Browsing by Keyword "Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering"
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Item Achievements of European projects on membrane reactor for hydrogen production(2017-09-10) Di Marcoberardino, Gioele; Binotti, Marco; Manzolini, Giampaolo; Viviente, José Luis; Arratibel, Alba; Roses, Leonardo; Gallucci, Fausto; TECNOLOGÍA DE MEMBRANAS E INTENSIFICACIÓN DE PROCESOSMembrane reactors for hydrogen production can increase both the hydrogen production efficiency at small scale and the electric efficiency in micro-cogeneration systems when coupled with Polymeric Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells. This paper discusses the achievements of three European projects (FERRET, FluidCELL, BIONICO) which investigate the application of the membrane reactor concept to hydrogen production and micro-cogeneration systems using both natural gas and biofuels (biogas and bio-ethanol) as feedstock. The membranes, used to selectively separate hydrogen from the other reaction products (CH4, CO2, H2O, etc.), are of asymmetric type with a thin layer of Pd alloy (<5 μm), and supported on a ceramic porous material to increase their mechanical stability. In FERRET, the flexibility of the membrane reactor under diverse natural gas quality is validated. The reactor is integrated in a micro-CHP system and achieves a net electric efficiency of about 42% (8% points higher than the reference case). In FluidCELL, the use of bio-ethanol as feedstock for micro-cogeneration Polymeric Electrolyte Membrane based system is investigated in off-grid applications and a net electric efficiency around 40% is obtained (6% higher than the reference case). Finally, BIONICO investigates the hydrogen production from biogas. While BIONICO has just started, FERRET and FluidCELL are in their third year and the two prototypes are close to be tested confirming the potentiality of membrane reactor technology at small scale.Item Acoustic emission characterisation of two pre-cracked specimens(British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing, 2022) Gálvez, Antonio; Galar, Diego; Alonso, Asier; Errasti-Alcalá, Borja; Bienvenido, Ismael; Ortego, Patxi; Juuso, Esko; Tecnalia Research & InnovationThis article contains the experiments carried-out to study the capabilities of Acoustic Emissions (AE) in a Ship To Shore (STS) crane. This solution studies the implementation of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) in an STS crane based on acoustic emissions (AE) technique for detecting cracks and assessing their growth in steel elements subjected to fatigue. The first experiment is performed using a compact tension specimen (CT) made of steel S355 whose dimensions are 125x120x50 mm and its cracks and dimensions are defined based on ASTM and ISO standards. The CT is monitored using AE sensors, and then, the features are extracted from the raw data and used to train, test and validate an unsupervised model. The crack detection model obtains a remarkable accuracy; crack detection at sizing of 3 mm length. As the CT dimensions are small, it is difficult to evaluate the attenuation of AE signals, which is completely necessary for monitoring STS cranes. Therefore, a second experiment is performed using a panel made of steel S355, whose dimensions are 2120x200x8 mm; the panel contains a crack of 50x3 mm. This experiment is performed to analyse the AE signals that come from cracks; specifically, to assess signals attenuation, how the attenuation affects cracks detection in the panel, and features evolution while crack propagation. This is led by monitoring the crack growth with crack detection gauges and installing the AE sensors at different distances of the crack. The assessment is used to develop an unsupervised model to detect cracks and an algorithm for localizing them.Item Active Control of Variable DC-Link for Maximum Efficiency of Traction Motor Drives(2023-07-01) Pescetto, Paolo; Sierra-Gonzalez, Andres; Alvarez-Gonzalez, Fernando; Kapeller, Hansjorg; Trancho, Elena; Pellegrino, Gianmario; POWERTRAIN; Tecnalia Research & InnovationModern electric vehicles often interpose a DC/DC converter between traction battery and inverter, boosting the supply voltage of the drive. The power losses in the two converters and in the electric motor significantly vary with the DC-link voltage amplitude. In this work, a novel control algorithm is proposed to adapt online the DC-link voltage during vehicle operation, pursuing the maximum efficiency of the DC/DC converter and traction inverter without affecting the motor control dynamic. The key principle of the proposal, suitable for 3-phase and multi-three-phase drives, relies on the DC-link voltage minimization on varying the drive operating conditions. Among its advantages, the proposed variable DC-link control