VAHLE researches for more energy efficiency
VAHLE and consortium partner develop DC-fed conductor rails for greater energy efficiency. The DC rail research project, which is funded by the federal government, has great potential for energy savings in industry.
Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG is once again participating in a project to research the use of direct current (DC) in industrial applications. The project, in which the Institute for Energy Research at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences (TH OWL) is also involved, focuses on so-called DC rail systems. These can be used inside and outside buildings to supply energy to mobile industrial applications such as cranes and all types of moving and lifting technology. Up to now, three-phase conductors (AC, for alternating current) have mostly been used for this purpose. However, the project partners are convinced that the DC-based energy supply for mobile applications offers significant efficiency and cost advantages. The aim of the project that has now been launched is to provide scientific proof of this. The relevant data material for the analysis will be obtained by means of measurements on practical test systems. The project is scheduled to run for three years and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics. In addition to VAHLE and TH OWL, the consortium includes the companies E-T-A Elektrotechnische Apparate GmbH, Lenze SE and KEBA Industrial Automation Germany GmbH.
"The topics of energy efficiency and sustainability are having an increasing influence on the future viability of companies. At the same time, considerable potential lies dormant in this area. We want to help leverage it - also in the context of basic research," says Achim Dries, CEO of the VAHLE Group. One of the aims of this project is to research the potential of direct current in industrial applications and to help make the energy supply more efficient and cost-effective.
The results already obtained are encouraging. As part of another research project, the Kamen-based system provider for mobile industrial applications has already been able to prove that switching from AC to DC results in an increase in energy efficiency of more than ten percent. There is a further advantage: the production of DC-based conductor rails uses significantly less material than conventional systems. This reduces the amount of copper alone, which is obtained using a great deal of energy, by up to half.
As part of the current project entitled "Highly efficient, resource-saving DC busbar systems in production and manufacturing", or DC rails for short, VAHLE and the other project partners are now focusing on the system benefits resulting from the comparatively low voltage drop in DC networks. Both short and long rail systems for supplying power to mobile industrial applications such as cranes and all types of traversing and lifting technology are being examined. Other focal points are the integration of regulated medium and high-capacity storage systems. Of particular interest are the effects of storage systems on voltage drop compensation and load peak leveling.
The measurements required in this context are carried out on test setups installed on the VAHLE premises in Kamen and at TH OWL. The systems consisting of feed-in, inverter and DC/DC converter technology for industrial DC grids are specially designed for use in busbar systems. VAHLE project manager Stefan Bürmann: "In the course of this, we will also use a completely new DC protection and switching technology for busbar systems, whose sensor technology is already designed for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, i.e. condition monitoring and preventive maintenance, using AI."
VAHLE also wants to use various tests to show that DC systems also have a positive impact beyond their primary effects and help to save energy and resources along the entire value chain.
Another key aspect of the project is the optimization of inverter technology. "The DC supply eliminates the need for a rectifier and the DC link capacitor can be designed smaller," explains Bürmann.
The project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, is being supervised by Forschungszentrum Jülich and is scheduled to run for three years. However, Stefan Bürmann is already convinced: "The switch from old AC to new DC technology is tantamount to a paradigm shift - and is undoubtedly one of the industry's greatest levers for significantly reducing energy consumption."
Further information about VAHLE can be found at: www.vahle.de
