lead America to the place we were meant to be: One Nation Under God.
Average American 2050 (Photo source: National Geographic)
Most of you 40 Under 40 are entrepreneurs: risk takers who enjoy a challenge. So, let me offer up a significant human resources challenge that you must address as you embark on your tenure as leaders. In Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt’s recent book, Men Without Work, he reveals that the United States currently has 20 million men between the ages of 25 to 55 who do not work because they are felons and cannot be bonded/insured. They are the product of the war on drugs in a nation that incarcerates more people than any other nation on earth. Did we solve the drug problem? No, we created a new one.
One-third of our labor force between 25 to 55 is idle. Let’s look at the numbers. There are about 60 million men in the United States between 25 to 55 years old. One third of them cannot work. Of the 20 million felons who cannot work, 5 million are white, 5 million are Latino, and 10 million are African American. How many African American men are there in the U.S. between 25 to 55 years old? About 10 million. No, that is not a misprint. We have crippled the African American culture by locking up their males. We have dealt with symptoms of racism rather than addressing the causes. I pray that the Black Lives Matter movement will be the beginning of the end of this gross injustice. So, what is the big challenge? We need, as a nation, to put felons back to work. You need to figure out how to hire them, to train them, to restore their dignity, and to return them to their role as contributing members of society. You can do it. You have to do it.
When the pandemic exits the United States, it will be a different place. Just look back at the changes that took place after 9/11 and 2008. Let me just give you a list of some of the sea changes we can expect in the next ten years:
Manufacturing will return to the United States because China decimated its labor force with 37 years of the One-Child Policy. China will also fall out of favor with the world in general because of its role with COVID-19.
High net worth Westerners from the European Union will immigrate to the Americas in force because of cultural issues with their principal immigrants: Muslims.
Eighty million Baby Boomers, now 57 to 76 years old, will exit the labor force of the U.S. by the millions creating a talent vacuum that will suck in skilled, cyber, multi-tasking Millennials by the millions. This will cause the United States to flourish.
The E.U., Eastern Europe, Russia, Japan, and South Korea will diminish in power and influence because of their extremely low fertility rate. No kids and eventually no adults/taxpayers.
Mexico has perfect demographics but will be considered a failed state because of the absence of a working government replaced by criminal cartels. It could well be annexed by the United States.
India could blossom economically if it could get a handle on its disastrous distribution of wealth.
The population of the world is currently at about 7 billion and will increase to about 10 billion by 2060 before it begins to recede.
The population of the continent of Africa could double to two billion because of Africa’s extremely high fertility rate and the introduction of modern healthcare, technology, and education by Africa’s new friend, China.
So, my 40 Under 40 friends, it is a new world. There will be no lack of opportunity. Make the world a better place and remember, “Wait and see” is not a plan. What is your strategy?Be well,Kenneth W. Gronbach
About the Author:Kenneth W. Gronbach is a gifted keynote speaker and nationally recognized author, expert, and futurist in the field of Demography and Generational Marketing. He makes the science of shifting demography come alive with real life examples which make it relevant to today’s culture, business climate, and economy. With nearly three decades experience in retail advertising and marketing, Ken saw the direct results of shifting demographics in his clients’ profits. Eventually, his passion for the subject changed the direction of his career, to the benefit of readers of his books and attendees of his keynotes and other presentations.
Announcing Heat Treat Today's newest feature: Heat Treat Today Guest Column/Op-Ed. These releases feature content from the world of heat treat, which doesn't directly include news or technical content.
Today's column highlights UPC-Marathon President, Olivier Caurette's ascent of Mont Blanc in the Alps along the eastern border of France.
If you have any suggestions for future content, be sure to contact Heat Treat Today editor Karen at karen@heattreattoday.com.
Climbing Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc, has been a long-standing dream of mine. One that has lived on for many years and was finally fulfilled this month. What you read below is my journey of perseverance and resiliency towards unlocking my potential.
After 6 months of training to get fit for the climb and to my great satisfaction, I succeeded in summiting this majestic mountain in the French Alps. My sincere thanks to my family who supported me throughout every step of this journey and to my guide Jonath who pushed me at the right moments to give me that extra boost.