is independent of the motor parameters, the adopted torque/speed control strategy and the number of 3-phase sets of the drive. Although originally developed for electric vehicles, it can be adopted in a wide number of applications. Straightforward calibration roles are also provided. The proposed algorithm is deeply validated in simulation and experiments using a full-scale 135 kW 6-phase traction motor drive at TRL6.Item Adaptive fixturing system for the smart and flexible positioning of large volume workpieces in the wind-power sector(2014) Olaiz, Edurne; Zulaika, Juanjo; Veiga, Fernando; Puerto, Mildred; Gorrotxategi, Ainhoa; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; MAQUINAS; FACTORYQuality and productivity in a manufacturing process depend considerably on the toolkits used, whose basic functions are to position the component into a right position relative to the cutting tool and to hold the component tightly to avoid displacements during the machining. In this document the design of a smart and adaptive fixture is presented for the accurate positioning of a planet carrier with very strict requirements of tolerances and for an intelligent adjustment during the machining process when required. This device will allow the manufacturer reducing the manual inspections, automatizing the adjustment tasks and improving the machining process setup time, increasing consequently the productivity and achieving the required accuracy and the required geometrical quality of the part. The development of the intelligent fixturing will be focused mainly in the conception of a high precision actuator capable of moving the large part with the required tolerance. Moreover, a testbench has been developed that will allow validating the actuator, assuring therefore its applicability in the future industrialization of the fixture device.Item An agile manufacturing system for large workspace applications(2016-07-01) Yang, Hai; Baradat, Cédric; Krut, Sébastien; Pierrot, François; MEDIOS DE PRODUCCIÓN Y ROBOTICA; Tecnalia Research & InnovationREMORA aims at offering an agile robotic solution for manufacturing tasks done on very large parts (e.g., very long and slender parts found in aeronautic industries). For such tasks, classical machine tools are designed at several tens of meters. Both their construction and operation require huge infrastructure supports. REMORA is a novel lightweight concept and flexible robotic solution that combines the ability of walking and manufacturing. The robot is a mobile manufacturing system which can effectuate operations with good payload capacity and good precisions for large workspace applications. This new concept combines parallel kinematics to ensure high stiffness but low inertia and mobile robotics to operate in very large workspaces. This results in a machining center of new generation: (1) agile manufacturing system for large workspace applications, (2) heavy load and good precisions, (3) 5-axis machining and 5-axis locomotion/clamping, (4) self-reconfigurable for specific tasks (workspace and force), and (5) flexible and multifunctional.Item AIR2, un robot parallèle à actionnement pneumatique à deux degrés de liberté pour les applications de prise et dépose d'objets(2011) Chikh, Lotfi; Baradat, Cédric; Poignet, Philippe; Pierrot, François; Michelin, Micaël; Tecnalia Research & InnovationA two degrees-of-freedom pneumatically driven parallel robot has been developed for pick-and-place of payloads comprised between 5 and 20 kg using standard double acting cylinders cheaper than electrical motors. After the general presentation of the robot, the actuator models are developed and a novel control strategy is introduced based on a cascade scheme with a predictive position controller and an inner H∞ force control. Some experimental results are then presented and analyzed in order to show the effectiveness of the controllers.Item Ambient Intelligence based monitoring and energy efficiency optimisation system(2011) Heilala, Juhani; Klobut, Krzysztof; Salonen, Tapio; Siltanen, Pekka; Ruusu, Reino; Urosevic, Ljubisa; Reimer, Philip; Armijo, Alberto; Sorli, Mikel; Fatur, Tomaz; Gantar, Ziga; Jung, Andreas; DIGITALIZACIÓN Y AUTOMATIZACIÓN DE LA CONSTRUCCIÓN; Tecnalia Research & InnovationThe European research project AmI-MoSES is focused on developing energy efficiency enhancement service solutions for SME manufacturing companies. The planned service concept is based on Industrial Ambient Intelligence (AmI) Reference Architecture and Energy Key Performance Indicators in the form of Energy Use Parameters (EUP). EUP indicators are based on monitored energy consumption data (ECD), other measured data and related energy use context data showing in detail how energy was used. AmI-MoSES project focuses on enabling manufacturing SMEs to efficiently and promptly (online) acquire/provide information/knowledge needed for optimisation of energy consumption. It also aims to assist in effective use of such knowledge to support decisions regarding Life-Cycle oriented Energy Use Management, applying the energy efficiency services. This paper provides theoretical background to RTD practitioners who would like to apply AmI-MoSES approaches in future energy efficiency optimisation activities. The topics comprise Energy Consumption Data (ECD) and Ambient Intelligence (AmI) Monitoring, Energy Use Parameters (EUP) Monitoring and Advisory and context modelling for turning EUPs into knowledge assets.Item Analysis and comparative study of factors affecting quality in the hemming of 6016T4AA performed by means of electromagnetic forming and process characterization(2011-05-01) Jimbert, P.; Eguia, I.; Perez, I.; Gutierrez, M.A.; Hurtado, I.; COMPOSITE; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; PROMETALHemming is commonly one of the last operations for stamped parts. For this reason it is of critical importance on the performance and perceived quality of assembled vehicles. However, designing the hemmed unión is a complicated task and is deeply influenced by the mechanical properties of the materail of the bent part. Significant problems can arise in this operation when bending aluminum alloys, because cracks can appera due to the localized strain during hemming as a result of the low ductility of automotive aluminum alloys. This paper presents the devlopment of the lectromagnetic forming (EMF) technology for auto body-in-white parts hemming. A relatively simple experimental procedure to perform a hemming operation based on th eprinciple of EMF is presented in order to compare the variation in the quality parameters of a hemmed joint. The achieved results are compared with the corrresponding geometry hemmed utilizing the conventional process. At the same time, the study is completed with the development of a new simulation method for the EMF technology. The results obtained during this study prove the capability of the EMF to obatin quality hem unions simplifying the complicated conventional hemming operation. In this study a loose coupling EMF hemming simulation method has been developed using Maxwell 3D to solve the electromagnetic field computation and Abaqus to solve the mechanical computation. Thsi simulation method shows good agreement with the physiscal experiments. Finally, the EMF hemming process is characterized by analyzing the influence of main input parameters on the quality output parameters.Item Analysis of Alloy 718 surfaces milled by abrasive waterjet and post-processed by plain waterjet technology(2017) Alberdi, A.; Rivero, A.; Artaza, T.; Lamikiz, A.; FABRIC_INTEL; SGThis work analyzes the surfaces obtained in Alloy 718 when they are milled by Abrasive Waterjet (AWJ) at different conditions. This analysis revealed that all surfaces have a homogeneous roughness in the transversal and the longitudinal directions, present embedded abrasive particles and have hardened about 50% with respect to the untreated bulk Alloy 718. On the other hand, Plain Waterjet (PWJ) technology was used for removing the abrasive particles embedded in surfaces of Alloy 718 milled previously by AWJ technology. The effect of this process on the surface characteristics is also analyzed. For all tested conditions, this technology removed all the particles embedded in the surface. In addition, the PWJ technology process in general smoothened the surfaces produced by AWJ milling and it also released near-surface stresses.Item Analysis of ultrasonic-assisted drilling of Ti6Al4V(2009-05) Pujana, J.; Rivero, A.; Celaya, A.; López de Lacalle, L. N.; SGIn this study ultrasonic vibration was applied on the drilling of Ti6Al4V workpiece samples. Several parameters of ultrasonic-assisted drilling were monitored, including feed force, chip formation by means of high-speed imaging, and temperature measurement on the drill tip by means of infrared radiation thermometry. Ultrasonic assistance offered lower feed force and higher process temperatures as compared to conventional drilling. It has also shown higher force reductions and higher temperature increments when vibration amplitude was increased.Item Application of large underground seasonal thermal energy storage in district heating system: A model-based energy performance assessment of a pilot system in Chifeng, China: A model-based energy performance assessment of a pilot system in Chifeng, China(2018-06-05) Xu, Luyi; Torrens, J. Ignacio; Guo, Fang; Yang, Xudong; Hensen, Jan L.M.; Tecnalia Research & InnovationSeasonal thermal energy storage (STES) technology is a proven solution to resolve the seasonal discrepancy between heating energy generation from renewables and building heating demands. This research focuses