Exploring industrial drives, power supplies, and energy solutions to reduce peak power usage and installation costs, and to promote overall system efficiency
The manufacturing world is changing. With more plants incorporating automated machines and systems that promote flexibility and energy efficiency, power and energy management systems are a critical part of this equation. As companies look to prioritize sustainability, optimize their energy usage, and monitor consumption patterns, automated factories can benefit from power and energy systems that can:
- Stabilize the grid
- Manage and reduce peak loads
- Store excess energy generated during low-demand periods
- Monitor energy consumption, increasing process transparency
- Come to a safe, controlled stop after a power outage
- Reduce the gauge size of cabling
As it stands, there is an opportunity to achieve these objectives using a modular and intelligent approach to managing power and energy for industrial drives. The technologies include a combination of inverters, capacitors, regenerative energy modules, and a DC link coupling that optimizes the drive system’s energy, reduces peak loads, and lowers installation, operating, and infrastructure costs.
An alternative to conventional drive technology with brake resistors, which convert all electrical energy into unusable heat, this power and energy management solution uses and stores energy, making it available to the drive system during normal operation without burdening the supply grid, as well as during power failures. The result: greater system availability, flexibility, and scalability at a lower cost, allowing you to keep pace with the evolving manufacturing landscape.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNOLOGY
Part of the MOVI-C® modular automation system, this power and energy management system is suitable for machines that involve dynamic accelerations and decelerations, which waste energy during braking and spike energy during startup. Control cabinet inverters compensate for peaks by temporarily storing the braking energy generated by the machine or system, and then making the energy available as needed. This technology stabilizes the energy flow and reduces spikes. Designers no longer have to design their machines and systems around power peaks. Instead, they can design their systems according to average power using smaller, lighter-weight connections, wire sizes, and control cabinet components.
Advantages of this inverter technology:
Reduced power peaks. The storage capacitors in the DC link provide most of the required peak power, reducing energy, connection and control cabinet costs. For example, instead of requiring a supply system cable with a size of 75 mm2, a 75-kilowatt (kW) system will now need a 6-mm2 cable.
Uninterrupted system operation. Rotational energy, combined with the energy in the storage capacitors, serve as an uninterruptible power supply. This energy is used to power the drives, motor brakes and 24-volt (V) level PLC.
Reduced harmonic load in the grid. This inverter system achieves a power factor of 0.95. From as low as 20 percent of the nominal power, the power factor is 0.09. Even under difficult connection conditions, this system does not put the grid under further strain.
Ease of maintenance. By using capacitor storage units instead of chemical batteries, this power and energy management system can be completely discharged to 0 V for setup, service, maintenance, and transport tasks.
Online monitoring. Users can configure energy meters, which are triggered by external events. Measurement technology integrated into the hardware also provides full transparency of power, performance, and energy consumption.
Greater availability. This comprehensive power and energy management solution increases system and machine availability and — under certain operating states — makes operation possible in the first place.
Greater scalability. Thanks to its use of various capacitor storage units, this technology scales over a wide energy range: 2 to 10,000 kW. Because the devices are modular in nature, there are few limits to its possible applications.
Connection to external DC supply systems. The DC link connects bi-directionally to external DC supply systems using a DC-DC converter.
Measurement data for ISO 50001 systems. Users can integrate the power supply modules, which measure performance data and provide energy meter readings, into ISO 50001 energy management systems.
Easy connectivity. This technology can connect to higher-level controllers via PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and Modbus/TCP. In addition, selection, installation, startup and operation are quick and easy, thanks to engineering tools and prefabricated MOVIKIT® software modules.
Figure 1: Inverter technology from SEW-EURODRIVE for a cold storage facility.
Figure 2: Reducing the peak power in an automated lifting.
MOVING TOWARD THE MODULAR FACTORY
Modern factories must be more flexible than ever — especially as manufacturers face mounting pressures to expand digitalization, increase throughput, support sustainability, and meet ever-changing customer requirements. Power and energy management technologies must take these various developments into account in a way that optimizes the energy consumption of automated systems, unlocking new productivity, sustainability and economic benefits.
Learn more about Power and Energy Management solutions online here.
ABOUT SEW-EURODRIVE
SEW-EURODRIVE is a leading manufacturer of gear units, motors, and automation control systems. Our extensive line of products includes a full line of drives and controls for use in the food and beverage, packaging and supply chain industries.
Talk with a local SEW-EURODRIVE Rep today to learn more!
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