Success did not come easily. I attempted my first climb in 2019, but, at 4300 meters (14,000 feet) elevation into my trek, I was forced to return to camp because of poor weather conditions. With 120 km/h (75 mph) winds, a heavier than expected snowfall, and a temperature of -20°C (-4°F) and dropping, mountain conditions were not ideal. Consequently, the planned climb was stopped over safety concerns, and I dispiritedly returned home. Of course, this was not my first or last lesson in the limits of my potential. When you set yourself a goal, you want to reach it – mostly, to prove that you can. Dispirited but not defeated, I was inspired again in 2020 to succeed. While the environment in 2019 was not favorable, 2020 in contrast was amazing with early summer daylight and the summit above the clouds. Even though my efforts were similar in 2019 and 2020, the result was so very different. The 2019 experience fueled the 2020 success. There is no bad experience, just an opportunity to learn a lesson along the way. Don’t stop trying if you fail once. As professional tennis player Arthur Ashe once said, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome.”
I see so many parallels between my adventure and UPC-Marathon’s journey to success. Both are driven by one strong objective, a team that helps you get prepared and is ready to help, support from experts, the ability to overcome doubts, as well as the strength and determination to keep going forward and make things happen again and again – ultimately succeeding in our day to day achievements and taking us to the pinnacles of success.
I’ve learned a lot about myself and my limits during the ascend, but also during the long descent. At UPC-Marathon, the process of transforming our company to achieve greater success and be more resilient during difficult times and situations is our common Mont Blanc. Staying in control, never giving up, trusting your guide/leader, leaving your comfort zone when needed, staying confident in your competence, and relying on your best self will open your mind to what’s possible and what it takes to succeed. By the same token, we must focus on our goals and embrace the everyday challenges to reach our personal and professional summit. Once we are engaged and appreciate the necessity and benefits of challenges, there is no barrier to stop us in the face of new and emerging challenges and our quest to seek solutions. We are the best ourselves only when we give the best of ourselves.
To sum up, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Mike Horn, the world’s greatest living professional adventurer who has repeatedly demonstrated that there are no limits to the potential of the human spirit, “The impossible exists only until we find a way to make it possible." By expanding our view of what’s possible, we all have the potential to unlock creativity, innovation, rewards, and fulfillments.
A heat treat company in Poland has been faced with online defamation after waves of libelous messages filtered into the inboxes of partners, suppliers, and contractors of SECO/WARWICK Group. After many months, they have released the following statement.
As one of the top five heat treatment leaders and an entity involved in the world economy, SECO/WARWICK confronts numerous challenges in everyday business life. Currently, such a challenge has become the network, specifically Internet hate.
Sławomir Woźniak, President of the SECO/WARWICK Group
Almost every entity operating on the market has a presence on the Internet where it builds its reputation every day and confronts the opinions of the environment. SECO/WARWICK consciously uses the Internet to create and manage content, applying a great deal of effort in it, because we care about a reliable and positive perception and representation or our brand.
Anonymous hate aimed at the company
The Internet is a huge environment that can help but also harm, because it allows anonymity of the recipient and sender, including certain anonymous vilification that SECO/WARWICK has experienced. Initially, our partners, suppliers and contractors received e-mail correspondence alleging alarming and misleading information about the situation of the Group. Now employees and customers have joined the group of consumers flooded with black PR. We are concerned that after a wave of hate sent to customers, hate speech on the Internet will start. SECO/WARWICK says NO to this prospect.
“The author, writing under a pseudonym (currently as: Suresh Manish) and attacking SECO/WARWICK, is the so-called internet troll who wants to discredit our company’s activities and arouse controversial discussions. According to specialists researching the phenomenon of online hate, such a person feeds his low self-esteem, harms someone who is jealous or stands in the way of his alleged success. Our online
troll, by providing information extracted from the context and presenting it in a selective manner, manipulates the facts. This attack is an act of economic hate,” says Sławomir Woźniak, President of the SECO/WARWICK Group.
