Extrusion International USA 1-2019

56 Extrusion International 1/2019 DRIVE TECHNOLOGY – INSPIRED BY SPORTS According to a study conducted by an automotive vendor, in year 2030 approxi- mately 50 million e-vehicles – equipped with various types of drive systems – could be on the road. So it’s reasonable to ex- pect that e-mobility solutions that most efficiently exploit deceleration and brak- ing processes (KERS, flywheel, range ex- tenders) and thereby extend the vehicle’s range will dominate the future of e-mo- bility. And we see a parallel to machines, robots, and trains that are continuously in braking or deceleration mode and are equipped with a feedback power mod- ule or an intermediate circuit coupling. Investigations by researchers at TH Zürich in Switzerland have shown that e-vehicles require a large portion of the energy just to accelerate the net weight (about two- thirds for e-buses). But if we expand our horizons – to track cycling for instance – we see that the acceleration side has po- tential for improvement as well. To be competitive in international track cycling, having the right equipment and knowing how to use it are critical factors alongside things like training, nutrition, and mental preparedness. Today, just having power, talent, and endurance are not enough to excel as an athlete. You alsoneed cuttingedgeequipment,which is often developed at great expense. In fact, new technology continually shapes how sports are performed. The hand-sling in Madison racing Madison racing is a style of indoor track cycling with two-man teams. It gets its name from Madison Square Garden where it was practiced for the first time in 1899 and became a nightly sensation. One of the two racers on each team is al- ways in the race, while his partner rides at a more relaxed pace for a few min- utes above the racing track. They use a method called the “hand sling” to switch positions. The rider who is currently in the race propels his partner with his arm. Riders who master this technique (Pic- ture 1) can save a great deal of energy. This technique is a reflection of the rules of two-man racing. Of the two riders on Electric drive technology continues to have potential for energy savings, and not just in deceleration and braking processes, but during acceleration as well. Track cycling and its hand-sling maneuver provides a good example for how it works. With the hand-sling as inspiration, Kabel.Consult.Ing has developed a drive system that produces acceleration in a comparable way The Benefits of Intelligent Acceleration Technology in Electric Drives Picture 1: The hand-sling inMadison racing (Source: Roth Photo) Picture 2: The Archimedes spiral and e-vehicle with similar load torque characteristics (Source: Kabel.Consult.Ing) the track, only one of them is in the race at a time. The other rider can fall back to a slower pace (about 25-35 km/h) for one or two laps before being overtaken by his teammate. The sudden acceleration from the hand sling allows the rider to reach the same speed as the field (about 45-55km/h) and takehis partner’s place in the racewithout making amajor effort. From a technical perspective, the hand sling requires great skill. Both riders must hold the handlebars with one hand throughout the entire process. The rider approaching from behind keeps his left handonthehandlebars, holdingthemon the top bar near the stem. The forward rider holds the handlebars with his right hand in the drop bars and then uses his left arm to pull his partner’s outstretched hand. The hand-sling method is very de- manding on the competitors because rid- ers approaching from behind must keep a large distance between themselves and the other riders who are performing the switch in order to avoid riding into their hand-sling and causing an accident. Application to drive technology Central winders are used to retain end- less materials before or after handling, Picture 4: Formula matrix with two power splits and seven accelerationmodes (Source: Kabel.Consult.Ing) Picture 3: Modular drive with three accelerationmodes (»Ma1«, »Ma2«, »IMa1I±IMa2I«) (Source: Kabel.Consult.Ing)