Circle set for savings
15 Jan 2000
The 750-tonne rotary kilns at Blue Circle's Hope plant in the Peak District will soon be operated by variable-speed drives. The company has opted to fit Mitsubishi's 375kW MT-A140E units at the plant as part of a major upgrade programme.
Blue Circle is a long-standing user of Mitsubishi inverters. The past record of the company, and its partner Newton Tesla, were key factors in Blue Circle's choice, it says.
The Hope plant presents some peculiar challenges for electrical engineering - it's high up in the Peaks and is often struck by lightning. Because of this, the control system ensures that the plant can operate even when its communication links have been cut. The central plant control system operates on a closed loop which receives analogue and digital signals from remote motor control centres.