It is not the competition that works under the pseudonym, but one of our former contractors, who formulates unfounded claims and negative opinions, and then slanders and sends this information to a wide audience. SECO/WARWICK is pending litigation against this contractor, but it turns out that legal sanctions for violating our good name and reputation are not relevant to the author of the email. Despite the conviction, he continues to slander the company, which is done, among other means, via anonymous e-mails which, although not identified explicitly, suggest the authorship of the entity: a former contractor who has been in litigation with SECO/WARWICK for many years. The operating scheme and the way the wording is formulated clearly indicates that the emails are authored by the same and former SECO/WARWICK contractor.
We will fight these anonymous slanders, because the good name of the company and its employees is vilified, and the information itself misleads our partners. As a listed company, SECO/WARWICK is guided by the principle of transparency in business, relations and communication. We are not anonymous in what we do, because we believe that the facts speak for themselves.
The authorities stand behind the SECO/WARWICK wall
“Cyber-bullies who feed on the possibility of making others’ lives miserable are a very severe phenomenon and I am sorry that the sign of the times is affecting such a reputable company as SECO/WARWICK” says prof. Jolanta Baranowska from the West Pomeranian University of Technology.
“I have cooperated with SECO/WARWICK Group for decades. This is the first time I have met a situation in which a global leader must defend itself against online frustration. A wave of hate poured out by this man hiding under a pseudonym offends and touches us, the scientific support team of the Group,” comments prof. P. Kula from the Lodz University of Technology.
“As heat treaters we all work hard to promote the many benefits of our industry and spread the word that we are the most cost-effective solution to the needs of manufacturing. The last thing we need or want is unnecessary distraction, especially from an unknown source questioning our motives and damaging our industry’s reputation” wrote Daniel H. Herring, “The Heat Treat Doctor.”
“Over my long career, I have had the privilege of working with most of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide and many of our suppliers as well. Each is highly ethical, acts in a professional manner and, simply stated, have their hearts (and focus) in the right place, serving the industry we love. SECO/WARWICK, both here in the United States, in Europe and around the world is no exception. Any attempt by anyone to suggest otherwise detracts from our ultimate goal, the advancement of the thermal processing industry so as to offer our customers the best tools to succeed. In this way, we all serve our better angels”, added Daniel H. Herring.
The industry is telling the hater – ENOUGH
Nobody wants to be publicly defamed, because destroying reputations affects employee morale, business, decisions of potential clients and partners, or can weaken relationships. But SECO/WARWCIK, with a faithful group of suppliers and customers in 70 countries, and always taking care of relations with partners, can boast and show that in this situation our partners are with us.
“This defamation is an offense that involves slandering a company that could expose it to loss of credibility and trust. We have not lost confidence in SECO/WARWICK; we believe and confirm its credibility and the credibility of its devices. Proof – years of collaboration and dozens of solutions for this brand,” says Mike Jarvis, Engineering Director, Wallwork Heat Treatment Ltd.
“After receiving the e-mail, our reaction was to forward correspondence to SECO/WARWICK without asking us to explain the matter. Because we do not respond to anonymous correspondence. As a transparent company, we require transparency from partners and those who want to be in dialogue with us. Anonymity does not embrace dialogue or transparency,” comments Sebastien Matray, GAUBERT MATRAY INDUSTRIES CEO.
“We were surprised by the correspondence received and the information contained therein. The surprise was all the greater because we’ve been working with SECO/WARWICK for 10 years, on 10 projects. We know who our contractor is and our relationship has long since we crossed the threshold of partnership and are now at the stage of business friendship. As a friend, we tell the hater – NO”, noted Sylwester Pawęta, Chief Operating Officer and Commercial Proxy at HART-TECH.
“In response to the defaming emails sent about SECO/WARWICK, Rex Heat Treat has not experienced any out-of-the-norm difficulties in our dealings with the company. RHT has purchased standard vacuum furnaces, first of its kind vacuum oil quenching furnace, bell style tempering furnaces, and the tallest oil quenching vacuum furnace in the world from SECO/WARWICK. We have found the entire group to be professional and highly creative for our unique needs. Rex Heat Treat looks forward to our continued relationship and next purchase from SECO/WARWICK and SECO/VACUUM Technologies,” said Johnathan W. Rex, General Manager.
