Performance Evaluation of Rotary Mixers Through Monitoring of Power Energy Parameters

Abstract

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.

Formalization of Technological Knowledge in the Field of Metallurgy using Document Classification Tools Supported with Semantic Techniques

“…In addition to typical documents considered text documents, such as articles, notes, books (ebooks), this group can also include Web pages, forms, and tables [15][16][17]. The exploratory analysis of text documents, known also as text mining, is a set of concepts, methods and, implemented in the form of software, algorithms for processing the text resources, leading to automation of processes related to documents prepared in natural languages.…”

Data mining tools in identifying the components of the microstructure of compacted graphite iron based on the content of alloying elements

“…In the control of industrial processes, hybrid or heuristic models have long been used; they enjoy great popularity giving better results than uniform tools [47][48][49][50][51][52]. The integration of input data [53] or of the results of such differentiated solutions is a separate issue, where an important role will have the semantic modelling, including ontologies [54], but this is the topic for an entirely new publication.…”

The Energy Consumption Aspects in the Vacuum Assisted Moulding Process/ Aspekty Energochłonności W Procesie Formowania Podciśnieniowego

“…The power measurements have been done with a digital multimeter VC940 (VOLTCRAFT), also connected to the PC. The most sophisticated power measurement with instantaneous values recording has been described in an earlier paper of the authors [10,11,12,13]. The experimental program involves the measurements of electric power parameters whilst the vacuum is being generated in the installation connected to the pumps or to the vacuum generator.…”

“…Energy-consumption can be treated as the supplementary criterion of foundry machines assessments but currently also very important [1,9,10,11,12,13,14]. To such criterion one can also include, in example, the level of automation or the process reliability.…”

“…In the article the problems of energy-consumption of the above and the one of certain vacuum moulding machine have been discussed [1,3,11,13]. This factor is all-important from the point of view of ecologies and running costs of the machine operation.…”