Steel Plate Conveyance System Research Articles

Online Realizations of Dynamic Gap Detection and Control for Levitated Industrial Steel-Plate Conveyance System

To design a stable and fully controllable process for conveying steel plates with less noise, we have extensively investigated the feasibility of incorporating the structure that can provide appropriate extra electromagnetic attraction forces. By implementing appropriate fixed electromagnetic poles on top of the rollers at the run-out table of a steel mill, controllable lift and propulsive forces can thus be provided to drive the movable steel plate to the desired 2-D directions. Based on the stringent operational environment at a steel mill, an online recursive gap detection scheme combined with a real-time fuzzy-based controller has been developed. Realization results showed that the system, being implemented with the proposed fine-tuned processing/control scheme, can supply rapid and accurate online 2-D controls onto the steel plates and thus fulfill the design and operational objectives.

Magnetically-Levitated Steel-Plate Conveyance System Using Electromagnets and a Linear Induction Motor

This paper presents a noncontact steel-plate conveyance system using a novel thrust-force generation mechanism. The mechanism is to use a horizontal force generated from the magnetic interaction between an iron-core electromagnet and an inclined steel plate as a thrust force. This mechanism is applied for the conveyance system which is consisted of four electromagnets for levitation and a transverse-flux linear induction motor for conveyance to increase a total thrust force of a levitated steel plate. We explain the operating principle of the mechanism and present the experimental results of magnetic levitation and conveyance from the contactless steel-plate conveyance system.

Analytical model development of an eddy-current-based non-contacting steel plate conveyance system

A concise model for analyzing and predicting the quasi-static electromagnetic characteristics of an eddy-current-based non-contacting steel plate conveyance system has been developed. Confirmed by three-dimensional (3-D) finite element analysis (FEA), adequacy of the analytical model can be demonstrated. Such an effective approach, which can be conveniently used by the potential industries for preliminary system operational performance evaluations, will be essential for designers and on-site engineers.

Development of an Automatic Online Gap-Detection Scheme for Levitated Industrial Steel-Plate Conveyance System

For stabilizing the steel plate conveyance process, efforts on providing appropriate extra electromagnetic forces at the run-out-table of a steel mill have been extensively investigated. Such objectives can be achieved by implementing fixed poles on top of the rollers at the run-out-table to provide the controllable two-dimensional (2-D) lift and propulsive forces, and the movable steel plate can then be driven to the desired directions. To realize the entire process, by considering the operational environment at a steel mill, an image-based on-line gap detection scheme with real-time parameter adjustment process has been developed. Results show that the system, which being implemented with a fine-tuned interfacing/processing scheme, can supply rapid and accurate on-line 2-D gap profile and thus fulfill the design and on-site operational objectives.

Closed-loop electromagnetic forces calculations and controls of a noncontacting industrial steel plate conveyance system

An online electromagnetic force calculation scheme, along with the appropriate closed-loop control design for driving a linear induction machine prototype, will be developed for practical industrial steel-plate conveyance system applications. Through appropriate signal detections and feedback controls, real-time balanced normal and propulsive forces can be stably generated onto the motor secondary mover (steel plate), and the objectives of noncontacting conveyance system designs and constructions can be successfully achieved

Improvement of Transverse Flux Linear Induction Motors Performances With Third Order Harmonics Current Injection

A noncontacting steel plate conveyance system using the transverse flux linear induction motor (TFLIM) is studied. The steel plate makes up the secondary of TFLIM. A combined control principle of levitation and propulsion for TFLIM is proposed. The output capacity of the power converter for control is limited by its maximum current, but the performance of TFLIM depends on its fundamental component. Then a third harmonic current injection scheme is considered for the drive system, in order to increase the fundamental component, keeping the value of the maximum current invariant. TFLIM characteristics are calculated both for the levitation and propulsion forces acting on the secondary steel plate, on the basis of a 3D electromagnetic field analysing program (J-MAG Studio). In comparison with a sinusoidal current excitation, the propulsion and levitation force of TFLIM increases by 33% and 37%, respectively, when the harmonic current injection level is optimized. Thus, the harmonic current injection scheme is shown to be an effective and practical mean to realize a steel plate conveyance system.

Electromagnetic field and force analyses of a noncontacting conveyance system for steel mill application

Based on the design concepts of linear induction motors, an electromagnetic device has been constructed to investigate its feasibility for noncontacting steel-plate conveyance system applications. The system is intended to provide the desired lift, propulsive, and guidance forces to the steel plate simultaneously. Three-dimensional (3-D) field distributions and force characteristics have been investigated through a system state model and finite element analysis. Satisfactory results in the system's intended 3-D directions are provided to verify the suitability of the design objective.