“Metals India and SECO/WARWICK relations are not impacted with such kind of communication as we have had a wonderful experience in the past and continuing through present day”, commented Ankit Gupta, Managing Director of Modern Metals India.
“I was extremely disheartened to read this slanderous correspondence about SECO/WARWICK. This absolutely does not fit the standard of business behavior. All the more so because working with SECO/WARWICK as a business partner is always a great pleasure, combined with mutual respect and trust; with such experiences, it is impossible to believe these accusations,” adds Magdalena Nizik, General Director of CPP Poland.
Although the presented circumstances are completely independent of the Company, we apologize to our partners for any inconvenience caused. We declare that we have taken legal steps related to the situation that misrepresents our situation to our partners. We are guided by the principle of transparency, one of the most powerful forms of defending the good name of the company and its employees. Thus, this public message from the Group.
Recently, the United States imposed a 25% tariff on thousands of products from China, but permitted U.S. companies to request an exclusion from paying tariffs. In this article, Omar Nashashibi, founding partner of The Franklin Partnership, LLC, and a resource of Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA), explains the latest news regarding the exclusion and its relevance to structural components for industrial furnaces.
Omar Nashashibi, Founding Partner, The Franklin Partnership, LLC
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has extended an exclusion for importers from paying a 25% tariff on industrial furnace components from China. The exclusion to the China Section 301 tariffs for structural components for industrial furnaces was extended in the Federal Register notice published on July 9, 2020 (85 FR 41267). The exclusion to the 25% tariffs, originally granted in July 2019 and set to expire on June 9, 2020, is now extended through December 31, 2020. The extension of the exclusion to industrial furnace components is one of twelve announced by USTR. Nearly 100 other products, including furnace casings, will see their tariff exclusions expire.
In July 2018, the United States imposed 25% tariffs on $34 billion worth of products imported from China (List 1). Of importance to the industrial heating industry, included in List 1 were parts of industrial electric furnaces and ovens as well as industrial induction or dielectric heating equipment (HTS 8514.90.80).
With this extension, all products meeting the description of “structural components for industrial furnaces” and are classified under the HTS code 8514.90.8000, will continue to be excluded from the 25% tariff. To claim the extended exclusion, importers must report the regular HTS code for the product, as well as the exclusion HTS code: 9903.88.52.
Carl Nicolia, President of PSNERGY, LLC (photo source: Carl Nicolia)
“There was a time when the caveman’s torch was the top end of heat treating technology. We have since learned that all fire is not created equal. Heat treat technology has evolved from fire to combustion and from combustion to efficient combustion.”
Join Carl Nicolia, president of PSNERGY, LLC, as he challenges industry leaders to evolve with viable and proven solutions to achieve combustion and furnace efficiency in this original Heat Treat Today article.
This article appears in the June edition of Heat Treat Today’sAutomotive Heat Treating magazine.
As a technical professional, engineer, and self-proclaimed geek, in times of uncertainty I take comfort in going back to fundamentals. Going back to basic concepts defined by fundamental scientific principles of physics and heat transfer brings us to a point where we know what will happen, and this can give us all some comfort in these uncertain times. We can take comfort in knowing that when we combine the right mix of air and fuel with an ignition source, we will get fire! And as the caveman said, “Fire good!”
There was a time when the caveman’s torch was the top end of heat treating technology. We have since learned that all fire is not created equal. Heat treat technology has evolved from fire to combustion and from combustion to efficient combustion. We have learned how to optimize the delivery of energy produced by fire to achieve remarkable results. There is high-value technology available today (i.e. low cost with high impact) that can be quickly and easily implemented on existing furnaces, regardless of size or age.
Businesses are moving through some of the most challenging times in modern history. Even though a few months ago the economy was booming, we are now being pushed to respond in new and unique ways. Many businesses, though, have existed for generations and have overcome other challenging market conditions. How did they survive? They evolved!
Darwin was right; “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. Intelligence is based on how EFFICIENT (my emphasis) a species became at doing the things they need to survive.”
Industries coming back online after extended down times and lost production days, are driving new customer demands for quality parts produced faster and cheaper. End customers are executing plans to ramp-up their plants to run at maximum efficiency. They are securing additional critical inventory and capacity from their supply chain. The productivity ante has been raised! Have your operations evolved to meet these demands?
