Optimizing Energy Efficiency with FlexSim

FlexSim Energy Simulation Module (*)

(*) by Flexcon s.r.l.

rev 3.0 - 10/09/2015

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Austria

Germany

Sweden

Spain

UK

Electric power prices in Eurocent per kWhSource Eurostat

World prices for energy, 1991-2010 2000 = 100http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_economics

*3 in 10 years

Energy Prices in the last 30 years

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Energy Oriented Design

Energy prices become more

and more relevant in terms

of Production

cost

Product cost

Competitiveness• For line

builders• For any

production facility

Emerging from the challenge to reduce energy consumptions in production and logistics systems is the need for energy simulation tools to be used more effectively to support integrated decision making in early design phases.

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FlexSim Energy Simulation is a module, developed from Flexcon, which extends Flexsim object’ s capabilities to the simulation of energy consumptions.

It is installed on top FlexSim GP and enables the modelling of various energy utilization on every FlexSim object.

Supports any type of energy and material requested from an equipment, simulated according to its real utilization mode.

FlexSim Energy Simulation

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Install FlexSim Energy Simulation on your module folder and start FlexSim.

From the FlexSim Toolbox select Energy Simulation and install in your model’ s Toolbox the Consumption Analysis object.

Setup

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For each model’ s power source define a proper Energy Class.

Energy Class represents a type of power supply coming for a single identified power source (eg. electricity, steam, cooling water, ….).

It has an individual unit definition (Consumption and Absorption) as well as a specific cost profile.

Model Configuration

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FlexSim objects can be linked to many specific energy classes, with instances (energy types) that represent the power consumption of an individual device.

Different energy types of the same object can be instances of the same energy class.

Each energy type defines the way the object is using a specific (power) supply.

Model Configuration

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One object could need of an energy type in several ways : With a fixed absorption quota (background/stand-by

consumption).

For each flow item entering the object.

Depending on the object’s state times.

By default, every energy setting is defined as “Added value” energy, that means is an active part of the manufacturing transformation process. If not they can be marked as “Non added value” ( with *).

Model Configuration

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Using FlexSim Energy Simulation is easy : Turn On the GUI switch

(green) and activate the energy simulation module.

Run the simulation. Get energy consumptions

from the report tab. Export data to a csv or xml

file.

Energy Simulation

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Energy groups are logic relation between objects, allowing the simulation of collective consumptions (f.e. equipment powered from the same cabinet).

Each group gather energy consumption for every energy type and class used from its members.

Group’ s members are selected from the GUI’ s object lists.

Energy Groups

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Reports are available for each object, group, energy type and energy class :

Actual power absorption (Fixed / Background, per Item, per States).

Full power absorption statistics (Min/Avg/Max => Fixed/Background, per Item, per States).

Overall Energy Consumption (Fixed / Background, per Item, per States).

Energy utilization efficiency.

Energy Reports

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With Enable Sampling checked on, objects collect their consumption data for a defined sampling frequency, they can be later displayed in the FlexSim Dashboard.

Energy Reports

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Energy Consumption Data can be exported in csv and xml formats, for additional analysis.

Energy Reports

Optimizing Energy Efficiency with FlexSim

Test Case 01

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Test Case is on a simple manufacturing cell, on which a part received a CNC roughing, then a partial assembly and finally is CNC finished; 50% are also labeled. 100% of the production is stored and then shipped to customers.

Test Case 01

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Roughing CNC Station is semi-automatic, requires one monitoring operator; it has 5 different power requirements :• CNC Control

• Drives Feeding

• Auxiliary Components

• Cooling Lubricant

• Compressed Air

Finishing CNC differs from Roughing only for the fully automatic operating mode.

Test Case 01

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Roughing and Finishing CNC energy configuration is per state, with 4 energy types :• Electr CNC (CNC Control).

• Electr Auxiliary (Auxiliary Components + Drives Feeding as NVA fixed absorption).

• Electr Cooling Lubricant.

• Electr Compressed Air.

Test Case 01

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Assembly Station is fully manual, with 3 different power requirements :• Tool Feeding (Electr Tools, state depending)

• Auxiliary Components (Electr Auxiliary, fixed NVA)

• Compressed Air (Electr Compressed Air, state depending)

Automatic Labeler has the same requirement types.

Test Case 01

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ASRS has 1 main power requirement (Electrical Power), defined as state depending.

Test Case 01

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All the conveyors have 1 main power requirement (Electrical Power), defined as following :• Basic power absorption is state depending, with only

conveying state set as non NVA.• Additional absorption according to its current content

(Absorption per Item).

Test Case 01

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Energy groups are functional collection of objects which allow monitoring energy consumptions with a different perspective :• Conveyors.• Assy Stations• CNC Stations• All Machines

Test Case 01

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Test Case 01

Optimizing Energy Efficiency with FlexSim

Energy module’ s analytics

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When Flexsim simulation is running, if FlexSim Energy Simulation GUI is switched on :

Every time a flowitem enters or leaves or a state change happens in a monitored object, energy consumption and absorption data are updated.

This also reflects the group and overall statistics.

If “Enable sampling” is checked-on, all the statics are collected with a defined frequency and grouped by certain period of time (to get hourly consumptions per day, f.e.)

Flexsim Energy Simulation

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Flexsim Energy Simulation on every model’ s change (flowitem + states), update statistics data on each energy type monitoring the three power consumption causes :

These elements might contain some “non added value” consumptions reasons, then the efficiency for a given energy type/class is :

Flexsim Energy Simulation

𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 (%)=𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝐸 )−𝑁𝑜𝑛 𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑑𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝐸 )𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝐸 )

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The Fixed absorption is used for background consumptions (equipment’ s stand-by, heating of buildings …) :

Flexsim Energy Simulation

𝐹𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑(𝐸)=𝐴𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛∗𝑆𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒

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If absorption depends also from the type and number of products in the equipment, the energy consumption is calculated in the following way :

Item Type definition uses itemtype filtering : Range of itemtypes are specified as 1-3, 7-11; comma separates

different ranges; combined definitions are allowed : 1,2,3,7-11

If left blank means “All Item Types”

Flexsim Energy Simulation

𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤𝐼𝑡𝑒𝑚(𝐸)= ∑𝑛=𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑠

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑡𝑒𝑚+𝐴𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑡𝑒𝑚∗𝑂𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝐹 . 𝐼 .𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒

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The absorption depending on the object’s state is calculated in the following way :

Every State Change perform a fixed consumption that lasts the % of State Time (power absorption peak).

The object’ s time spent in given state is multiplied per its relevant absorption

Flexsim Energy Simulation

𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 (𝐸)= ∑𝑛=𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 ′ 𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑝𝑒𝑟 h𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝐶 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒+ 𝐴𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛∗𝑂𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒

Optimizing Energy Efficiency with FlexSim

Development Status

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Energy Simulation module is available with FlexSim 7.54 and actually used only in Flexcon projects.

Some additional development steps are planned to fulfill new projects demand, extending the module utilization to end users :

Core and GUI general stabilization; additional Dashboard charts, updated xml reports.

Development of a Energy Supply FlexSim class (a limited, time dependent energy source); modeling network of energy supply objects.

Transformed Energy Class : support of Energy Classes created from other Energy Classes (f.e. compressed air needs electricity to be produced…).

Energy costing calculation model, cost based optimization, cost report.

Development Status

Flexcon s.r.l.Viale Risorgimento, 16

I–10092 Beinasco (TO) – Italy

+39-011-1968-2600

http://www.flexcon.it

info@flexcon.it