INNOVATIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF SCRAPER CONVEYORS

Abstract

The article examines the issue of improving the energy efficiency of scraper conveyors in transport, logistics and transshipment systems of flexible automated production facilities. The relevance of the work is determined by current trends in industrial development within the framework of Industry 4.0, which involves the introduction of digitalisation, automation and intelligent management technologies for the stable operation of production processes. One of the key tasks in this direction is to minimise energy consumption and increase equipment reliability while ensuring flexibility and efficiency of material flows. The advantages and disadvantages of traditional belt and scraper conveyors are analysed, with an emphasis on the operational limitations of the latter – increased energy consumption, cargo fragmentation, wear and tear of components, etc. The feasibility of using continuous action machines (CAM) as a key element in cargo handling systems is substantiated. A new design of a scraper conveyor with a movable trough bottom is proposed, which eliminates relative friction between the cargo and the bottom of the transport surface, as well as between individual cargo particles in the scraper zone. This design solution makes it possible to reduce energy consumption by more than 70% compared to traditional systems, as well as significantly increase the durability of the equipment and ensure careful transportation of fragile and solid materials. The paper presents a mathematical model for determining the coefficient of resistance to cargo movement, taking into account the reduced contact area, and develops formulas for determining the traction force and drive power. A theoretical justification for the reduction in energy consumption has been provided, confirmed by relevant calculations. The modified design eliminates a number of operational shortcomings of traditional scraper systems. The results obtained are of practical importance for engineers and designers of modern automated transport systems.