Power Balance of Starting Process for Pipe Belt Conveyor Based on Master-Slave Control
An output power imbalance usually occurs in the driving motor of pipe belt conveyor due to the load disturbance and a variety of environmental interferences. This paper focuses on the operating condition of pipe belt conveyor where the head and tail with inclined angle are equipped with a motor separately. The discrete element method is used to propose a discrete model of the pipe belt conveyor, and its simulation model is established in the AMESim. According to the direct torque control method for the three-phase asynchronous motor, the principles for controlling the balance of dual-motor power are analyzed. A master-slave control strategy is proposed, where the master motor is controlled using a speed-given strategy and the slave motor is controlled using a torque-given strategy. A simulation model is built for the dual-motor driven system in the MATLAB-Simulink. After establishing a correlation between parameters through VS2010, a joint simulation model was established for the control system of the pipe belt conveyor. Simulation analysis and field test of the starting process are performed. Results of comparison with the traditional master-slave control strategy demonstrate the ability of the proposed method to balance the master-slave motor power of the pipe belt conveyor more effectively.
Networked Electric Drives in the Industry 4.0
Industrial automation has been recently challenged by new initiatives such as Industry 4.0, which promises higher connectivity between the devices in an industrial plant. The goal of this work is to discuss how electric drives, widely employed in industry, could benefit from this increased connectivity. Specific applications, such as condition monitoring and multi-drive systems, are considered to show the advantages of the industrial network presence, combined with the introduction of new data driven methods. Moreover, the status of industrial communication technologies is depicted, and their suitability for condition monitoring and multi-drive systems applications is described.
Acoustic diagnosis of driving belt physical condition in enclosures
Timing belt transmission is a key subsystem of international combustion engines. Faults in such belt systems lead to power loss, increased emissions and, in case of failure, may even cause severe damage to the whole engine. Hitherto, the physical condition of the belt has been assessed manually, which is both inconvenient and inaccurate. It is well known that driving belts emit noise according to parametrical conditions such as speed of rotation, tension, structural integrity, etc. The analysis of belt behaviour and subsequent diagnosis of potential failure should preferably be carried out using non contact methods and, as such, acoustic diagnostic stands out as a promising method. One added problem in the diagnosis process is the noise generated by the engine and the acoustic behaviour of the enclosure where the measurement is taking place. This study investigates new approaches to measuring and analysing the acoustic emission from a belt at different conditions inside an enclosure. Techniques employing a combination of microphones in directional near-field and omni-directional elsewhere are used in order to obtain a better signal. Transfer function measurement techniques are applied in order to separate belt noise from engine noise and the acoustic response of the enclosure. The method allows the extraction of useful diagnostic information about the condition of the belt and indicates areas for further research.