First interoperable Solutions for Electric Drives

Using the example of energy monitoring, a demonstrator shows how multilateral data sharing can optimize energy efficiency, costs and sustainability in operations. The demonstrator visualizes possible networking scenarios from drive systems across production plants to higher hierarchy levels. The first implemented solutions will be shown at the ZVEI e.V. stand (Hall 3, Stand 331).

One particular highlight is the use case »Holistic energy-efficient Design of Drive Solutions«. Here, research is being conducted into how the most energy-efficient configuration for load and movement profiles defined by the operator can be achieved by combining components from different manufacturers. Authenticated users can access the cumulative energy consumption and performance of individual drive systems via the »Antrieb 4.0« data room, which enables precise energy forecasting and verification.

Data sovereignty remains intact

The focus here is on data sovereignty: the data remains under the control of the operator, while at the same time it can be made available to authorized partners. This allows operators, machine builders and manufacturers to work together to make optimizations.

The demonstrator shows ways of vertical networking from the field via the edge to the cloud with access authorizations for the various players. First, the system operator can log in to the Edge and start and stop the motor via the OPC UA client of a specific drive system at a desired time. During this time, important motor data is generated in the field and stored exclusively locally in the Edge database. The data remains there for the rest of the process.

The »Antrieb 4.0« research project

»Antrieb 4.0« focuses on interoperability and common standards for electric drives and aims to promote the development of service-oriented business models. The aim is to achieve cross-manufacturer compatibility for the selection, commissioning, operation and servicing of drives. The main focus is on the availability and transparency of data and its accessibility. The creation of a shared data space is intended to serve the horizontal integration and cross-system collection of data. The establishment of a cross-location real-world laboratory demonstrator will ensure that the project results are put into practice. The implementation of exemplary use cases also provides recommendations for a possible transfer to industry.

The research project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) with 4.3 million euros and will run for three years. The project is led by the Research Association for Electrical Engineering at ZVEI e.V. and brings together renowned research institutions and industry partners.

The consortium partners of »Antrieb 4.0« are: Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, the departments of power electronics and drive control and communication networks at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Forschungsvereinigung Elektrotechnik beim ZVEI e.V. (FE) and 18 well-known associated partner companies.

ZVEI at the SPS 2024: Hall 3, Stand 331