Combustion efficiency and furnace efficiency are the heart of all gas-fired heat treating operations. Combustion and furnace efficiency can mean the difference between profit and loss, high quality and scrap, survival and extinction. Now more than ever, finding low-cost, easily-implemented technologies to increase efficiency is critical to your business’s evolution. Good news: Products and services enabled by revolutionary technology exist today and can improve the efficiency of your business. Because the technology is revolutionary, the implementation is simple.
Case Study
To understand the impact of this type of innovative technology, let’s look at an example from a contract heat treating company with a 9’ IQ box furnace. This batch annealing furnace is heated by four 5” ID x 65” U-tubes with bayonet recuperators. The company installed the latest technology of radiant tube inserts (RTI) into the exhaust legs of the radiant tubes. Once the RTI’s were installed, the combustion system was tuned, utilizing the latest sensing technology. The results are impressive:
Recovery cycle time reduced by 25%
Total gas consumption per load reduced by 5%
Furnace output increased by 10%
Total time to implement this solution was one day. Total cost to implement this solution was less than $10,000. Payback on this installation was less than three months!
Combustion Efficiency
Combustion efficiency is getting the most energy out of the gas purchased and ensuring you continue getting that same level of performance. Most talk about the importance of proper tuning, yet how many recognize the likelihood they are not running optimally today and can quantify the impact? A furnace running just two points out of tune at 5% excess oxygen is delivering 8% less energy to the system. Jump that to 7% excess oxygen and you are throwing away over 20% of the energy. Keeping the combustion system in tune is critical (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Impact of proper combustion tuning. (photo source: Carl Nicolia)
Just like the caveman, gone are the days of running through the burners with a handheld meter once a year, making adjustments based on a single point in time. There are combustion engineering service teams utilizing the latest technology to achieve higher levels of system performance. It is no longer acceptable to take a burner view of combustion: It must be at the combustion system level. If your service team is still working with single handheld meters, it is time to evolve. At a minimum, service teams today should be equipped with the latest sensing technology that allows them to view combustion in entire zones, if not entire furnaces, record data over the range of operation, and store this data for trending and preventive maintenance.
Once the combustion system is tuned, it is necessary to ensure the system stays tuned. Technology that monitors combustion across the entire furnace multiple times per day is available. Utilizing the latest sensing equipment, along with leading edge controls and IIOT technology, these systems seamlessly collect, analyze, and store combustion data and provide simple actionable alerts that keep your combustion system operating at maximum efficiency. Utilizing this type of technology allows you to stay ahead of combustion efficiency in real time and prevent your operation from throwing away profits.
Furnace Efficiency
Getting and keeping maximum combustion efficiency is certainly the first step in your evolution; however, the only thing you get paid for is getting that energy to product. How well the energy provided through efficient combustion is transmitted to the product being processed is called furnace efficiency. Again, there is low-cost, high-value technology available to increase furnace efficiency.
Waste heat recovery technology continues to evolve. Recuperators have been a great first step that many in the industry have incorporated into their systems, but there is more that can be done.
Ceramic inserts are waste heat recovery devices that work alone, or in conjunction with recuperators, balancing the energy delivered across the entire length of the radiant tube, significantly improving furnace efficiency as well as increasing radiant tube life. Recent technological advancements in ceramic insert design and material have increased the effectiveness of ceramic inserts. Additionally, alternative radiant tube designs, such as bubble tubes and textured tubes, help deliver more energy to the product.
Don't let your radiant tube furnace be the caveman of your operations. Take comfort in understanding that all fire is not created equal, and many combustion technology advancements are based in fundamental scientific principles. Get more information on these low-cost and easily implemented technologies available to the heat treating industry today. Recognize that utilizing these revolutionary technologies is the key to evolving your business to measurably higher levels of responsiveness and performance and will allow your business to thrive in this environment.
Will you evolve?
About the Author: Carl Nicolia is president of PSNERGY, LLC, which provides modern solutions to combustion problems, improving equipment life, enhancing productivity, and reducing emissions through smart application of proprietary products, services, and technology.
