FEATURE DRIVES, CONTROLS & MOTORS
contribute to the overall reduced life cycle costs. So, Movigear isn’t just an investment in future-oriented, intelligent drive technology – it cuts energy costs immediately and provides ongoing operational cost saving benefits too. It also has an hygienic design, which is
Movigear, a highly energy efficient, decentralised, mechatronic drive system, is being used for a wide range of materials handling applications in the automotive, food and drinks industries, and airport logistics
where sales of certain products will rise sharply during the summer months and fall off in winter. Production needs to be flexible to respond to this, scaling up the manufacture of certain lines during summer and switching to other products during winter. A system could, for example, be
switched with ease from filling and bottling one size and type of drink to something different. This simplified flexibility not only cuts engineering requirements and response times when production requirements change, but it simplifies maintenance too. Fault finding on a decentralised modular
system is quicker and easier than one with central control cabinets, separate electronics and all the cabling. This operational flexibility and
maintenance cuts downtime and increases production. Savings are realised not only
a high priority in the food and beverage industries, particularly in sensitive production areas. To meet these requirements, great emphasis was placed on the surface design of Movigear, as some older drive technology products can make it very difficult to clean production systems as thoroughly as required. It’s a problem if the drive technology used on food production lines cannot withstand the aggressive cleaning agents and disinfectants used. This can damage the surface, for example the paint, and this breaches hygiene guidelines. For this reason the surface design and geometry of the Movigear units were developed in line with the Hygienic Design guidelines. Additionally, the fanless drive design
“The initial purchase cost of a drive accounts for only about 20% of its overall costs. A massive 80% associated with the ownership and operation of the drive are hidden or follow-on costs”
in reduced energy consumption but across the board, from design, planning and installation, to operational benefits that
DEVELOPING FUEL EFFICIENT SUPER YACHTS
Based in Italy, WIDER designs and constructs composite and aluminium pleasure craft with a focus on high performance combined with low fuel consumption. The latest super yacht, which features diesel-electric propulsion, is equipped with four MAN engines, each of which is connected to an alternator to produce 350kW of power that drives azimuthal pods. The power generated can be stored in lithium polymer battery banks, allowing the yacht to cruise silently under electric power; and the propulsion system is managed by a proprietary Wider Management System (WMS). Four variable speed generators deliver electrical power to the yacht, with diesel engine speed controlled
by the WMS featuring Emerson’s high power and compact Powerdrive MD2 modular drives. This ensures the engines run at optimal efficiency. A DC variable voltage switchboard with a working range of 500- 750V distributes the generated electrical power. The super yacht is capable of spending a night at anchor without ever having to start a generator as the hotel load can be run from the batteries. By connecting MAN engines to alternators, they can be employed as variable speed generators, producing
only as much power as necessary at any given time. The engineering team estimates fuel savings of up to 20% are achievable compared with the same boat using traditional twin screw propulsion. With Powerdrive MD2, the combination of power modules and choice of cooling methods make it
possible to achieve multiple optimised configurations: six-pulse, low frequency harmonics, regenerative or DC bus solution. The drives convert the power from AC at the generators to DC at the battery banks, and back to AC again when it powers the azimuthal pods or the appliances on board. This guarantees the greatest possible efficiency for the propulsion system, but also acts as a voltage stabiliser. The battery banks are connected to a DC distribution bus that works at a nominal 675V DC, guaranteeing considerable power to the vessel but also allowing enormous flexibility in the way that the power is managed. Tilli Antonelli, founder and CEO of WIDER, commented: “We are the first yacht builder in the world to
offer luxury yachts in this size range with diesel-electric propulsion combined with azimuthal pods. fact, the 150ft model is the first super yacht produced by WIDER and the entire range (including 125ft and 165ft models) will be powered by Emerson solutions.”
Emerson Industrial Automation, Control Techniques
www.Emerson.com
of Movigear prevents air currents from spreading germs and bacteria throughout the plant. With a high degree of protection, and in combination with a surface coating that protects reliably against corrosion, Movigear is equipped for operation in wet areas and can withstand tough cleaning processes. All the products in SEW’s decentralised range of drive systems fulfil three important criteria in that they are modular, flexible and highly economical. The combination of innovative products and services with in-depth application knowledge enables SEW Eurodrive’s engineers to provide customer solutions that significantly reduce total cost of ownership, provide immediate energy saving benefits and usually pay for themselves within one to two years.
SEW Eurodrive T: 01924 893855
www.sew-eurodrive.co.uk
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DEC/JAN 2016 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
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