A combined 1D-3D simulation approach for the energy analysis of a high speed weaving machine

Due to the ever increasing energy costs, energy efficiency has become a major factor in the total cost of ownership of production machinery. In highly dynamic systems such as weaving machinery, the losses are predominantly linked to friction in the bearings, gears and cam&followers and the electrical losses in the motor. In order to virtually assess the energy consumption, a multiphysical model is required that not only links the dynamic behavior of the mechanical system with the tribological aspects related to the relative motion between the parts, but also models the influence of the electric motor. In this work, a methodology is presented to model systems of multiphysical nature applied to a weaving machine with respect to energy efficiency. The holistic model allows to pinpoint the most dominant sources of energy loss and to assess how changes in components or topologies of the machinery may have an effect on the overall (dynamic and energetic) behavior of the machine at system level. Due to the fact that different subsystems are described into one integrated environment, design changes in the overall system lead to a more global optimum instead of trying to improve the several subsystems independently.