A method is outlined that can be adopted for measuring the power demand by moulding sand mixers using a dedicated computer system enabling the monitoring and recording of instantaneous voltage and current levels of power taken up by foundry machines and installations. This system allows the operational parameters of electric-powered devices to be effectively monitored. Of particular importance is the energy efficiency level. Monitoring of the machine operation is also required for evaluation of the sand preparation processes. The methodology of measurements and processing of measurement data is explained using the example of a state-of-the-art rotary mixer for laboratory applications. Tests have confirmed the adequacy and good performance of the microprocessor system used in measurements, allowing the energy efficiency parameters of the mixer drive to be determined. The fundamental aspects involved in power demand monitoring include: optimisation and control of the mixing process, taking into account the sand quality and mixer performance. It has to be emphasised that the measurement results can be also utilised in optimisation of the machine's constructional and operational features. Tests confirm that variations of moisture content in sand can impact on selected power energy parameters.Keywords: foundry engineering, foundry machines, moulding sand mixers W artykule przedstawiono metodykę pomiarów poboru mocy przez mieszarki masy formierskiej, z zastosowaniem oryginalnego komputerowego systemu przeznaczonego do monitorowania i rejestracji chwilowych wartości napięć, prądów i mocy pobieranej przez odlewnicze maszyny i urządzenia. System ten umożliwia kontrolę eksploatacyjnych parametrów urządzeń o napędzie elektrycznym. Istotnym parametrem jest energochłonność. Poprzez monitorowanie pracy urządzeń, możliwa jest również ocena procesu technologicznego sporządzania masy formierskiej. Metodykę pomiarów oraz sposób analizy wybranych wyników omówiono na przykładzie badań nowoczesnej, wirnikowej mieszarki laboratoryjnej. Przeprowadzone badania potwierdziły funkcjonalność i przydatność zastosowanego w pomiarach mikroprocesorowego systemu. Umożliwia on określenie szeregu istotnych parametrów z punktu widzenia energochłonności pracy napędów mieszarki. Podstawowe, istotne aspekty monitoringu poboru mocy to: optymalizacja i kontrola procesu mieszania, uwzględniająca jakość sporządzanej masy formierskiej oraz ocenę poprawności pracy mieszarki. Podkreślenia wymaga również możliwość wykorzystania wyników pomiarów w optymalizacji konstrukcji i eksploatacji urządzenia. W badaniach potwierdzono wpływ zmiany wilgotności masy na wybrane parametry energetyczne.
Applications of Monitoring of Electric Power Parameters to Performance Evaluation of a Model Vacuum-Assisted Moulding Installation Vacuum conditions in foundry installations are generated using electric-driven vacuum pumps. The purpose of the experiment is to evaluate the performance of a vacuum-assisted system for compaction of moulding sand basing on registered plots of selected electric power parameters of the power-supplying system of the pumps. Model testing done on an experimental vacuum system installation, power-supplied from a system incorporating the recorders of instantaneous current and voltage values. Following the numerical procedure, the experimental data are analysed to yield mathematical relationships between the variations of the generated vacuum pressure levels and variations of selected electric power parameters. Registered and computed values of selected parameters: instantaneous and RMS voltage and current values, active, reactive and apparent power levels and power coefficient allow for diagnosing the adequacy and reliability of the system operation. According to the authors, the applied monitoring of the power parameters of a vacuum-assisted installation may become an effective and easy practical method of evaluating the performance of such installations, used also in foundry plants.
Foundry resistance furnaces are thermal devices with a relatively large time delay in their response to a change in power parameters. Commonly used in automation classical PID controllers do not meet the requirements of high-quality control. Developed in recent years, fuzzy control theory is increasingly being used in various branches of economy and industry. Fuzzy controllers allow to introduce new developments in control systems of foundry furnaces as well. Correctly selected fuzzy controller can significantly reduce energy consumption in a controlled thermal process of heating equipment. The article presents a comparison of energy consumption by control system of foundry resistance furnace, equipped with either a PID controller or fuzzy controller optimally chosen.
Investigations of operating parameters of widely used sand mixers reveal a wide variability range in the values of parameters associated with their power demand. Power efficiency of manufacturing processes has received a great deal of attention lately, which encourages the research efforts to optimise this aspects of operation of machines and installations as well. In the first place these machines and installations have to work properly as a part of the process line- which applies also to moulding sand mixers. Experiments conducted by the authors suggest that the same goal can be achieved at variable energy input levels. To obtain information about the power demands of sand mixers requires the use of highly specialised equipment, methodology and result processing procedures. This study provides a brief characteristic of measurement equipment and results of measurements taken on a unit AG-015 (based on a roller mixer) and a laboratory rotor mixer.
Calculation of charge burden to foundry furnaces by computing the proportions of particular charge materials is a most complicated task as a variety of technological aspects have to be considered. For practical and economic reasons, this problem is typically solved using computer-based optimisation methods, the main criterion being the optimal amount of charge materials related to the lowest costs of the burden. The problem is further complicated when the chemical composition of the charge materials is not accurately defined. So far the calculations of the charge burden were performed in order to work out the detailed melt procedure, which was to be modified and corrected by the trial and error method in subsequent melt processes.An algorithm has been developed for use in calculating the charge burden depending on the target chemical composition of the casting alloy. Of particular importance is the application of the algorithm when the process conditions are changeable.Keywords: burden calculation, melting optimization, control weighting of charge materials Wyznaczanie namiaru wsadu do pieców odlewniczych, metodą obliczeń udziału poszczególnych materiałów wsadowych jest zadaniem złożonym z powodu znacznej liczby założeń technologicznych. Ze względów merytorycznych, praktycznych i ekonomicznych dąży się takiego zadania za pomocą komputerowych metod optymalizacyjnych, w których uwzględnia się kryterium optymalnej ilości materiałów przy najniższym koszcie całkowitym namiaru. Problem złożoności zadań jest tym większy im bardziej skład chemiczny materiałów wsadowych jest nieprecyzyjny. Dotychczas obliczanie namiaru wsadu było zazwyczaj realizowane wyłącznie na potrzeby przygotowania instrukcji wytopu, którą korygowano wynikami uzyskanymi metodą prób i błędów w kolejnych wytopach.W artykule przedstawiono algorytm wyznaczania namiaru wsadu zestawianego w sposób zależny od zapotrzebowania na określony skład chemiczny produkowanego stopu odlewniczego. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na możliwość efektywnego działania algorytmu w zmiennych warunkach technologicznych.
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