Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Development of Muffle Furnace for Melting Alloys

Abstract

Energy efficient furnace for melting of alloys is crucial requirement for an industry for sustainable growth. An enclosed structure in which material can be heated to very high temperatures for melting metals. In this work authors have made attempt to design and develop energy efficient electrical muffle furnace for melting of aluminium alloys which provides even heat distribution in furnace with help of cylindrical shaped muffle. Muffle along with an electrical resistance wire coil in the chamber walls are heated and heat the metal of that chamber radiantly by all of the side, so that the material being heated has no acquaintances with flame. Designing of muffle furnace has based on material to be melt and melting temperature. Recently most of muffle furnaces are having square or rectangular shaped muffle but in this type of muffle even heat distribution cannot be achieved. With the proposed design electricity consumption target is approximately 2.5 KW in less time for designed specification environment, which is lesser than commercial furnaces. Hence, heating time of metal and cost of these type of muffle furnace has enormously reduces than furnace which is currently available in the market. With less consumption of energy for same heat output leads the path for sustainable manufacturing of casting also.