Climate change and fossil fuels are topics that can spur many lively conversations. In today’s Heat Treat TodayTechnical Tuesday feature, explore their connection as it relates to heating industrial furnaces in the future with Dr. Joachim G. Wüenning, president, WS Inc. and an expert in clean efficient combustion.
Many people view climate change as the biggest threat to mankind. Technical and social efforts will be required to meet the goals, formulated in the “Paris Climate Agreement,” to limit global warming to less than 35.6° F (2° C).
Combustion of fossil fuels is by far the largest human contribution to global warming. Fossil fuel-fired power plants and internal combustion engines are already in the public focus. The transformation to alternative drives for vehicles has just started, and the days of coal-fired power plants are numbered.
Combustion of fossil fuels for industrial furnaces is also a large contributor to greenhouse gases and air pollution. The industrial heating sector is not in the public focus yet, but that will change soon; therefore the topic should be addressed proactively.
For mid- to long-term future industrial process heating, there are three main scenarios:
heating with renewable electricity, or
heating with non-fossil fuels, or
a combination of both.
Humans used non-fossil fuels for hundreds of thousands of years and are returning to that habit after a short period of about 250 years where fossil fuels were primarily used.
Reducing CO2 Now and In the Future
Heating a furnace using electricity is locally CO2 free, but an even greater amount of CO2 is emitted at power plants since the majority of electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. For every kilowatt hour (kWh) produced, roughly one pound (~0.45kg) of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere [1]. This is true for Germany, and the figures for the United States are in the same range.
Heating an industrial furnace with a typical temperature of around 1832°F (1000°C) with natural gas produces about 0.4kg CO2 for every kWh of available heat for a cold air burner, and less than 0.25kg/kWh CO2 when using a recuperative or regenerative burner where waste heat is recovered using a heat exchanger.
So, the short-term measure to reduce CO2 emissions is to use an efficient burner with heat recovery or to switch from electric to natural gas heating, which can cut CO2 emissions by 50% or more.
For a further reduction, we have to wait until electricity generation becomes predominantly regenerative, or we have to use green, non-fossil fuels. The possible paths to non-fossil heating of industrial furnaces are drafted in Figure 1. It shows that the short-term action should be improving the efficiency of burner systems or a switch from electric to gas heating. In the mid- to long-term future, there should be a healthy competition between non-fossil fuel gas and electricity, driving the prices for non-fossil energy down.
Figure 1
Changing Fuel Compositions
The most relevant characteristic for the interchangeability of fuel gases is the Wobbe Index (Figure 2), with the lower or upper heating value (Hi, Hs), the density of the fuel gas (r) and the density of dry air (r0). Fuel gases with the same temperature, pressure, and the same Wobbe Index will provide the same energy output from a burner. If the Wobbe Index is changing, the flow must be corrected by changing the fuel gas pressure or a flow throttle device to keep the burner power constant.
Figure 2
In most cases, the air does not need to be corrected since the ratio between stoichiometric air ratio and lower heating value is about 0.95 m3/kWh for common hydrocarbons. That means that a burner with a given heating power needs the same amount of air even when different fuel gases are used. A good rule of thumb is that one cubic meter per hour of air is required for every kilowatt of heating power.
If hydrogen is used as a fuel, about 15% less air is required. So, when hydrogen is added to natural gas and the fuel gas flow is corrected but the air flow is left unchanged, the system would be operated with somewhat more excess air, slightly less efficient but safe.
If gas fluctuations will occur in the future, adjusting the burners with more excess air would be an easy measure to ensure safe operation. With an effective heat recovery system and low exhaust gas temperatures, efficiency losses would be minimal.
Fuel Gases With High Hydrogen Content or Pure Hydrogen
The flame speed of hydrogen is much faster compared to hydrocarbons. That can cause some problems, especially in premixed burners where a flashback can occur. Another challenge resulting from faster combustion could be higher flame peak temperature leading to higher thermal NOx emissions. Modern low NOx methods are available to address this problem.
A positive effect of hydrogen can be a more reliable and easier ignition of burner systems. Many industrial burner systems can be operated with high percentages of hydrogen or with pure hydrogen with little or reasonable modifications.
