Sustainable production of cellulose-based materials for the electrical power transmission equipment

Purpose and goal:

The primary objective of the project was to assess the feasibility of utilizing neutron imaging as a means for Hitachi Energy to investigate water and steam transport during the hot pressing process of thick sheets of cellulose fibres in the production of pressboard for transformers. To accomplish this, the project focused on developing an appropriate experimental setup and conducting measurements on the FISH neutron imaging instrument at the Hoger Onderwijs Reactor (HOR), which the Delft University of Technology operates.

Expected results and effects:

The project delivered the expected proof-of-concept for the possibility of using neutron imaging to investigate the industrial process. The obtained results can be utilized for the validation of numerical simulations, which, in combination with the data generated from the neutron experiment, will enable Hitachi Energy to enhance the understanding of the process, thus contributing to a reduced carbon footprint. As a result of the project, a longer and more comprehensive research study is now being planned.

Approach and implementation:

The project was conducted in three stages, where the first two, through numerical simulation and mechanical design analysis, resulted in an experimental setup for neutron imaging that mimics the conditions of the industrial process. In the third stage, measurements were performed on the FISH neutron imaging instrument at the HOR reactor. The final results were obtained using a simplified setup based on what was found to be feasible during the actual experiments on FISH.