Off-Road Machinery- Key Technologies Tackling Challenges With Solutions

Medical technology continues to evolve towards diagnosis and treatment equipment that is closer to the patient - wearable or in the home. Examples include point of care diagnostics, dialysis, compression therapy machines, and negative pressure wound therapy devices. Medical equipment manufacturers are responding to this trend by designing smaller, more portable, and quiet devices to improve the patient's experience and comfort. To ensure a competitive edge, OEM design engineers are faced with integrating components that meet design specifications without compromising functionality. 

We will explore how design innovations in diaphragm pumps are helping OEM design engineers mitigate noise, improve performance, increase product life and reduce service costs. 

One of the biggest challenges to pump longevity is the brushless DC motor that operates the pump mechanism. Most diaphragm pumps operate similarly: a motor shaft rotates a connecting rod assembly that drives a diaphragm up and down to create a pressure differential that results in flow. This connecting rod and diaphragm are attached perpendicular to the motor shaft creating a reciprocating radial load. In other words, the load of the diaphragm is pushing and pulling on the motor shaft with every stroke. As you can imagine, doing this 3000 times every minute for thousands of hours can be tough on a motor and lead to increased noise and reduced life.

Parker has a patented process to restrict the free movement of the motor ball-bearing balls so they roll in a fixed position and cannot chatter. This greatly reduces the noise, but more importantly, it allows the pumps to operate for thousands of hours at peak performance.

Parker has been building miniature diaphragm pumps for more than 20 years. Brushless motors are designed and built in the same ISO 13485 certified factory as the pumps. This combination delivers the best motor solution for customers, ensuring a reliable, long-life pump. Manufacturing the pumps and motors in the same facility also allows for strict control of the design, resulting in better quality control and change management. 

Parker’s BTX pump product line combines best-in-class diaphragm pump design, innovative brushless motor technology, ultra-low vibration, and advanced manufacturing techniques to bring a next-generation solution to next-generation device needs. The BTX Pump delivers high performance with superior quality and reliability. The product line offers a growing range of options for motor type, motor controls, and pump performance flexibility to serve a wide range of needs.

Features

• Brushless motor design with serial UART control and monitoring available.
• High performance to size and weight ratio for portability.
• Fail-safe design with over-current, stall, and over-temperature shutdown.
• Brushless motor design for high reliability, dynamic control, and long life.
• CE, REACH and RoHS compliant.

Interested in testing out the BTX miniature diaphragm pump? Request a sample.

Parker Precision Fluidics offers a wide variety of miniature pumps and valves for all your application needs. With over 30 years in the industry, Parker Precision Fluidics offers guaranteed high quality, reputable product, and market-driven innovation. Contact us today to speak to an expert engineer about your application-specific needs.

Our applications engineering team is always available to provide recommendations and customize equipment to customer specifications, call 603-595-1500 to speak with an engineer. 

For more information on our miniature and micro diaphragm pump platforms, download our catalog.

This article was contributed by Jamie Campbell, product manager, Parker Precision Fluidics. 

Defining Our Unique Contribution to the World

The Importance of Reliability in Diaphragm Pumps

Benefits of Using IEC-60601 Compliant Components in Medical Devices

Reducing the Noise Impact of Medical Devices

The sun has been referred to as a primary inexhaustible energy source capable of meeting energy demands on a global scale. Electricity can be generated from solar energy either directly using photovoltaic (PV) cells or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP) technology. The advantage of PV systems is that they can be installed quickly and easily. CSP technology, however, is promising because of its high capacity, efficiency, and energy-storage capability.  

Progress has been made to improve solar energy efficiency in both options. However, the biggest challenge to fully integrating solar energy into the energy mix is a lack of solar energy storage. The global power grid is not suited for intermittent energy. So, any viable renewable energy source must be consistent and reliable, as well as cost-competitive.  

Read part 2 of our white paper- 2021 Power Generation and Renewable Energy Trends, to explore renewable energy technology trends, both established and newer technologies including solar, wind, marine, and hydroelectric.

A lot is changing in solar energy, specifically regarding:  

• innovations into efficient energy storage technologies,  

• identification of lower cost,  

• more abundant materials for PV solar cells, and  

• upgrades to tracking systems to make solar panels more efficient in capturing the sun’s energy. 

One of the more exciting possibilities for solar energy is a satellite power station that could transmit electrical energy from solar panels in space to Earth via microwave beams.  

Battery storage is required for solar energy because of cloudy days and nightfall, both of which limit sun exposure. However, there are challenges to overcome. Currently, lithium-ion batteries still dominate the market. There are growing concerns; however, about their toxic effects, limited duration, and safety risks relative to overheating. In addition, lithium is a finite resource and environmentally taxing to mine. 