on the performance assessment of district heating (DH) systems powered by low-grade energy sources with large-scale, high temperature underground STES technology. A pilot DH system, located in Chifeng, China that integrates a 0.5 million m3 borehole thermal energy storage system, an on-site solar thermal plant and excess heat from a copper plant is presented. The research in this paper adopts a model-based approach using Modelica to analyze the energy performance of the STES for two district heating system configurations. Several performance indicators such as the extraction heat, the injection heat and the storage coefficient are selected to assess the STES system performance. Results show that a lower STES discharge temperature leads to a better energy performance. A sensitivity analysis of the site properties illustrates that the thermal conductivity of soil is the most influential parameter on the STES system performance. The long-term performance of the STES is also discussed and a shorter stabilization time between one and two years could be achieved by discharging the STES at a lower temperature.Item An Approach to Holonic Components in Control of Machine Tools(1996) Bengoa, A.; Gluch, S.; Jacobs, H. J.; Bueno, R.; Tecnalia Research & InnovationThis paper describes a first step in transfer of machine tools to HOLONIC MACHINING UNITS (HMU). The solution proposed is based on dynamic, NC-internal self-planning of cutting conditions. Supposing this approach, real time adaption of the required machining time to the available time budget can be carried out. In this way the autonomous HMU is able to survive disturbances without any reaction on job-shop-control. Cooperation of machine tools with the same properties to fulfil an order is possible, too. The first soft- and hardware implementation of holonic behaviour within a machine tool's CNC is represented by the so-called Optimizing Controller.Item AR-Enhanced Human-Robot-Interaction - Methodologies, Algorithms, Tools(2016) Andersson, Nils; Argyrou, Angelos; Nagele, Frank; Ubis, Fernando; Esnaola-Campos, Urko; Ortiz-de-Zarate, Maite; Wilterdink, Robert; Nägele, Frank; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; ROBOTICA_FLEXBy using Augmented Reality in Human-Robot-Interaction scenariospropose it is possible to improve training, programming, maintenance and process monitoring. AR Enhanced Human Robot Interaction means it is possible to conduct activities not only in a training facility with physical robot(s) but also in a complete virtual environment. By using virtual environments only a computer and possibly Head Mounting Display is required. This will reduce the bottlenecks for with overbooked physical training facilities. Physical environment for the activities with robot(s) will still be required, however using also virtual environments will increase flexibility and human operator can focus on training more complicated tasks. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.Item Assessing impacts to biodiversity and ecosystems: Understanding and exploiting synergies between Life Cycle Assessment and Natural Capital Accounting(2022) Cordella, Mauro; Gonzalez-Redin, Julen; Lodeiro, Raul Ugarte; Garcia, David Alvarez; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; ECONOMÍA CIRCULARAll economic activity depends on natural capital, i.e., the stock of both renewable and non-renewable resources (including biodiversity) providing a flow of ecosystem services (ES) to society. However, as also highlighted in the European Green Deal and follow-up policy initiatives of the European Commission, unsustainable practices of production and consumption of human beings have put nature in crisis, which has negative effects on different aspects of human wellbeing as retro-feedback. The need for action is urgent, and this calls for the availability of appropriate methods and tools that can be used to assess and guide the mitigation and reversion of the impacts of human activities on biodiversity and ES. In this context, we describe a conceptual framework that aims to show how Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) can be integrated and used for a more comprehensive understanding of the biodiversity and ES quality footprint, i.e., pressures and impacts, associated with product value chains, organizations and territories. First, an in-depth and separate description of LCA and NCA is provided, including ongoing progress, complexities, and challenges of each field. Second, integration options are presented that could be followed and further developed to link LCA and NCA, thus helping to overcome the shortages of the two fields and providing a more holistic and interdisciplinary approach to address the current environmental crisis.Item Assessment of the Potential of Commercial Buildings for Energy Management in Energy