This week, Dynapower’s president, Adam Knudsen, visited ASARCO in Tucson, Arizona to discuss future projects. A subsidiary of Groupo Mexico, one of the major copper producers in the world, ASARCO’s copper refinery process is powered by Dyanpower’s high power rectifier.
Dynapower is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of chopper and thyristor rectifiers for mining and electrowinning applications. Most electrowinning units consist of a tank, pump, and rectifier, making Dynapower’s equipment a key piece of the process. Copper ores are placed in the tank and electrolytic solution is pumped in. The rectifier shocks the tank with electrical current, and the ores come together to form large plates ready for market.
One of the world’s most important natural resources, copper appears in a wide range of applications from cookware, to plumbing, to roofs. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that every American born in 2008 will use 1,309 pounds of copper during their lifetime for necessities, lifestyles and health. Dynapower uses a great amount of copper in its own equipment.
Copper also plays a significant role in sustainable energy innovation, due to its superior electrical and thermal conductivity. Up to 50,000kW of primary energy is saved over the life cycle of a system for each additional kilogram of copper used. Furthermore, copper can be 100 percent recycled with no loss in performance.
