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Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2016) | Viewed by 46723

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Dr. Hua Li

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Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
Interests: renewable energy; especially wind energy and wave energy; active disassembly; simulation; optimization; engineering education
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy and Environmental issues are part of the most significant concerns worldwide. As the world’s population and standard of living increases, the demand for energy consequently increases followed by the environmental problems. Embedded energy saving into process, product, and system design will be able to improve the energy efficiency from the very beginning. This Special Issue of Energies will explore the latest developments in energy saving design technologies and methodologies. While research papers concerning energy saving during the design of manufacturing process, product, and system are welcomed, we would also welcome review papers related to this topic. This Special Issue will encompass:

novel design methodologies to embedded energy saving concept during the product and system design process;
latest technologies applied in designing manufacturing processes to improve energy efficiency;
life cycle energy or sustainability assessment to explore different opportunities for energy saving during the design process;
sustainable development technologies with focus on energy saving.

We welcome papers focusing on design of traditional and advanced manufacturing process, existing product/system improvements, and new product/system creation.

Dr. Hua Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

energy saving
energy efficiency
energy assessment
design
life cycle
sustainable development
sustainability

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

1224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Saving in Water Distribution Network through Pump as Turbine Generators: Economic and Environmental Analysis

by Mauro De Marchis, Barbara Milici, Roberto Volpe and Antonio Messineo

Energies 2016, 9(11), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9110877 - 26 Oct 2016

Cited by 57 | Viewed by 5479

Abstract

Complex systems of water distribution networks (WDS) are used to supply water to users. WDSs are systems where a lot of distributed energy is available. Historically, this energy is artificially dissipated by pressure reduction valves (PRVs), thanks to which water utilities manage the pressure level in selected nodes of the network. The present study explores the use of economic hydraulic machines, pumps as turbines (PATs) to produce energy in a small network located in a town close to Palermo (Italy). The main idea is to avoid dissipation in favor of renewable energy production. The proposed study is applied to a WDN typical of the Mediterranean countries, where the users, to collect water during the period of water scarcity conditions, install private tanks. The presence of private tanks deeply modifies the network from its designed condition. In the proposed analysis, the economic benefit of PATs application in water distribution networks has been investigated, accounting for the presence of users’ private tanks. The analysis, carried out by mean of a mathematical model able to dynamically simulate the water distribution network with PATs, shows the advantage of their installation in terms of renewable energy recovery, even though the energy production of PATs is strictly conditioned by their installation position. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System)

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3535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability Enhancement of a Turbine Vane Manufacturing Cell through Digital Simulation-Based Design

by Alessandra Caggiano, Adelaide Marzano and Roberto Teti

Energies 2016, 9(10), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9100790 - 29 Sep 2016

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4855

Abstract

Modern manufacturing systems should satisfy emerging needs related to sustainable development. The design of sustainable manufacturing systems can be valuably supported by simulation, traditionally employed mainly for time and cost reduction. In this paper, a multi-purpose digital simulation approach is proposed to deal with sustainable manufacturing systems design through Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and 3D digital human modelling. DES models integrated with data on power consumption of the manufacturing equipment are utilized to simulate different scenarios with the aim to improve productivity as well as energy efficiency, avoiding resource and energy waste. 3D simulation based on digital human modelling is employed to assess human factors issues related to ergonomics and safety of manufacturing systems. The approach is implemented for the sustainability enhancement of a real manufacturing cell of the aerospace industry, automated by robotic deburring. Alternative scenarios are proposed and simulated, obtaining a significant improvement in terms of energy efficiency (−87%) for the new deburring cell, and a reduction of energy consumption around −69% for the coordinate measuring machine, with high potential annual energy cost savings and increased energy efficiency. Moreover, the simulation-based ergonomic assessment of human operator postures allows 25% improvement of the workcell ergonomic index. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System)

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3287 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Consumption and Saving Analysis for Laser Engineered Net Shaping of Metal Powders

by Zhichao Liu, Fuda Ning, Weilong Cong, Qiuhong Jiang, Tao Li, Hongchao Zhang and Yingge Zhou

Energies 2016, 9(10), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9100763 - 22 Sep 2016

