Recapture the energy from cranes and conveyors in dairy plants
Cranes and conveyors do more than move cartons and pallets of dairy products. They are sources of electrical energy that can be captured and redeployed in a dairy processing plant.
Cups of yogurt travel down conveyors toward tray packagers or cartoners to be stacked on pallets and stored in a refrigerated warehouse. All of these steps serve to protect the product. This package-handling machinery is also a source of energy that dairy processors can recover and redeploy elsewhere in the plant.
Conveyors contribute energy from friction when braking on downward vertical motion. Recuperating this energy can account for about 3% from conveyor lifts and 7% to 10% from ASRS cranes, mini-load cranes and shuttle systems, according to Markus Schmidt, president of Swisslog Warehouse & Distribution Solutions, Americas. The recuperated energy, when shared, can reduce the energy draw significantly.