The primary objective of the FUME project is to develop in-depth competence in the area of fugitive emissions of materials to internal and external environment and energy. The built-up competence will be applied to reduce emissions:
- through direct process improvements based on a fundamental understanding of emission generation mechanisms
- through improvement of equipment for emission reduction and capture with respect to the working environment
- to better utilize low- and high temperature waste energy in integrated process solutions.
The project activities range from laboratory scale experiments to e.g.: understand the formation of dust from a smelt to full scale experiments at the involved plants. A CFD model has been developed accounting for the governing mechanisms for fume generation. The model compares well with industrial measurements and small scale experiments under isothermal conditions and low O2 concentrations. The modelling concept can be used for assessing strategies for reducing fume formation. The projects also incorporates the development and utilization of new measurement techniques and their industrial application, one example is measurement of dust concentration, texture and particle size distribution in the work environment and gases leaving the building through gates and hallways.
Within the project comprehensive measurement campaigns are performed to establish the current level of material and energy emissions from the process to the work environment. Measurement campaigns are accompanied by extensive CFD-studies to improve understanding of the major effects and to develop cost efficient solutions to improve the interior and anterior environment. Emission reduction measures developed during the project are installed at several plants and verification is on-going.
Exergy analysis of silicon and manganese production has been performed, the analysis give insight in which part of the process from ore to metal energy consumption is excessively and this information where it might be cost efficient to improve the process.
The project is financed jointly by the research Council of Norway and the Norwegia Ferroalloy Producers Research AssociationFFF, including Elkem, Finnfjord, Fesil, GlencoreXstrata and Wacker Chemicals.