TESTING | digiwin

An important part of the DIGIWIN project is to verify the digital winch drive solution in real life. Test equipment is established at the Mechatronic Innovation Lab at UiA premises in Grimstad. The test setup includes a 25mT winch with 6 digital hydraulic motors and two electrical drives for additional loading.

The digital motors are controlled by the embedded electronics and communicate with each other and the plant controller through industrial ethernet connections. .

Testing commenced during the summer 2019 with installation and setup, and lifting started early November. See the pictures and watch the first video with a 3mT load being controlled by digitial hydraulic motors.

Early 2020, heavier load was tested and a range of evaluations were done to understand the control performance achievable when limited to 30 cylinders like on the DIGIWIN test equipment.

The first AHC simulation all controlled by digital motors

Also tests with hybrid drives were initiated. Digital hydraulic motors carry the load and store lowering energy in accumulators while low-power electrical drives provide controllability.

Hybrid drives enable the use of digital hydraulic motors on winches with few cylinders without compromising on controllability. Watch the videos below to see how all-hydraulic with 30 cylinders as well as hybrid control performs.

Lifting 12mT load.

AHC: 2m wave with a period of 10sec.

Variations within 30cm band.

All digital hydraulic motor drive.

Lifting 12mT load.

AHC: 2m wave with a period of 10sec.

Variations within 2cm band.

Hybrid drive: digital hydraulic motors provide power and regeneration, electrical drives provide fine-grade control.

Lifting 12mT load.

AHC: 0,5m wave with a period of 18sec.

Variations within 2cm band.

Hybrid drive: digital hydraulic motors provide power and regeneration, electrical drives provide fine-grade control.