Tremendous research has been done to identify cheaper and more abundant elements that could be used instead of lithium. Elements receiving the greatest interest include silicon, sodium, aluminum, and potassium. However, the electrochemical potential of some of these elements is lower than lithium, which means the energy density of the battery may be reduced. Such limitations have opened the door to using a combination of alternative materials. 

Sodium-sulfur batteries, for example, are promising for large-scale energy storage because they are long-lasting and highly efficient at producing electricity. Sodium-sulfur battery electrodes contain molten sodium and molten sulfur, and the electrolyte is solid, A remaining challenge, however, is that these batteries currently need to operate at very high temperatures. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cited in a September 2019 article in Cleantech Concepts, are investigating the possibility of sodium-sulfur options that can operate at room temperature.  

Flow batteries are another attractive option gaining greater interest. They consist of two tanks of liquids that feed into electrochemical cells. Their advantage is that they store the electricity in the liquid rather than in the electrodes. This makes them more stable than lithium-ion batteries and gives them a longer lifespan. In addition, the liquids are less flammable, and the design of the flow battery means it can easily be scaled up simply by building bigger tanks for the liquids. 

One type of flow battery, known as the vanadium flow battery or vanadium redox battery, is already available commercially. It is a type of rechargeable flow battery that employs vanadium ions in different oxidation states to store chemical potential energy. The attraction of the vanadium redox battery is that you can charge and discharge it at the same time, something that can’t be done with a lithium battery. China had anticipated completing construction on the world’s largest vanadium flow battery in 2020, according to a May 2020 article on the VanadiumCorp website, COVID-related lockdowns in the country put the project behind schedule. 

Like any alternative design, there are downsides to vanadium flow batteries, namely that the liquids can be costly, and they aren’t quite as efficient as lithium-ion batteries. 

Beyond flow batteries, there are plenty of other developments creating excitement in battery research and development. For example, researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne are developing a proton battery that works by turning water into oxygen and hydrogen and then using hydrogen to power a fuel cell. Other research teams are exploring 100% lithium-free ion batteries using materials such as graphite and potassium for the electrode and aluminum salt liquids to carry the charged ions.

In addition, researchers in China are looking at improving the existing technology of nickel-zinc batteries, which are cost-effective, safe, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly. Like the vanadium flow batteries, however, they don’t last as long as current lithium-ion batteries. Work is also underway on saltwater-based batteries, with one design already being used for residential solar storage. 

While battery innovations are helping to store more energy, work also continues to find solutions designed to capture more energy from the sun. 

The concept of using tracking systems to position solar panels in such a way that they capture more sunlight is not new. Various studies have suggested that by following (tracking) the movement of the sun, output from solar panels can be boosted roughly 20%-30%. Traditional tracking systems are built on a single axis, but newer dual-axis systems can capture more energy. The greater energy, however, comes at a steep cost, making dual-axis tracking systems cost-prohibitive for many applications.  

New designs and technologies are reducing those costs. Not only are efforts underway to make dual-axis tracking systems less expensive, but new solar panel materials are also being identified. Some solar farms, for example, are hoping to switch from silicon to perovskite, a crystal-like structure that consists of calcium titanium oxide. Preliminary studies suggest that perovskite could increase electricity generation by a third. However, no perovskite solar panels are yet commercially available as engineers are still working to overcome stability problems with the material. 

Regardless of the material used, a key concern relative to the reliable use of tracking systems continues to revolve around condition monitoring and maintenance. The trackers are subject to tremendous load variances, especially when working in dusty, windy environments. Since many solar farms in operation today are in remote areas, visual inspection of the tracking systems and solar panels is time-consuming and expensive. 

That’s why Parker launched its SCOUT™ Cloud Software and SensoNODE™ Gold Sensors, which provide a wireless, remote monitoring solution. 

By monitoring the pressure levels of the solar panel tracking system’s hydraulic loads, end users can easily calculate how much extra pressure is being put on the panels. A change in the supported load can sometimes indicate structural damage that needs to be addressed before the scheduled visit from field technicians. 

Enhanced energy storage solutions in the form of alternative battery designs and higher-efficiency, lower-cost solar panel tracking systems represent a part, but not all, of the necessary solutions to make solar energy more reliable. The power is there, but more work must be done to help solar energy reach its full potential. 

To learn more about trends in the solar industry, read our Power Generation and Renewable Energy Trends White Paper – Part 2.

This article was contributed by the Fluid Gas Handling Team.

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Coal Power Plant Conversion to Natural Gas

For decades, coal has dominated global power generation. Yet, its share of power generation is declining. The International Energy Agency predicts that global coal consumption has peaked and will not return to former levels, as cited in an article appearing in the Dec. 3, 2020, issue of The Economist.

