Production Machine Standby State Switching for Energy-Time Tradeoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for operating production machines do not efficiently manage switching between productive and non-productive states, particularly in terms of energy and material flows, leading to suboptimal resource usage and emissions.
Innovation Solution
A method that assesses and compares different standby states of a production machine based on time-dependent ratings, incorporating future factors and key figures for energy and material flows, to determine the most resource-efficient state transition, including an ECO mode that balances operational readiness and shutdown, using artificial intelligence for scenario evaluation and automatic decision-making.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the production machine switches to a standby state to reduce energy consumption and emissions, then resource efficiency improves, but the time required to return to productive state increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multiple dynamic standby states (first standby state with higher energy consumption but faster return, second standby state with lower energy consumption but slower return) allowing the system to adaptively select the optimal state based on predicted idle duration. This dynamic state selection resolves the contradiction by matching the standby depth to the actual need, avoiding both excessive energy consumption and unnecessary delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of the expected idle duration before transitioning to a standby state. By predicting whether the idle period will be short or long, the system can pre-select the appropriate standby state, ensuring optimal energy efficiency without compromising productivity when the machine needs to resume operation.
2Productivity
If the production machine maintains high operational readiness in standby state, then productivity improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic relationship between operational readiness and energy consumption through multiple standby states. The first standby state provides higher operational readiness for short idle periods, while the second standby state reduces energy consumption for longer idle periods. The system dynamically adjusts the readiness level based on the predicted idle duration, resolving the contradiction between maintaining productivity and reducing energy use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the standby state based on the expected idle duration. By evaluating whether the idle period will be short or long, the system adjusts parameters such as power level, component activation, and system monitoring intensity to match the actual requirements, thereby optimizing both productivity and energy consumption.
3Loss of energy
If multiple standby states are implemented with different energy consumption levels, then resource efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the standby operation into distinct states (first standby state and second standby state) with different energy consumption characteristics. Each state is clearly defined with specific energy levels and transition conditions, making the complex behavior manageable through modular state definitions rather than continuous complex control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the evaluation unit that monitors idle duration predictions to automatically select the appropriate standby state. This feedback mechanism simplifies the control complexity by using rule-based decision logic: if idle duration is short, select first standby state; if long, select second standby state. The feedback loop ensures optimal energy efficiency without requiring complex real-time optimization algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
A production machine (1) that has at least two different standby states is operated. Incoming and outgoing flows (ES, AS), comprising energy flows (EN) and material flows (ST), occur in each standby state, depending on the state. Each standby state has an associated base rating (BB1, BB2) that has a dependency on the period of time that elapses when changing from the respective standby state to the productive state of the machine (1). The base rating (BB1, BB2) is higher, the shorter said period of time is.