Energy Resilient Manufacturing 2: Small is Beautiful Phase 2 (SIB2)

背景：将“小即是美”的概念应用到保守的相对低技术含量的制造业中是一个重大挑战，在过去十年中，“规模经济”的论点一直被用来建立更多所谓的高效工艺线。英国处于铸造技术的前沿，EPSRC在Brunel投资了LiME CIM和新的研究中心，专注于开发一种新的破坏性熔体处理工艺，特别是针对回收合金，以及由劳斯莱斯和EPSRC资助的新型高温合金研究实验室的MTC。制造专业知识，包括铸造，在超级合金，钛，铜，铝和新合金，巩固在设计和节能终端产品的进步。这项研究对全球航空航天和汽车行业至关重要，但并没有从系统的角度具体解决能源和可持续性挑战。因此，铸造过程的能源效率只以有限的方式进行了研究，例如，以前EPSRC资助的项目（Jolly (PI) EP/G060096/1/2）铸造工业的节能。自从那份提案被写出来并进行研究以来，整个能源格局都发生了变化。“能量收集”和“可持续性和循环经济设计”的新概念已经发展起来，捕获低品位的热量现在是一个重要的概念。目的和目标：这个项目的目的是将“小即是美”的概念引入一个保守的相对低技术的制造业，在过去的十年里，“规模经济”的论点已经被用来建立更多所谓的高效工艺线。这将是一个重大挑战。新的理念，“小即是美”，从鼓励使用高质量的原料开始，只熔化需要的东西，只在需要的时候熔化。内部废料的再循环不一定是可以接受的，但提高产量的目标是可以接受的。鼓励采用反重力铸造方法来提高产量和提高质量，并鼓励从凝固中回收低品位的热量。在可行性研究结果的推动下，该项目将致力于开发一种方法和建模工具包，以实现真正的能源弹性制造，通过最大化利润的工艺路线，以最小的能源和材料使用量，以最大的成品率生产铸件，同时准确及时地满足客户需求。与现有方法相比，该方法和工具包将通过能源、材料和制造过程链的集成和全过程模型，确定这些经常相互冲突的目标之间的最佳平衡。潜在的应用和好处：该项目将通过开发一种软件工具来实现这一目标，该软件工具将采用一种新的哲学/方法和度量标准，用于在铸造厂的整个过程中处理材料和能源，使用计算机数值过程模拟来支持决策。该项目还将研究从充电材料到废热和过程中的能源的整个能源链，并确定清除废热的机会以及与整个过程相关的成本。因此，这将使成本/效益分析得以进行，从而使公司能够在很早的阶段就设计、材料和工艺做出明智的决定。

Context: Applying the concept of "small is beautiful" into a conservative relatively low technology manufacturing sector where the "economies of scale" argument has been used for the last decade to build ever more so-called efficient process lines is a major challenge. The UK is at the forefront of casting technologies with investment by EPSRC at Brunel, in the LiME CIM and new Research Hub focused on developing a novel disruptive melt treatment process especially aimed at recycled alloys, and at the MTC in the New High Temperature Alloy research laboratory part funded by Rolls-Royce and EPSRC. Manufacturing expertise, including casting, in super-alloys, titanium, copper, aluminium and new alloys, underpins advancements in design and energy-efficiency of the end product. This research is vital for the global aerospace and automotive industries but doesn't specifically address the Energy and sustainability challenges from a systems viewpoint. Thus the energy efficiency of the casting process has only been investigated in a limited fashion, for example by a previous EPSRC funded project (Jolly (PI) EP/G060096/1/2) Energy Saving in the Foundry Industry. Since that proposal was written and the research carried out the whole energy landscape has changed. New concepts of "energy harvesting" and "design for sustainability and the circular economy" have been developed and capturing low grade heat is now an important concept.Aims & Objectives: The aim of this project is to introduce the concept of "small is beautiful" into a conservative relatively low technology manufacturing sector where the "economies of scale" argument has been used for the last decade to build ever more so-called efficient process lines. This will be a major challenge. The new philosophy, "small is beautiful", starts by encouraging the use of high quality feedstock, only melting what is required and only when it is required. Recycling of internal scrap is not necessarily acceptable but an aim for higher yields is. Applying counter gravity casting methods to improve yield and give enhanced quality is encouraged as is the recovery low grade heat from solidification.Driven by the findings in the feasibility study the project will aim to develop a methodology and a modelling toolkit, to enable true energy resilient manufacture with the production of castings at maximum yield rates with minimal energy and material usage through process routes that maximise profit, while meeting customer needs accurately and timely. In contrast to existing approaches the methodology and toolkit will determine the optimal balance between those often conflicting objectives through integrated and through-process models of the energy, materials and manufacturing process chains. Potential Applications and Benefits: The project will achieve this by the development of a software tool incorporating a new philosophy/methodology and metric for the handling of materials and energy throughout the process in foundries using computer numerical process simulation to support the decision making. The project will also look at the full energy chain from charge materials through to waste heat and energy in the process and identify the opportunities for scavenging waste heat and the costs associated with the whole process. This will therefore enable cost/benefit analysis to be undertaken so that companies will be able to make informed decisions about design, material and process at a very early stage.