Powering flexible manufacturing systems with intelligent contact-less power transfer

Abstract

Abstract-Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) have both recently evolved to meet increasing demands for flexible manufacturing. This paper investigates the possibility of contact-less power and wireless data transfer to increase the flexibility and safety of various FMS modules by eliminating the need for power or data connections. The paper discusses advantages and implementation aspects of the proposed inductive power transfer (IPT) system and feasibility tests are undertaken to ensure the compatibility of IPT and the FMS modules, which form part of a lab-size modular test bed. In order to increase the cost effectiveness of the design, each module will run for an eight hour shift using a battery which is then automatically recharged via IPT. An energy aware custom switch mode charger has been designed and tested.A greedy heuristic (IEC 61499 compliant) scheduler is implemented to optimize the production schedule based on the level of charge. Design requirements for the charger, energy monitor and scheduler are discussed followed by performance results. The IPT system has been specified however it is still to be incorporated in to the final system.

Primary Current Generation for a Contactless Power Transfer System Using Free Oscillation and Energy Injection Control

“…where v p has been defined in (1). The amount of injected energy in each half cycle is determined by the magnitude of the input dc voltage and the track/coil current, as well as the injection period:…”

“…Due to the elimination of physical electrical contact, such a power transfer system is preferred in many hazardous and clean environments as it eliminates sparking, particles and the risk of electrical shock. As such, it has been successfully employed in many applications, including materials handling systems, transportation, bio-medical implants, semi-conductor manufacturing workshops, battery chargers, etc [1]- [5]. Fig.1 shows a typical configuration of a contactless power transfer system with multiple independent loads.…”