Fuel Gases Containing Fuel Bound Nitrogen
Using ammonia or bio-gases with fuel bound nitrogen will produce excessive amounts of NOx-emissions when burned in most burner systems. There are a number of options to achieve low NOx-combustion with fuel bound nitrogen.
One method is fuel conditioning where fuel bound nitrogen is broken up into molecular nitrogen. This was successfully demonstrated using a stainless steel reactor in combination with a flameless oxidation burner system.[2] Another method would be exhaust gas cleaning by selective (SCR) or non-selective (SNCR) catalytic exhaust gas cleaning. Both processes require large investments and operating costs and should only be used if other options are not available.
The development of combustion systems with integrated treatment of fuel bound nitrogen would be the preferred method and will be an important topic for combustion research in the coming years. One approach is multi-stage flameless oxidation [3].
Fuel Conditioning
Fuel conditioning might be required to keep fuel gas properties within regulated limits inside the gas transport and distribution grid or for certain customers with special requirements. Fuel conditioning can be performed by blending different gases or by changing their compositions by using reformers or gas separation units like pressure swing adsorption (PSA) or membrane technology.
If future regulations propose a certain hydrogen content in the fuel gas grid, strategically placed steam reformers could keep the hydrogen content within certain ranges, even if there is no regenerative electricity available to operate electrolysers.
Reformers could also crack ammonia, ethanol, or methanol before being used as fuel gas to heat processes.
Outlook
There are several options towards non-electric, fossil-free industrial process heating. All these options have to be thoroughly investigated to keep a number of options open for future energy systems. The energy system of the future will be based on regenerative power generation but it will involve additional energy carriers to store and transport the energy. There are some challenges for combustion but there is no doubt that these can be overcome.
A fair and open competition between the different energy options will create the best solutions for society and the planet. A planned economy will not provide the fertile soil for innovations and entrepreneurship necessary to meet the challenges.
References
[1] German Environment Agency, CO2 Grid Emission Factors from 1990 – 2018 for the German Energy Mix, March 2019
[2] Domschke T., Becker C., Wüenning J.G., Thermal Use of Off‐Gases with High Ammonia Content – a Combination of Catalytic Cracking and Combustion, Chem. Eng. Technol., 21: 726-730
About the Author: Joachim G. Wüenning is president of WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH and his area of expertise is in clean efficient combustion, FLOX—flameless oxidation, heat recovery, radiant tubes, and recuperative, regenerative burners. This article originally appeared in Heat Treat Today’sMarch 2020 Aerospace print edition.
Automotive part designs and heat treating processes have undergone many changes over the years, especially the powertrain. By looking back at the progress of these changes, we can learn more about emerging trends in automotive heat treating today.
In this Heat Treat Today Technical Tuesday feature,Bill Disler, president and CEO of AFC-Holcroft, brings his familiarity with big atmosphere carburizing systems and LPC automotive cell carburizing systems and looks at how the evolution of equipment and process requests says a lot about the trends we see today in automotive heat treating.
Although many components undergo heat treatment processes, the powertrain—specifically, gears— typically requires more carburizing time than other automotive parts. Not surprisingly, the powertrain has also seen many changes in heat treatment trends.
Not only have powertrain designs gone through tremendous transformations but so has the equipment being used to process those evolved components. Having spent years on the supplier side of atmosphere furnaces, vacuum carburizing, and gas quench as well as induction systems, I find it interesting to look back at some of the drivers that have helped morph this industry’s heat treat needs.
Traditional Continuous Atmosphere Furnace
Large atmosphere pusher furnaces produced nearly all of the powertrain gears 20+ years ago. Today, cellular low-pressure carburizing (LPC) and gas quench systems carry the load, although the results have not been cost saving. Moving from high volume gas heated carburizing equipment to small batch carburizing in electrically heated furnaces did not reduce utility costs per part; instead, other areas adjusted to compensate. Eliminating the expense of hard grinding transmission gears was an acceptable rationale for this increase in both capital expense and operating costs. Eventually, streamlining the overall gear manufacturing process, combined with locating heat treat within machining lines, produced positive measurable results. Plant traffic decreased, minimizing safety risks. Cooler and cleaner furnace systems were designed. And installations were made easier. Many agreed the changes were justified.
