Energy flow model for a scrapper conveyor unit

Sammanfattning: Värmevärden AB is an energy company that distributes district heating. One of their challenges today is to reduce the energy losses and wear that occur in the plant's scrapper conveyor unit. The conveyor belt is in constant motion whether it is transporting fuel or going unloaded at idle. An understanding of the module's energy flow needs to be mapped. An energy flow behavior model for the scrapper conveyor unit is presented. The energy flow in the startup sequence when the belt runs at idle and at full load is simulated. The simulations visualize the velocity and acceleration of the belt as a function of time and the current flow in the engine when getting started. The model allows changes on various parameters such as engine velocity, current limitations, work efficiency and enables the calculation of necessary material to achieve a desired power delivery. With a current-limited engine of 140 [A], a lower acceleration is obtained as the belt transports the fuel masses. Energy losses are also reduced as the belt is started by their own mass when transportation is needed. This means that the wear on the components of the plant decreases as transportation takes a more controlled form.