Performance Contracts(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Garrido-Marijuan, Antonio; Garay-Martinez, Roberto; de Agustín, Pablo; Eguiarte, Olaia; EDIFICACIÓN DE ENERGÍA POSITIVA; LABORATORIO DE TRANSFORMACIÓN URBANAThe Energy Performance Building Directive encourages Member States to establish clear long-term renovation strategies, highlighting the value of energy renovation for both the envelope and the smart services application in buildings. There is, however, a lack of works that effectively examine the cost-effectiveness linked to both the envelope retrofitting and the smartness of the building, which could hinder the effective implementation and prevent building owners, occupants, and stakeholders from taking full advantage of these strategies. This study presents a methodology to assess the most suitable “target” market across Europe for energy renovation. The work focuses on different typologies of commercial buildings, evaluating their potential for energy renovation under different boundary conditions such as climate or demand response market maturity. The assessment is performed in two stages: qualitative identification of those countries with the highest interest for renovation and energy management and quantitative assessment of the top candidates regarding their potential for renovation under different retrofitting scenarios in energy and economic terms. The study aims to serve as a decision-making process to explore and identify the potential for energy performance contracts for different typologies at the European level.Item Barriers to transitioning to a circular bio-based economy: Findings from an industrial perspective(2024-07) Dace, Elina; Cascavilla, Alessandro; Bianchi, Marco; Chioatto, Elisa; Zecca, Emy; Ladu, Luana; Yilan, Gülşah; ECONOMÍA CIRCULARThe transition from a linear fossil-based to a circular bio-based economy represents an opportunity and a suitable pathway for achieving several sustainable development goals. However, the transition is a complex process since it requires transformative policies, purposeful innovation, access to finance, risk-taking capacity as well as new and sustainable business models and markets. Accordingly, the first step in this transition process is the identification of barriers that are hampering the transition to a sustainable circular bio-based economy. With this motivation in mind, this study reviews grey literature to identify barriers focusing on four critical sectors facing major challenges within the current linear economy and requiring a sustainable transition most urgently: construction, chemicals, plastics, and textile sectors. Employing an adapted STEEP methodology (Social, Technological, Economical, Environmental, Political), a total of 193 different barriers have been identified and clustered under six categories: cultural, technical, economic, environmental, governance, and structural. Regardless of the sector, cultural and structural barriers are identified as the most prominent; the lack of incentives for consumer behaviour change and lack of stakeholder collaboration were the most cited barriers among the literature records. From a value chain perspective, most of the barriers are related to the material processing and product manufacturing stage. Finally, potential solutions, extracted from the grey literature, are proposed to fill the gaps and overcome the identified barriers. Many of the identified barriers are common across the four investigated sectors, indicating the solutions or measures can be applicable in a wider perspective to promote the transition in the right direction.Item Bioinspired Design for Lightweighting and Vibration Behavior Optimization in Large-Scale Aeronautical Tooling: A Comparative Study(2023-12) Laraudogoitia Blanc, Ignacio; Hamm, Christian; García de Cortázar, Maider; Kaiser, Nils; Savysko, Oleksander; Girot Mata, Franck Andrés; CIRMETALA comparative study is presented, focusing on three different bioinspired design methodologies applied to a large-scale aeronautical tooling use case. The study aims to optimize the structure in terms of the first vibration mode, minimizing mass, and supporting operational loads. The development of lightweight metallic components is of great importance for industries such as aerospace, automotive, and energy harvesting, where weight reduction can lead to significant improvements in performance, efficiency, and sustainability. Bioinspired design offers a promising approach to achieving these goals. The study begins with an introduction to natural selection and various bioinspired concepts. It proceeds with a thorough review of the selected bioinspired design methodologies and tools, which are then applied to the chosen use case. The outcomes for each methodology were explored with respect to the design requirements. Subsequently, the