Nikkei Electronics Asia -- October 2008
Power Efficiency Supplement 2008
Energy Efficiency Is About Measure and Fix, Says NI

Sept 25, 2008 18:03 Nikkei Electronics Asia

For engineers, the challenges involved in meeting energy efficiency requirements can be summed up into two baselines: measuring a problem, and fixing it; according to Chris DeFilippo, product manager, Sound & Vibration, National Instruments.

"The world's environmental challenges have been a major concern for all industries and everybody is talking about energy efficiency, but it's going to be the scientists and engineers who solve the problems by developing the systems to measure and fix the problems." 

DeFilippo said that, as a leading provider of test measurement systems and tools, NI is in a unique position to help engineers measure and fix problems by providing both standard test equipment and dedicated systems and solutions.

For example, for Green applications, the systems can help engineers to acquire environmental data such as CO2, water quality and temperature data, and then analyze power and energy such as electrical power quality and energy consumption, and then present the results in reports. After obtaining the data, these systems can help engineers fix the problems by coming up with more power efficient products, prototyping new technologies for renewable energy generation, and deploying advanced controllers. Such systems can be used in the areas of environmental monitoring, renewable power generation and machine and process optimization.

Reducing Energy Consumption

As one example, DeFilippo said that NI has helped Nucor Corp develop an automation system that reduces the amount of energy consumed, while also improving the safety and efficiency of the plant.

Nucor manufactures a full line of rebar, sign supports, delineators, and cable barrier systems using recycled steel.

During the steel recycling process, scrap metal is heated in an electric arc furnace and a combination of elements is added to the viscous steel to create the appropriate steel alloy. In the past, operators relied on estimates to determine the amount of steel placed in the furnace, but this approach often resulted in the metal becoming overheated. This produced unsatisfactory end product that had to be recycled again, costing the company time, money, and energy.

To reduce the number of reheats, the company developed a low-cost scale and weighing system using LabVIEW and NI Compact FieldPoint controllers that accurately calculate the amount of steel in each burn. Knowing the exact amount of scrap metal placed in the furnace allows the company to precisely calculate the amount of electricity required to heat the furnace. The result is a ten-fold increase in efficiency and a drastic reduction in the costs of facility automation.

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