Many factors are driving coal’s decline. Environmental concerns, economically competitive renewable energy, and declining profitability are only a few. To successfully navigate these trends, power plants are increasingly making the switch from coal to natural gas to produce electricity. 

Read part 1 of our white paper- 2021 Power Generation and Renewable Energy Trends, to learn how fossil-based power generation technologies and power grids are rapidly evolving to meet the demands of the 21st-century market.

Nearly all coal-fired power plants use steam turbines to produce electricity. To drive turbine blades, boilers burn coal to produce pressurized steam. Coal has remained the most dominant source for electricity generation because of its abundant supply, low cost, and efficient output. 

While these advantages remain, mining and burning coal impact the environment and quality of life in nearby communities. The health and environmental effects of coal add regulatory hurdles and indirect costs that make alternatives more attractive, driving power plant conversions from coal to natural gas. 

Coal’s decline is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, despite recent growth in some global markets. China, for instance, produces half of the world’s coal-fired electricity. As a result, it is the world’s largest emitter of CO². 

Yet despite the fact China grew its number of coal-fired plants five-fold between 2000 and 2019, it has begun canceling planned capacity additions and investing in renewable energy. China is expected to continue its emphasis on clean, low-carbon energy. Its plans to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2060 will require the replacement of coal-fired power plants with renewable energy for decades to effectively phase out the world’s biggest market for coal-fired boilers. 

U.S. environmental regulations also have contributed to the decline in coal-fired generating capacity by increasing operational costs. The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2015 set new limits on air pollutants associated with coal combustion, including mercury, arsenic, and heavy metals. This resulted in most coal-fired plants having to install activated carbon injection technology to treat their coal-fired boiler flue gas at an average cost of $5.8 million per generator, according to a U.S. Senate Committee hearing report.

In the United States, another headwind of its aging coal plants is a loss of efficiency. About 74% of coal plants today have been in operation for at least 30 years. While coal can be inexpensive, boiler inefficiency is costly. For a power plant spending $100 million annually on fuel, a 1% improvement in boiler efficiency by converting to an alternative fuel source can result in significant fuel savings, as well as a reduction of CO² and other emissions that contribute to global warming. 

Combustion technologies vary in coal-fired utility boilers. Each achieves a different level of fuel efficiency, measured as the amount of coal needed to produce the same amount of electricity. The least efficient boilers in operation today are aging subcritical units that convert less than 35% of coal energy into electricity. Newer subcritical units are more efficient electricity generators, achieving about 38% efficiency.  

Supercritical units operate at higher temperatures to generate hotter steam under higher pressure. These units produce electricity with an efficiency rate of approximately 42%. 

The most efficient coal-fired boilers, called ultra-supercritical units or high-efficiency low emissions (HELE) units, approach 48% energy efficiency. Still, even HELE units emit about twice the CO² as electricity generated from natural gas. 

To remain competitive and increase efficiency, many coal-fired operations are switching plants to natural gas. Between 2011 and 2019, 103 coal-fired plants were converted to, or replaced by, natural gas-fired plants. The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts coal to gas conversions will continue. 

In most cases, when a plant switches from coal to become a gas-fired plant, its equipment is either converted to burn natural gas or it adopts new technologies to become a natural gas-fired combined-cycle plant.  

Natural gas combined cycle power plants can reach 60% efficient power generation by utilizing both gas turbines and a special type of boiler called a heat recovery steam generator. In a gas turbine, a continuous blast of hot gasses is mixed with air in a combustion chamber to drive turbine blades. The heat recovery steam generator repurposes waste heat from burning natural gas to heat water and operates a steam turbine, boosting the plant’s total output.  

Simple-cycle combustion turbines use the same process to produce electricity as combined cycle plants, but without incorporating the heat recovery steam generator. These operations cost less and can be constructed faster. However, without the benefit of repurposing waste heat, simple cycle plants can reach only 35%-40% efficiency. These attributes make simple-cycle combustion turbines appropriate for supplying peak-load demand. 

Another emerging gas turbine technology is a smaller, lighter aero-derivative turbine. Because aero-derivative gas turbines can quickly reach maximum production and change power levels, they are becoming increasingly popular with electric utilities for providing peak and intermittent power generation.  

These advances in turbine technology, along with environmentally friendly attributes of natural gas as a fuel source, have placed conversion to natural gas-fired plants at the forefront of efficient power generation. As of 2018, the natural gas combined cycle is the technology with the most electricity generating capacity in the United States. The EIA predicts natural gas combined cycle plants will remain the top source of electricity generation in the United States for the foreseeable future. 

To learn more about advancements in power generation, read our Power Generation and Renewable Energy Trends White Paper – Part 1.

This article was contributed by Fluid and Gas Handling and Parker Energy Teams.

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