most suitable design was selected according to the success criteria defined and its validation is explained. The manufacturing of this design was carried out using an advanced and novel approach specifically tailored to accommodate the large dimensions and complexity of the structure. Finally, modal testing was performed to validate the entire process, and the results obtained demonstrate the potential effectiveness of bioinspired design methodologies in achieving lightweighting and optimizing vibration modes for large-scale aeronautical tooling.Item Business process interoperability towards quality models(Springer International Publishing, 2012) Jaekel, Frank Walter; Benguria, Gorka; Tarsitano, Giuseppe; Aceto, Giacomo; HPAQuality models are in many domains an important mean to ensure the interoperability of the processes of the contracted organisation with the requirements of the contracting party. The syncronization of the organisation processes with the requirements of the quality model is in many cases a challeging activity, this is even more challenging in those situations where organisations have to deal with multiple development processed and multiple quality models at the same time. The FACIT SME project addresses SMEs operating in the ICT domain in the management of their development processes together with their quality models. The goals are to facilitate the use of Software Engineering (SE) methods and to systematize their application integrated with the business processes, to provide efficient and affordable certification of these processes according to internationally accepted standards, and to securely share best practices, tools and experiences with development partners and customers. The paper focuses on the interrelating of different methods and best practices to create a knowledge base not only for knowledge exchange but also to support its usage. A related interoperability challenge is the correlation between different models and a semantic approach to handle this correlation.Item Case Study 3.3: Active Fixtures for High Precision Positioning of Large Parts for the Windmill Sector(Springer Nature, 2018) Estévez, Alex; Rodríguez, Germán; Ayesta, Kepa; FABRIC_INTELThe fixtures are used to locate, clamp and support the workpiece during the manufacturing process. Their performance affects the results attending to the quality, cost and performance. Thus requirements like accuracy, reliability, short set-up time and cost-effectiveness are demanded for the fixtures. Within the INTEFIX project, the design of an active fixture is presented for the accurate positioning of a planet carrier with very strict requirements of tolerances and for an intelligent adjustment during the machining process when required. This device will allow the manufacturer to reduce the manual inspections, to automatize the adjustment tasks and to improve the machining process setup time. This will increase consequently the productivity and achieve the required accuracy and the required geometrical quality of the part. The development of the active fixturing focused mainly on the conception of a high precision actuator capable of moving the large part with the required tolerance. The active fixture was implemented into the machine and the obtained results proved that the proposed active fixture is able to centre the workpiece within the tolerance of 10 μm assuring the quality requirements.Item A case study of automated dual-arm manipulation in industrial applications(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2019-09) Solana, Yoann; Cueva, Hector Herrero; García, Alvaro Rubio; Calvo, Sergio Martínez; Campos, Urko Esnaola; Sallé, Damien; Cortés, Juan; ROBOTICA_FLEXNowadays, factories are required to increase production flexibility in order to manufacture small-lot variants, rapidly adapting to customer demands. Furthermore, manufacturing may involve complex manipulation tasks, usually performed by human workers. In such a context, traditional robotic systems are not competitive due to the huge costs of installation, maintenance and adaptation. A new generation of robots, equipped with multiple arms, is appearing as an attractive alternative because of their potential versatility and ability to execute intricate manipulation tasks. To facilitate the integration of these robots in a work-cell and a rapid adaptation to different tasks, easy-to-use programming interfaces and a high degree of autonomy are mandatory. Autonomous task and motion planning are particularly relevant in this context. In this paper, we present our recent progress in this direction. Hardware and software developments are explained in the context of a pilot dual-arm robot station that is being integrated in the production line of a big airplane manufacturer. First experimental results are also presented.