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DRIVES, CONTROLS & MOTORS


FEATURE


InnovatIon In the avIatIon sector


Over the last few years, the global aviation sector has faced


challenges unlike any it has seen before. But, despite this, innovation is growing. Andrew Gibson, sales engineer at precision drives specialist maxon UK and Ireland, takes a look at the roles motors play


H


aving been used in military applications for a number of years, drones are making their way into a range of other areas. For


instance, while in California Amazon customers will soon be receiving Prime Air drone deliveries, in the UK cargo drones provider Windracers is undertaking a project with Royal Mail Group to develop a new un-crewed drone service to deliver mail to remote locations across the UK – such as the Shetland Islands, Orkneys, the Hebrides and Isles of Scilly. In emergency services, Buxton Mountain


Rescue has worked with the Connected Places Catapult to trial using drones in their everyday operations; and there is the potential for fire departments to view large fires from above, enabling them to plan how to fight them in advance. Drones are also being used by farmers to check how their crops are progressing; and in the energy sector they can be used to inspect wind turbine blades. But, in order to reap the benefits, the


requirements of their motors needs to be looked at. Most drones are power by electric motors, but in addition to this some have onboard camera systems that need to be stabilised in order to gather high-quality images. Drones also require electro-mechanical actuation. On fixed-wing drones, motors are also used in flight control systems to ensure that they reach their correct destination. However, the systems need to be both light and compact to avoid unnecessary battery drain.


aIr travel


In Paris, the Volocopter VoloCity is being trialled as a means of providing air taxi flights during the 2024 Olympics. In applications like this, motors are required for both flight-critical and passenger comfort applications, and perhaps even to allow seats to fully rotate in the cabin, allowing meetings to be conducted in-flight. While it’s unlikely that we will ever see electric propulsion used for larger passenger aircraft,


the industry is looking at ways of reducing the weight of existing aircraft to improve fuel economy. It’s widely known that the aviation industry is slow to adopt new technologies due to the stringent safety requirements and legislation that need to be met. In the coming years, we can expect to see more hydraulic systems, which are currently most commonly used for flight control being switched to electro mechanical actuation. Inside the cabin, similar changes could also be made, with seat actuators being swapped for smaller motors to further reduce mass. One major way that we can reduce fuel


consumption in the industry is to consider how an aircraft operates before take-off. There are


projects underway that involve adding an electric motor to the front wheels of an aircraft, which will be used when taxiing to the runway. This means that the pilot only needs to switch the engines on when they are ready for take-off. All of these future applications require


specialist, lightweight, motors with a small footprint. But, in addition to this, they also need to be able to withstand harsh conditions, such as extreme weather and excessive temperatures. Motors for such applications are available


from maxon.


maxon uK & ireland t: 01118 973337 www.maxongroup.co.uk


drive solutions for renewable energy


Work has commenced on a turnkey drive and automation solution, delivered by ABB Value Provider iconsys, comprising around 30 variable speed drives and other assets for use in an offshore renewable application. For this, iconsys is set to provide a suite of


drivetrains, PLCs, subsea I/O boxes, subsea motors and gearboxes, as part of a turnkey automation solution for a global end user in the renewable energy sector. The project includes the installation of six ABB


ACS880 drives with a total power capacity of 1.2MW, as a water-cooled drive system using an active front end to ensure low harmonic distortion on a vessel’s power supply. The six main drives are on a common DC link drive configuration. In addition, there are more than 20 additional ACS880 air-cooled drives to control rack and pinion drivetrains. iconsys will also supply e-houses for both the drivetrains and operator control room, providing the


customer with a full turnkey solution. The ABB drive solution was chosen primarily on the strength of its energy performance, offering maximum efficiency in the smallest footprint, while providing the lowest exhausted heat air. This allows the e-houses’ in-built air conditioning system to operate more effectively. The project, which will be carried out by iconsys, is expected to be completed in 2023.


abb www.abb.com OCTOBER 2022 design solutions 23


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