Solvay Portugal: Plate Bus-bar 20,000 A, 250 V DC.

Gecsa has obtained the order for a plate bus-bar for the electrochemical plant that the multinational Solvay has in Póvoa de Sta. Iria, near Lisbon.Solvay Portugal, with the installation of 8 new electrolysis vats, intends to broaden its chlorine derivative production capacity and access new markets. In this way it intends to continue with the plant modernisation process previously begun with the elimination of mercury from the manufacturing process.

The installation to be undertaken at the beginning of September 2002 will be the pilot project for a future increase to a total of 32 electrolytic vats. The order obtained by Gecsa consists of the design, manufacture and all inclusive assembly of a 200 x 15 mm plate bus-bar. This bus bar begins at the output terminal of the existing rectifier and accesses the electrolysis area where it is distributed to feed each one of the aforementioned vats. One novelty of this bus-bar can be found in the installation of a measurement shunt and a mV/mA converter for each one of the vats.

These elements, which are installed on-line and connected to a PC, will give information in real time regarding the rate intensity in each of the electrolysis stations.

Ugine Savoi: Water cooled cables and adaptation components

Gecsa has obtained a new order from the French plant that produces stainless steel and which belongs to the new Acerlor group. The new project forms part of the 3 phases of improvement of the existing installations: - Furnace 3: The furnace in which Gecsa installed the new bus-bar and water cooled cables in 2001.

In August 2002 Gecsa will improve the electric capacity of the furnace with the installation of copper components which will allow approach between phases.

- Furnace 1 (stage 1): This is the other arc furnace that they have at their disposition. In August 2002 Gecsa will substitute the current cables for water cooled cables. In the same way, it will install some copper components for the adaptation of the new cables, which will also allow the furnace cables to be approached, both on the transformer side and on the arms.

- Furnace 1 (stage 2): This order has been come about recently and refers to the change of the current plate bus-bar for a water cooled pipe bus-bar similar to that installed in furnace 3. This assembly is expected to be carried out in August 2003. This order has been made possible following several visits to the client and many hours invested in the analysis of the data used and theoretical calculations made.

Gecsa has obtained from the firm Ferroatlántica a new order for two tubular bus-bars for installation in the plant that Ferroatlántica owns in the Cantabrian town of Boo de Guarnizo. This order forms part of an ambitious remodelling project undertaken by Ferroatlántica in order to update its ferroalloy furnaces.

This order for new bus bars is similar to that for the bus-bar installed last February in the plant that the same firm owns in Cee (A Coruña). The contract type, as on the previous occasion, is "turn key". The project consists of the substitution of the current aluminium plate bus-bar for a new tubular bus-bar, which allows the density of the current being transported to be considerably increased.

This new bus-bar has been designed using small-diameter copper pipes, 16 pipes per phase. The order is completed with the manufacture of the mobile bus-bar with connection to the electrodes shoes. With this order, Gecsa commits itself to the following terms with regard to the above mentioned company: ¨ Complete development of the basic and detailed engineering. ¨ Manufacture of tubular bus bar, made with 16 copper pipes for each of the three phases. ¨ Manufacture of amagnetic supports and isolators for the bus bar, joining plates, equipotential joints, flexible connection pieces, water cooled cables, etc. ¨ Spare parts for the start-up. ¨

Packing, Transport and Assembly of all the aforementioned equipment. It is expected that the whole of the first installation will be up and running by the end of 2003 and the second installation at the beginning of 2004.

- Last up-date of this page: April 2009