Energy savings in concrete production

T he rapid growth of the cement and concrete industry has created the need for concrete products such as concrete pipes, culverts, manholes, slabs, piles, etc. Since the role of electric machines in the concrete industry is vital, this article focuses on presenting the design of an energy efficient concrete mixer drive. The novelty of the proposed synchronous permanent magnet (PM) motor is in its ability to develop helical movement of the rotor. This allows the mixer blades to mix concrete compound effectively with minimal energy consumption. The machine was analysed in 3D FEM and Matlab/ Simulink software. Efficiency and rated power were also determined. The energy consumption of the proposed synchronous motor drive is compared to that of a conventional induction motor. Conclusions about the effectiveness of using the proposed machine in concrete mixers were made. The advantages of the proposed motor over conventional induction drives used in industrial mixers are also discusse