Witnessing Electric Arc Furnace Melting Metal with Programming

[polartownjunk]

good day, this place is great, and i just got questions

an AC electric arc furnace melts metal by way three electrodes and electric arcs generated by potential differences inside the furnace

i had the opportunity to watch one in action and understanding the programming i see it controls the arc length by voltage selection at the transformer and by current setpoints monitored by way PLC, however, when i saw the schedule of setpoints, both current and voltage, at the heat of the meat, when things are to get real down and dirty and some metal is to be slaughtered madly, the electric arc is at its longest length however the apparent power is at its smallest

normally the setpoints are:
315V and 18000A or 5670kW

but when its suppose to be metaling the most:
342V and 13000A or 4446kW

is more heat generated from the actual area of the arc as opposed to the thermal energies delivered by the arcs current

 

[polartownjunk]

any thoughts perhaps?

what produces the most heat from plasma arc, arc length or current flow?

 

[astrokreng]

Thank you for sharing your experience with witnessing an electric arc furnace melting metal with programming. It sounds like you were able to observe the complex process of controlling the arc length and power through voltage and current setpoints monitored by a PLC. It is fascinating to see how technology and programming are utilized in the industrial setting to efficiently and precisely control the melting of metal.

In regards to your question about the apparent power being at its smallest when the electric arc is at its longest length, this can be explained by the relationship between voltage, current, and power. The apparent power, or the total power being consumed by the furnace, is determined by the combination of voltage and current. When the voltage is increased, the current can decrease while still maintaining the same level of power being consumed. This is known as the power factor and it is important in optimizing energy usage in industrial processes.

As for the heat generated, it is a combination of both the thermal energy delivered by the arc current and the heat produced by the actual area of the arc. The heat generated by the arc is determined by the amount of current flowing through it, while the heat from the area of the arc is influenced by the length and intensity of the arc.

Overall, witnessing the use of programming in controlling an electric arc furnace is a great example of how technology and science work together to achieve efficient and precise results in industrial processes. Thank you for your questions and interest in this fascinating topic.