Beckhoff Automation, a global leader in automation technology for industrial manufacturing, process industry, energy industry, entertainment industry and building automation, has recently introduced the AX8820 universal regenerative power supply. The energy is fed back sinusoidally, thus preventing the usual grid distortions associated with block-shaped feedback. For effective energy management, the regenerative energy is initially stored in the intermediate circuit. Only shortly before the overvoltage threshold of the connected devices is reached is the energy fed back into the supply network. In order to achieve optimum adaptation of the regenerative power to the needs of the machine, several regenerative power supplies can be operated in parallel. While parameterization, for example to adapt the voltage level to the connected devices, is carried out via EtherCAT, no communication via EtherCAT is required for the actual energy recovery process. Nevertheless, the current regenerative energy can be analyzed using the extended diagnostics via EtherCAT. With the online data, it is possible to record the chronological sequence of the machine processes. This makes it possible to analyze whether the efficiency of the machine can be increased by staggering the machine processes.

The TwinCAT 3 Drive Manager 2 serves as the commissioning tool. The structured design and wide range of functions should enable simple and intuitive commissioning of the regenerative power supply. According to Beckhoff, the dimensioning of drive axes, combined with the optimum selection of motor, gearbox, drive controllers, power supply modules, regenerative power supplies and accessories, is the basis for efficient machine design. The free TwinCAT 3 Motion Designer tool is available for this purpose.

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