The annual China Iron and Steel Industry Association (CISA) and China Metals Society Metallurgical Science and Technology Awards have finally been announced! After a rigorous review process, the "R&D and Application of 1780mm Tandem Cold Rolling Mill AC-DC-AC Transmission System" jointly developed by Handan Iron and Steel Group, Hopewind Electric, Metallurgical Automation Design and Research Institute, and Beijing Shougang Group stood out among many declared projects, won the first prize of "2021 Metallurgical Science and Technology Award".

The Metallurgical Science and Technology Award was founded in 2000 by the China Iron and Steel Industry Association and the China Metal Society. It is the highest technology award in the metallurgical industry officially approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Its related achievements have promoted the technological progress and innovation development of steel, non-ferrous metals and other metallurgical industries.

Overcoming difficulties 

Facilitate the localization of AC-DC-AC Variable Frequency Drive   

      The iron and steel industry is the basic industry of China's national economy, covering a wide range of fields, providing power support for its high-quality development and the rapid development of the national economy. However, China's steel industry currently has a relatively low investment in research and development, lack of mastery of some key technologies and core equipment manufacturing capabilities, and long-term dependence on imports. There is a big gap compared with the products and technology of international giants.

      Based on this foundation, Hopewind Electric and the above-mentioned three groups or institutions jointly launched the "R&D and Application of 1780mm Tandem Cold Rolling Mill AC-DC-AC Transmission System" project to carry out the research and development and localization of key technologies and core equipment to make up for the domestic gap in the manufacture of variable frequency drives for tandem cold rolling mills, and strive to improve the high-level technology of steel.

Relying on years of industry experience and technical research, the team has successively overcome the high-precision and high-dynamic requirements of cold rolling mills, IGCT current protection problems, rolling mill transmission high-power, large overload problems, etc., and successfully developed the first domestic cold-rolling high-power set AC-DC-AC frequency conversion system. Among them, the main technologies such as speed control accuracy, torque response, and overcurrent pre-judgment protection of domestic frequency conversion devices passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements of China Iron and Steel Industry Association on December 20, 2020. The evaluation committee agreed that the high-power IGCT AC-DC-AC variable frequency speed regulation device and key technology “have reached the international advanced level as a whole, among which the IGCT inverter protection technology is internationally leading.” It satisfies the steel production process and equipment quality requirements, effectively reduce the cost of steel enterprises and brings significant economic benefits.

Breakthrough key technologies

Promote the widespread application of innovations

Since 2012, Hopewind Electric has carried out in-depth technical research in multiple fields based on a number of "National Science and Technology Support Programs" and "National Key R&D Programs". The self-developed HD8000 series is a set of high-power frequency conversion speed regulation systems developed based on IGCT technology, which has been widely used in large-scale steel rolling processes such as cold rolling mills, high-speed wire rolling mills, seamless steel pipe rolling mills, and hot continuous rolling mills. For the steel rolling enterprises to further significantly create benefits, it has also been highly recognized by users of well-known steel rolling enterprises such as Shougang, Baotou Steel, Wuhan Iron and Steel, and Shagang.

In the field of large industrial transmission, the project technology is not limited to the iron and steel industry, but also for the West-East Gas Pipeline compressor drive, offshore wind power generation, large-scale test bench, high-speed gas turbine power generation, rail transit, ship propulsion, mine lifting, pumped water storage Energy, shore power and other industries provide smart, green, low-carbon, energy-saving core frequency conversion devices and key technologies. Contribute to global high-end manufacturing and applications!