| Description |
Despite the fact that scrap metal recycling is a profitable industry, there are limitations to the methods currently being used to sort the scrap. Particle sizes below 2.5~cm present the biggest challenge for current sorting technologies. This limitation creates a need for an improved technique to sort scrap metal. Electrodynamic Sorting, which uses stationary magnets with a time-varying magnetic field, is investigated as a tool that can overcome these limitations within the scope of this paper. The objective of this thesis is to provide insight into the properties governing Electrodynamic Sorting. This thesis explores the relationship between power and frequency for two different kinds of magnets. The end results show that the magnets, which are made of different materials, both had a parabolic fit when power was plotted against current as well as when power was plotted against frequency. Another contribution from this work is a comparison of force predictions determined mathematically and the force measured experimentally. With current held constant while frequency was varied, the ejection force on a particle placed within a gapped toroid magnet was measured and plotted against a mathematically predicted plot. The results of the measurements agree with the predicted plot for various size, shape, and types of nonferrous materials used. This information allows us to make some inferences about this Electrodynamic Sorting technique and its potential use in industry. |