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5092

Abstract

With the increasing awareness of environmental protection and sustainable manufacturing, the environmental impact of laser additive manufacturing (LAM) technology has been attracting more and more attention. Aiming to quantitatively analyze the energy consumption and extract possible ways to save energy during the LAM process, this investigation studies the effects of input variables including laser power, scanning speed, and powder feed rate on the overall energy consumption during the laser deposition processes. Considering microhardness as a standard quality, the energy consumption of unit deposition volume (ECUDV, in J/mm³) is proposed as a measure for the average applied energy of the fabricated metal part. The potential energy-saving benefits of the ultrasonic vibration–assisted laser engineering net shaping (LENS) process are also examined in this paper. The experimental results suggest that the theoretical and actual values of the energy consumption present different trends along with the same input variables. It is possible to reduce the energy consumption and, at the same time, maintain a good part quality and the optimal combination of the parameters referring to Inconel 718 as a material is laser power of 300 W, scanning speed of 8.47 mm/s and powder feed rate of 4 rpm. When the geometry shaping and microhardness are selected as evaluating criterions, American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 4140 powder will cause the largest energy consumption per unit volume. The ultrasonic vibration–assisted LENS process cannot only improve the clad quality, but can also decrease the energy consumption to a considerable extent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System)

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8505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficiency Enhancement of a Low-Voltage Automotive Vacuum Cleaner Using a Switched Reluctance Motor

by Han-Geol Seon, Man-Seung Han, Hyun-Jin Ahn, Jaehyuck Kim and Young-Cheol Lim

Energies 2016, 9(9), 692; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9090692 - 30 Aug 2016

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7195

Abstract

A recent increase in the number of diverse leisure activities and family outdoor activities has increased the need for the automobile-embedded vacuum cleaner. To date, this technology has not been applied in Korea and development efforts are not underway. Many of the existing portable cleaners connecting to the lighter jack of the vehicle use a direct current motor (DC motor). However, they do not have sufficient suction power to satisfy consumers; moreover, they have low durability and efficiency. In this paper, we therefore propose a technology for increasing the efficiency of the low-voltage automobile vacuum cleaner by replacing the existing DC motor with a switched reluctance motor (SRM), which has superior durability and efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System)

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3501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Optimization of the Slide Guide System of Hydraulic Press Based on Energy Loss Analysis

by Mengdi Gao, Haihong Huang, Zhifeng Liu, Xinyu Li and John W. Sutherland

Energies 2016, 9(6), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9060434 - 03 Jun 2016

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 8103

Abstract

The clearances in the slide guide system of a hydraulic press are one of the significant factors affecting its accuracy. These clearances also affect the energy consumption of the press. An energy loss model that considers the oil leaks and friction associated with these clearances was proposed, and the size of clearances was optimized based on the model. The maximum allowable eccentric load and the energy loss on the wedge clearance condition were calculated to ensure the slide and guide pillars function properly. The stiffness of pillars and wear of guide rails were checked under an eccentric load condition. A case for rapid sheet metal forming with a 20 MN hydraulic press was examined. For this case, the optimum fit clearances were found to be approximately 0.4 mm. The energy loss under an eccentric load condition was increased by approximately 83% compared to a non-eccentric load condition. The pillars were optimized by reducing excessive stiffness, which served to decrease the pillar weight by nearly 20%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System)

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4686 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Efficiency of Cogeneration Units with Multi-Stage Reheating for Russian Municipal Heating Systems

by Evgeny Lisin, Alexander Sobolev, Wadim Strielkowski and Ivan Garanin

Energies 2016, 9(4), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9040269 - 05 Apr 2016

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6672

Abstract

This paper explores the layout of an optimum process for supplying heat to Russian municipal heating systems operating in a market environment. We analyze and compare the standard cogeneration unit design with two-stage reheating of service water coming from controlled extraction locations and layouts that employ three in-line reheaters with heat the supply controlled by a rotary diaphragm and qualitative/quantitative methods (so-called “uncontrolled extraction”). Cogeneration unit designs are benchmarked in terms of their thermal efficiency expressed as a fuel consumption rate. The specific fuel consumption rate on electricity production is viewed as a key parameter of thermal efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System)

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16865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rotor Design for an Efficient Single-Phase Induction Motor for Refrigerator Compressors

by Hyun-Jin Ahn, Kang-Won Kim, Joon-Ho Choi, Eui-Sun Kim and Young-Cheol Lim

Energies 2016, 9(3), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/en9030158 - 03 Mar 2016

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 8226

Abstract

This article describes a rotor making technology for the production of high-efficiency single-phase induction motors (SPIMs) to be used in refrigerator compressors. Rotors can have different aluminum fill factors according to the fabrication method. In order to examine the association between the fill factor and the efficiency of the rotor, we analyzed the distribution of magnetic flux density using the finite element method (FEM). Next, we made prototype rotors by conventional casting methods and by the proposed casting method and compared their fill factors. In addition, SPIMs were made using the rotors, and their efficiencies were measured using a dynamometer. Moreover, the SPIMs were put to use in a compressor, for testing, and for each SPIM the refrigerating capacity of the compressor was measured with a calorimeter. Based on the results of the FEM analysis of the magnetic flux density and the experiments, the reliability and validity of the proposed method were proven. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving Design for Manufacturing Process, Product, and System)

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