Integrated Vacuum Heat Treat Cells
As we look back, many of these drivers for change proved valid. Others, not so much. In most cases, consumer preference for quiet powertrains necessitates hard grinding of gears. Green is in and talk of the absolute need for zero intergranular oxidation (IGO) in carburized gears has slowed. LPC/Gas post quenched parts are perceived as cleaner and leaner; however, it is often difficult to differentiate green parts from processed parts, so it has become a best practice to add part marking after carburizing and hardening to avoid even the remote risk of sending soft parts down the line to the next stage of manufacturing. Shot peening is still common for strength reasons. The ability to nest large cellular LPC systems within machining has been a success, but rarely are the installations as quick and easy as promised.
Hybrid Furnace Concepts
Conventional atmosphere furnace technology has advanced as well, although at a slower pace, in step with a renewed interest in energy efficiency, particularly in the U.S. where gas is cheap and electric is not. Combustion systems operate cleaner and at much higher efficiency than in the past. Having said that, it is curious how little interest end users have in trading cost-saving gas-heated systems for the easier to install, neater looking electric heating options. In addition, it is no longer common to use water for cooling conventional atmosphere furnace systems as end users do not want to deal with the cost and complications that accompany this option. The market is polarized over this. LPC systems rely on large water volumes for cooling, and they are small batch, electrically heated systems. At the same time, gas quench systems consume huge quantities of water and require giant 300 HP plus motors that are tough to manage in plant power systems.
Flexible and Re-deployable Heat Treat Systems
It is my observation that the automotive market is anticipating the next iteration of heat treat equipment. One type of process or equipment style will not fit all needs, yet all hope for the perfect single part flow solution—an elusive dream due to physics. The cost/time equation still does not balance, and carburizing offers the benefits many manufacturers are looking for, despite the desire to design the process out of practice. Many automotive transmission parts that were originally processed in LPC and gas quenched now use gas nitriding instead, even though gas nitriding is another long process, and nitriding introduces ammonia back into the process—something most automotive plants are not enthusiastic to have in their plants. Two steps forward and one step back.
Repackaging Continuous Furnace Systems
With the widening range of processes and solutions under exploration, as well as ever changing powertrain systems designed to accommodate supplemental electric motors, lighter weights, smaller cars, and larger SUVs, all we can be certain of is ongoing change. I believe that we have witnessed major adjustments in automotive heat treat processing as the pendulum has swung from big, multi-row atmosphere pushers with salt or oil quench to electric-heated cellular LPC and gas quench units. One surprising result has been the resurgence of salt quenching, which controls distortion of high-pressure gas at a much lower cost with less complexity. Salt, like gas, is a single-phase quench media: It does not boil in these processes like oil does, and it can be used at temperatures that support martensitic quench with far less thermal shock and much higher heat transfer than the options. Older processes carry the baggage of tarnished past reputations, but I no longer count them out. Today’s automation, process control technology, and innovation can provide the foundation for brand new concepts, repackaging of older ideas, and hybrids of multiple technologies. Together, these create building blocks that heat treat equipment suppliers will use to meet changing trends in automotive carburizing and heat treatment. It will be interesting to be involved in the journey as these changes take place.
About the Author: Bill Disler is president and CEO of AFC-Holcroft, part of the Aichelin Group located in Vienna, Austria. He is a member of the Board of Trustees -Metal Treating Institute (MTI), and a member of the Board of Advisors at Lawrence Technical University, College of Engineering in Southfield, Michigan. This article originally appeared in Heat Treat Today’sJune 2019 Automotive print edition.
WS is well known when it comes to low NOx combustion of natural gas in industrial furnaces. By means of the patented FLOX® technology, WS burners can achieve NOx emissions lower than 0.07 #/MMBTU in most operating scenarios, which sets the benchmark for modern gas heated furnaces around the globe. The future, however, belongs to renewable energy sources. Aside from their ecological advantages, it is foreseeable that the economic benefits will become reality far sooner than previously predicted. Even more so, if external effects such as an adequate carbon tax are considered.
