Electric Drives: The Future…
With the ongoing technological boom, electric drives are becoming more and more common and could prove useful in construction equipment on the job-site.
Have you ever wondered how the appliances you see around you everyday work so efficiently? Each appliance that you see in your day to day life has been carefully constructed so as to make sure that it does its function with maximum efficiency. Over the years humans have been devising ways to improve the efficiency of existing machines by using different kinds of control systems. An electric drive is one such example.
So, what is an electric drive?
An electric drive can be defined as a system which is used to control the movement of an electrical machine. It uses a prime mover like a petrol or diesel engine, steam turbines, or electrical and hydraulic motors as an energy source. An electric drive is comprised of power source, power modulator, control unit, sensing unit and motor. Now, let’s look at each part and its function in the device.
Before we discuss the future prospects of drives, it is elementary that we understand the core concepts. So, time for a little education!
An electric drive comprises of different parts like:
- Power Source
It offers the energy required for the system. Both the converter and the motor interfaces by the power source to provide changeable voltage, frequency and current to the motor.
2. Power Modulator
It is used to control the output power of supply. The power controlling of the motor is done in such a way that the electrical motor sends out the speed-torque feature which is required with the load. During the temporary operations, the extreme current will be drawn from the power source. The power modulator limits the motor current as well as the source.The power modulator can change the energy based on the motor requirement.
3.Load
The mechanical load can be decided by the environment of the industrial process & the power source can be decided by an available source at the place.
4.Control Unit
It is used mainly to control the power modulator. This unit produces the rules for the safety of the motor as well as power modulator. The input control signal regulates the drive’s working point from input toward the control unit.
5. Sensing Unit
It is used to sense the drive factor such as speed, motor current.
6. Motor
The electric motor used for the application can be chosen by looking at different features like price, reaching the level of power & performance necessary by the load throughout the stable state as well as active operations.
Electric drives have a LOT of advantages, which make them all the more important.
1.They have a wide range of speed, torque and power.
2. They work well irrespective of environment conditions.
3. They do not contaminate the atmosphere. Extra points for the environment!
4. They can be started easily and do not need refueling.
All that is well and good, but as in all man-made devices, electric drives also have a few disadvantages, some of which are:
- They cannot be used in places without power supply.
- Power breakdown stops the whole system.
- Dynamic response is poor.
- Drive output power is low.
As future engineers, the main focus of today’s youth should be on how to develop the existing technology for the betterment of both society as well as the environment. They should drive their focus to the most sustainable way possible to achieve technical growth. The elimination of tech which poses threat to the environment is key in the years to follow, and drives can prove to be the key to that.
The top three emerging trends driving the global electric drives market are:
- Regulation on energy efficiency
- Increasing demand for IoT (Internet of Things)
- Emerging demand for sensorless drives
But what does it mean for the future?
Various energy regulation policies have been formulated by governments around the world to promote the use of energy-efficient products.
Developed regions like North America and Europe have already taken a step to ensure maximum usage of renewable energy by 2050.
Regulatory bodies such as the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy are involved in the creation of benchmarks for optimal energy efficiency for motor and electrical devices to achieve target efficiency levels. The standards that have been imposed and incentives that are being provided by governments are pushing for the increased adoption of energy-efficient drives into existing systems. The sensorless drive is another trend, which is expected to accelerate the adoption of electric drives during the forecast period. Electric drives are mostly operated through a microcontroller-based device, and all the smart robots have sensors and respond to the transmitter for signals. The growing requirements for remote control at field locations have led to the introduction of sensorless drives.
The microcontroller-based integrated chip inside electric drives can directly receive a signal through the Internet without using transmitter-receiver sensors. The use of such devices aids in the reduction of extra burden resulting from the use of inaccurate physical sensors. The increasing adoption of such automated products is likely to revolutionize the electric drives market. This technology will be a benefit to the job-site for contractors.
In conclusion…
To sum up, electric drives have helped to improve control over the conversion of electrical energy to mechanical energy by closely monitoring the power from the source in such a way that the exact speed-torque characteristic that is required by the load is transmitted, thus improving the overall efficiency of the machine. Thus, this device has become an indispensable part of many appliances that we use everyday and for good reason. The progress we need in this world relies a whole deal on energy and conservation, and Electric Drives is the way to go.
