Gutwald B, Liu H, Barth M, Reichenstein T, Römer P, Franke J (2024)
Publication Type: Conference contribution
Publication year: 2024
Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Conference Proceedings Title: 2024 IEEE 3rd Industrial Electronics Society Annual On-Line Conference, ONCON 2024
Event location: Beijing, CHN
ISBN: 9798331540319
DOI: 10.1109/ONCON62778.2024.10931447
The confluence of high-quality standards and escalating wage costs is driving the adoption of automation in production facilities to unprecedented levels. This is made possible by the deployment of industrial robots and other technological solutions. In contrast to manual work, electric motor-driven robots require significantly more energy, which must be reduced in order to facilitate the energy transition and ensure the economic efficiency. Modern direct current (DC) grids possess the advantage of integrating renewable energies and storage in an efficient manner, and they can also supply consumer systems such as electric drives energy and material-efficient by eliminating unnecessary conversion processes due to their architectural design. Despite the considerable potential, high-performance DC grids are currently only in use in industry as test systems. Numerous products, standards and experience in planning and commissioning are still lacking for the roll-out. Grid participants are generally only supplied with an alternating current (AC) connection. The conversion of the power supply of a large six-axis industrial robot is demonstrated, in which a rectifier stage was removed and the necessary switching and protective devices for safe grid operation were installed. The energy requirement in DC operation was found to be reduced by a range of 1.12 % to 12.62 % in fast operation, based on the analysis of various movement patterns and loads. In slow operation, the higher base load in AC mode and the low utilisation of the power electronics result in significantly higher energy requirements, which in some cases exceed 50 %. Recuperation within the robot can already be used even in AC operation of the robot if several axes are moved simultaneously. However, energy exchange with other grid participants or intermediate storage in the grid storage units only works in the DC grid. This use of recuperation in the DC grid results in savings of up to 25.7 % in the field test if an entire ramp up and down process is considered. The study demonstrates the essential steps for a DC retrofit with regard to converting the energy supply of systems and how these can be integrated into a DC grid in a safe and compliant manner.
APA:
Gutwald, B., Liu, H., Barth, M., Reichenstein, T., Römer, P., & Franke, J. (2024). Conversion of Industrial Robots to DC Power Supply: Efficiency, Protection Concepts and Recuperation Potential. In 2024 IEEE 3rd Industrial Electronics Society Annual On-Line Conference, ONCON 2024. Beijing, CHN: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc..
MLA:
Gutwald, Benjamin, et al. "Conversion of Industrial Robots to DC Power Supply: Efficiency, Protection Concepts and Recuperation Potential." Proceedings of the 3rd IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Annual On-Line Conference, ONCON 2024, Beijing, CHN Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2024.
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