Thermal Movement Planning for Linear Motor Transport Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial transport systems with linear or planar motors face overheating issues due to energy dissipation, leading to thermal damage and premature aging of motor components, which restricts throughput, flexibility, and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a thermal model to simulate and optimize movement plans for linear or planar motors, using a temperature distribution simulation and correction module, including artificial neural networks, to ensure temperature limits are respected, thereby reducing thermal stress and allowing for higher system performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high energy is dissipated in a small section of the stator to achieve high throughput and holding force, then productivity and force increase, but temperature rises causing thermal damage and reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary thermal simulation before executing the movement plan to predict temperature development. This allows the controller to identify and avoid movement patterns that would cause overheating, thereby preventing thermal damage before it occurs while still achieving high throughput through optimized movement sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the movement plan based on thermal conditions. The controller modifies acceleration profiles, dwelling times, and movement sequences in real-time to distribute thermal load across different stator sections, allowing high energy dissipation when cooling is sufficient while preventing overheating when thermal capacity is exhausted.
2Reliability
If conservative operational limits are applied to prevent thermal damage, then reliability increases, but productivity and system efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary thermal simulation before executing the movement plan to predict temperature development. This allows the controller to identify and avoid movement patterns that would cause overheating, thereby preventing thermal damage before it occurs while still achieving high throughput through optimized movement sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from thermal simulations to continuously optimize operational limits. By monitoring predicted temperature development and comparing it against thermal capacity, the controller dynamically adjusts movement plans to operate at the maximum safe throughput level, eliminating the need for permanently conservative limits while maintaining reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple movers are sequentially accelerated and decelerated over the same stator section to achieve high flexibility, then adaptability increases, but temperature rises causing thermal stress and reducing durability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary thermal simulation before executing the movement plan to predict temperature development. This allows the controller to identify and avoid movement patterns that would cause overheating, thereby preventing thermal damage before it occurs while still achieving high throughput through optimized movement sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the movement plan based on thermal conditions. The controller modifies acceleration profiles, dwelling times, and movement sequences in real-time to distribute thermal load across different stator sections, allowing high energy dissipation when cooling is sufficient while preventing overheating when thermal capacity is exhausted.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the transport system to operate at higher throughput and flexibility while preventing thermal damage, extending the lifespan of motor components and reducing the need for conservative operational limits.
Implementation Method 1
the individual movers are equipped with permanent magnets which interact with the varying electromagnetic fields that are formed when the stator windings are energized with variable AC or DC currents
Implementation Method 2
the motor and in particular the stator windings have a tendency to overheat when a lot of energy is dissipated in a relatively small section of the stator
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for controlling a transport system with at least one linear and/or planar motor having a stator, at least one mover, and a controller for automatically controlling movement of the at least one mover relative to the stator. An example method includes: providing a thermal model for the transport system; determining a movement plan for the at least one mover according to a predefined movement task, running a simulation of a temperature distribution within the at least one linear and/or planar motor during the movement based on the thermal model such that the movement plan respects at least one predefined temperature limit within the simulation; and executing the determined movement plan on the transport system using the controller.