least one commercial caster has taken up his technology (a govern- ment supported research center that could not be reached for comment), it probably wasn’t for environmental or energy reduction reasons. Via current technologies, creating micro- waves is a less energy efficient way to conduct heat than, for example, direct induction melting. “You lose 50% in the magnetron,
compared to induction melting,” Reid said.
Te benefits of the technology, Reid
said, would be for low budget start-ups looking for a quick and easy way to create an ad hoc furnace. As for the government research center? Reid believes they have an ulterior motive for using the technology. “You are heating a very small amount of refractory and contami- nating less material,” he said. “If you have to melt radioactive materials, by using the microwave system, you would have a lot less contamination of material.”
Could it work?
Solar Melting
Kinley alternately calls his solar melting system Prometheus and the Kinley Dual Mirror System. Te two- stage solar concentrator is capable of focusing sunlight to produce tempera- tures in excess of 3,632F (2,000C). It’s essentially two large mirrors that reflect light to a tiny point, concentrat- ing it on the intended target—think kids in the schoolyard burning ants with a magnifying glass. Kinley’s research began on the
internet, where he found a physics paper indicating his idea could work. He then learned the U.S. Navy had a facility in which they were able to emulate the heat of a nuclear blast with the power of the sun. “It takes minutes to get [metal]
melted,” Kinley said. “It depends on the hour we’re melting, but we can melt pewter in less than a minute. It’s amazing.” Prometheus is also fitted with a
tracking device that follows the direc- tion of the sun and allows it to operate at optimum efficiency, regardless of the time of day.
Problems and Prospects Te Prometheus system’s capabili-
ties are still limited in scope—it can be used only to melt small batches and produce small castings (exact sizes were not divulged). But Kinley says he has successfully melted a variety of materials, including lead, zinc, aluminum, bronze and iron, and his team is working with sev- eral organizations to try to push the research further. Kinley believes that with the appropriate funding, he’ll be able to make the technology viable on a production scale. Nevertheless, one problem will
never be solved—the sun doesn’t shine 24 hours a day. “It would be hard to use it on the midnight shift, so it needs coor- dinating around daylight hours,” Kinley said.
Could it work?
ONLINE RESOURCE
For more information on the Prometheus project or to become involved with the project, visit
www.lunenburgfoundry. com and click on “LIFE Prometheus.”
Eagle Alloy has piped gas (50% methane, 50% carbon dioxide) from a landfill 6.7 miles away for several years now. It uses the fuel as a substitute for natural gas.
26 | MODERN CASTING April 2011
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