PROFIenergy

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PROFIenergy is a profile for energy management in production plants . PROFIenergy is based on the PROFINET communication protocol . It controls the power consumption of automation equipment in production (such as robot assembly cells , laser cutting systems and sub-systems such as painting systems ) via a PROFINET network. The energy consumption itself is controlled using open and standardized commands that are applied to planned and unplanned interruptions in production. With the use of PROFIenergy, external hard-wired systems are no longer required.

background

The motivation for a standardized energy efficiency profile comes from the automation initiative of German automobile manufacturers (AIDA). The companies in AIDA are Audi , BMW , Mercedes , Porsche and VW . The working group of PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) established to develop the new profile worked out and published the specification at the end of 2009. The companies ABB , AIT, Bosch , Danfoss , Hilscher, ifak , Lenze , Murrelektronik , Phoenix Contact , SEW-Eurodrive , SCA Schucker, Rexroth, Siemens and the machine tool laboratory WZL at RWTH Aachen University are active in the working group.

description

PROFIenergy requires the three elements involved in a manufacturing process to work together:

  • Control unit in an automation network (usually a PC , but it can also be a monitoring system or energy management control system of the same network),
  • Communication network ( PROFINET ),
  • Electricity consumers (can be a single piece of equipment or a piece of equipment, a cell, or even a larger subsystem).

The switching mechanisms to be controlled by PROFIenergy are located within the energy consumers. No further wiring is therefore required. The control unit sends commands via PROFINET with which the energy consumers react to production breaks. Breaks can be started at known times or as a reaction to unforeseeable events or breakdowns. Each consumer reacts to the commands in a way that is suitable for him.

Vendor companies decide the best power management strategy by incorporating a software agent that is implemented in the device firmware. Every manufacturer can best assess how his device or subsystem can save energy and in which order the individual parts must be optimally switched on and off. For example, a conveyor belt would first have to be slowed down for a production cell before a robot can be driven into energy-saving sleep mode . If the break is long enough, the electronic control unit could perhaps even be completely disconnected from the system and energy consumption could be further reduced. However, so that it can be restarted if necessary, the conveyor belt must first start again. Sleep modes on several levels are also possible.

PROFIenergy also defines how a field device or part of a system sends information on the power requirement back to the controller regardless of the manufacturer. This is the prerequisite so that optimal energy-saving scenarios can also be implemented in mixed-manufacturer installations by specifically switching loads on and off. Here, a peak load management are applied and, if necessary, consumers can be controlled by non-electrical energy.

application

PROFIenergy uses acyclic PROFINET communication and thus does not influence the coexisting cyclic communication of the automation processes. The specified commands are based on the following use cases:

  • Short breaks (up to an hour) - Generally, such breaks are planned - e.g. B. Lunch breaks - and the devices can be routinely switched off. Safety- related functions are handled according to the safety regulations. When you turn it on again, the system starts devices in a power-up sequence and verifies that all devices are running correctly. The manufacturing process is then resumed.
  • Longer breaks (several hours or days) - The situation is similar to the one above, only that additional devices are switched to standby or completely switched off, or deeper 'sleep' modes are activated.
  • Unscheduled pauses (usually disruptions) - The situation is similar here too, the user just doesn't know when and how long it will happen. First, the devices are put into a 'stop' state in order to reduce energy consumption. Depending on the duration, the devices are switched to other energy-saving states if it makes sense.
  • Measuring and visualizing the load - data from the devices is collected, either directly (through instruments ) or implicitly (through knowledge of the electrical parameters). Knowing when, where and how much energy is needed can lead to more effective energy strategies. The energy consumption of a machine can also be visualized and archived with an HMI . This enables both semi-automatic (i.e. partly manual) interventions in the processes and the control of other energy-intensive processes with non-electrical energy such as e.g. B. pneumatic , steam or hydraulic systems via the network.

implementation

PROFIenergy separates the control logic (typically a PLC ) of the processes from the energy management system so that a separate energy management controller can be used if required. This separation enables both parts of the application program to be tested and put into operation independently of one another. The retrofitting of PROFIenergy in devices and subsystems can be done via firmware updates.

Savings potential

The procedures and data structures defined in the PROFIenergy standard allow different manufacturers to equip their products with compatible functionalities. This approach promotes competition among vendors, giving end users a wider choice of products with optimized energy-saving functions. The network infrastructure is already available with PROFINET , as is the control hardware . The savings depend on the type of equipment. Switching functions are integrated in the devices. In this way, a short-term return on investment can be achieved despite the higher up-front costs due to the integration of the PROFIenergy functionality. Peak load management can reduce cost disadvantages caused by exceeding the contractual load.

literature

  • White Paper , PROFIenergy: Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Automation Systems using Smart Energy Management over PROFINET
  • Max Felser: standby for robots. In: SWISS ENGINEERING No. 4, 2010 ( PDF; 175 kB ) - specialist article on PROFIenergy

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