Session: Modeling and Simulation

Paper Number: 111861

111861 - Online Monitoring of Pneumatic Actuation System for Energy Efficiency and Dynamic Performance 

Oversizing of pneumatic actuators is a recurring cause of reduced energy efficiency of pneumatic systems but is generally not observed by designers. Several sizing methods have been developed to optimize the selection of pneumatic actuators. Nevertheless, in many cases, the design process involves uncertainties that make it impossible to fully optimize the actuation system only during the sizing and selection of components, since the forces acting on the system are rarely fully known and conservative estimates regarding the load forces are usually made. These aspects can result in pneumatic actuation systems that operate with excessive energy consumption or low dynamic performance, and such characteristics are hardly observed during the operation of the equipment. However, with the advances in manufacturing technologies and the developments associated with the concept of industry 4.0, the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) stands out for its ability for real-time data acquisition for fault detection and seek for alternative solutions to improve the production process.

In the field of pneumatic systems, studies aimed at monitoring pneumatic actuation systems have already been carried out, however, the focus of the current state of the art is limited to identifying leaks and preventing failures due to component wear. In this way, this paper presents a subsequent step for the design and implementation of pneumatic actuation systems, focusing on the monitoring and reconfiguration of pneumatic components during the operation of the equipment. It is used data obtained by limit switches and pressure sensors to characterize the behavior of the system according to the load that is being applied. The characteristic behavior is assessed by a machine learning algorithm that was previously trained by dynamic simulations, where several random operating conditions were reproduced and optimization actions were adopted based on the Velocity/C curve, which is part of the authors’ previous work and is capable to define an operating condition that maximizes the dynamic performance of the system while maintaining good energy efficiency. An example of actions that can be taken to optimize the behavior of a standard pneumatic actuation system is the opening of flow control valves and reduction of the supply pressure to reduce the consumption of compressed air or the increase of supply pressure to improve system robustness if it is operating in an overloaded condition. In addition, the constant monitoring of the system allows changes in behavioral patterns to be identified, making it possible to reconfigure the system if the operating conditions change, ensuring the continuous and efficient operation of the equipment.

The proposed solution is evaluated by dynamic simulation, where an uncertain factor is added to the load forces applied to the system. Therefore, the effects of not completely knowing the load forces during the design process are assessed in terms of energy waste and systems robustness. Moreover, the proposed monitoring algorithm is applied, making it possible to evaluate the improvement of the system according to the actions suggested by the monitoring system.

Presenting Author: Vinicius Vigolo Federal University of Santa Catarina

Presenting Author Biography: Vinícius Vigolo was born in Videira, Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 1992. He received his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) in 2018. He is currently working on the Laboratory of Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems (LASHIP) towards his Ph.D, whose focus is the development of a sizing method for pneumatic actuation systems based on dynamic performance and energy efficiency. His areas of interest include pneumatic actuation systems, positioning systems, pneumatic systems design, and dynamic simulation.