Optimising the energy consumption on pultrusion process

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThis study is based on a previous experimental work in which embedded cylindrical heaters were applied to a pultrusion machine die, and resultant energetic performance compared with that achieved with the former heating system based on planar resistances. The previous work allowed to conclude that the use of embedded resistances enhances significantly the energetic performance of pultrusion process, leading to 57% decrease of energy consumption. However, the aforementioned study was developed with basis on an existing pultrusion die, which only allowed a single relative position for the heaters.In the present work, new relative positions for the heaters were investigated in order to optimise heat distribution process and energy consumption. Finite Elements Analysis was applied as an efficient tool to identify the best relative position of the heaters into the die, taking into account the usual parameters involved in the process and the control system already tested in the previous study. The analysis was firstly developed based on eight cylindrical heaters located in four different location plans. In a second phase, in order to refine the results, a new approach was adopted using sixteen heaters with the same total power. Final results allow to conclude that the correct positioning of the heaters can contribute to about 10% of energy consumption reduction, decreasing the production costs and leading to a better eco-efficiency of pultrusion process.

The three pillars of sustainability and agile project management: How do they influence each other

“…The environmental pillar is based on a variety of approaches to environmental preservation, natural resource conservation, and the reduction of environmental damage over time (Santos, Gouveis, & Silva, 2017; Silva & Gouveia, 2020). The company must follow environmental regulations when utilizing water and energy (Santos, Rebelo, & Santos, 2017; Silva et al, 2014; Silva, Ferreira, et al, 2012; Silva, Ribeiro, & de Oliveira Reise, 2012), reduce liquid effluent and solid waste emissions, recycle trash, invest in biodiversity, and preserve the environment (Bravi et al, 2020; Fonseca et al, 2021; Purvis et al, 2019; Vieira et al, 2021).…”

A new approach to increase the environmental sustainability of the discharging process in the over-injection of conduits for bowden cables using automation

“…The warm-up time has been reduced by up to 50%, reducing the set-up time and improving the production time. Silva et al 39 worked further on the formerly discussed work, which was developed based on an existing pultrusion die, only allowing a single relative position for the heaters. The latest work was focused on new relative positions of the heaters, to optimise the heat distribution process and energy consumption.…”

Life cycle engineering of lightweight structures

“…Tempering the shaping die is the main driver of energy consumption. Therefore, optimising the heating system is expected to reduce the energy demand [138]. Resin transfer moulding is known for its flexibility regarding part geometries and process variations.…”