Steel Mills
AK Steel Awarded $1.8 Million Grant from Dept. of Energy
Written by Sandy Williams
December 21, 2016
AK Steel has been awarded a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a new grade of energy efficient steel for electric motors.
Under the scope of the project AK Steel will explore different chemical compositions added in to the existing composition of standard electrical steels to increase the resistivity of electrical steels. The target is to realize a potential savings of 11.8 gigawatt hours per year (GWhr/yr).
“AK Steel is pleased to be considered for this collaborative agreement to develop innovative grades of electrical steel for use in electric motors,” said a spokesperson for AK Steel. “This work is consistent with our ongoing research and production of electrical steels for use in the electrical grid, and for other uses such as motors for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.”
The Department of Energy is providing nearly $25 million for 13 projects related to advancing technologies for energy-efficient electric motors. Among the recipients are American Superconductor Corp., Carnegie Mellon, Purdue University and the University of Houston.
Four topic areas were identified by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE):
- Manufacturing of high performance thermal and electrical conductors
- Manufacturing of low-loss silicon steel
- High temperature superconducting wire manufacturing
- Manufacturing of other enabling technologies to increase performance.
“Advancing these enabling technologies has the potential to boost the competitiveness of American manufacturers and take the development of more efficient electric machines a giant step further,” said Mark Johnson, director of the EERE Advanced Manufacturing Office.
The new technologies will also improve motor efficiency for the clean energy sector, including wind, solar, electric vehicle and battery manufacturers.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
Primetals to replace two EAFs at US mill
Primetals Technologies will be replacing two electric-arc furnaces at a steel mill in the US with one more energy-efficient furnace.
Nippon’s Mori meets with Pa. Gov. Shapiro: Report
Nori, a top Nippon Steel official, met on Tuesday with Pennsylvania's governor, to discuss its proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel.
Nippon won’t import slabs to US if U.S. Steel deal goes through
Nippon Steel has affirmed that if its $14.9-billion bid for U.S. Steel proves successful, the Japanese steelmaker will not import overseas-produced slabs to the US.
AISI: Raw steel production falls to 5-week low
Domestic raw steel mill production slipped to a five-week low last week, according to the latest figures released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Weekly production is now at the third-lowest level recorded this year.
Nucor maintains HR price at $750/ton
Nucor’s weekly consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil was unchanged week on week (w/w) at $750 per short ton (st) on Monday, Nov. 18.