Views
6 years ago

Automation Technologies 2/2015

  • Text
  • Automation
  • Technologies
Automation Technologies 2/2015

About Organization name:

About Organization name: CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) Headquarters: Ratingen, Germany Member companies: 2,200 worldwide Technologies: The world´s only open gigabit industrial Ethernet, CC-Link IE, and the rugged open CC-Link fieldbus Field network maximizes the safety of indoor skydiving A new indoor skydiving centre, just opened in Basingstoke, UK, uses cutting-edge CC- Link industrial communications. CC-Link industrial networks process both control and production data at high speed, to provide thrill seekers with an exciting, yet safe, aerial experience. The centre is equipped with a state-of-the-art 14-foot diameter vertical wind tunnel that suspends its flyers in the airflow, emulating the feeling of freefall. Experienced skydivers can develop breathtaking acrobatic routines, while others use such facilities for training. Organizations book them for team building and bonding sessions and families create life-long memories. The centre is run by Airkix, which already operates hugely popular skydiving tunnels in Milton Keynes and Manchester. Designed by SkyVenture of Texas, Basingstoke is one of the most advanced skydiving wind tunnels in the world. It generates wall-to-wall airflow rather than a central bubble as older tunnels do, so is far safer, more realistic and can accommodate multiple flyers. SkyVenture, which has many tunnels around the world, understands the need for a control system that allows for easy operator control as well as simple on-site installation. It incorporates CC-Link communications to improve the operator interface as well as to control the users’ experience and to aid the installation process. PLC as the basis for the control system CC-Link is a high-speed, high-performance open communications’ network technology for automation. It has an impeccable pedigree, originally being developed for use in demanding industrial applications. Significantly, it enables devices from numerous manufacturers to communicate with one another and is ‘deterministic’, i.e. it ensures instructions are carried out at exactly the correct time, allowing precise timing of system events. AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2/2015

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION CC-Link was originally developed by Mitsubishi Electric, a global leader in automation and motion control technologies. In 2000, Mitsubishi turned the technology over to an independent third party, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) that has been responsible for the technical development and promotion of the technology since. For the skydiving tunnels, SkyVenture uses a Mitsubishi Q Series PLC (programmable logic controller) as the basis for its control system. A CC- Link master card within the PLC rack controls the communications with four giant inverters that control the fan motors. The company says it prefers CC-Link to other communication technologies because it provides a more interactive dialogue with the inverters and other devices connected to the network. Ensuring the safety of the skydiver Via a single CC-Link communication line, the tunnel operator monitors voltage, current, power, set frequency and alarms, as well as setting the operating frequency to match each user’s weight and ability. On older, non-CC-Link systems, all of these different functions had to have individual communication cables, which were a major task to install and maintain. The control system incorporates many I/O points including drives, sensors and other devices to ensure the quality and safety of the skydivers’ experience. These are all connected via the CC-Link cable, which is laid out around the facility with links to each device. Additional I/O nodes monitored and controlled by CC-Link include airspeed sensors in the chamber. The airspeed defines the lift generated and the height to which the user rises. The CC-Link network is also used to control the air temperature in the flight chamber by opening and closing 20-foot wide by 10-foot high doors. These doors are connected to linear actuators, driven by more inverters. The doors’ positions are displayed on the human-machine interface (HMI) touchscreen used by the control room operator. Airspeeds equivalent to a hurricane Slave HMI screens are provided in the flight chamber and spectator gallery. Flyers find the information useful for training and analysis, while spectators enjoy watching the airspeed, especially when it goes above 140 mph. ‘Time-up’ visual indicators in the flight chamber are also controlled via CC-Link. Due to the wind noise in the chamber, strobe lights are used to indicate that the flight session is coming to an end. The tunnels are energy-efficient recirculating tunnels. They use four 600 hp direct-driven 2.8-m vent-axial fans mounted on the top of the building to draw air up through the flight chamber. They can easily generate airspeeds greater than 170 mph – equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. The fastest vertical wind tunnel in the world, capable of generating wind speeds approaching 250 mph is a SkyVenture facility in Seattle. To maintain control of Indoor Skydiving opens up a new world of motion. such a powerful airflow, the system monitors fan motor vibrations, temperature and safety shutdown triggers that all have to operate in milliseconds. All of this information must be communicated through a user-friendly HMI that facility operators can monitor while customers are in flight. Obviously, when all this takes place in a simulated super hurricane, speed is essential, but SkyVenture knows it can rely on the CC-Link network to communicate instructions and information in milliseconds. Photographs: teaser fotolia www.clpa-europe.com Via a single CC-Link communication line, the tunnel operator monitors voltage, current, power, set frequency and alarms, as well as setting the operating frequency to match each user’s weight and ability AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2/2015

E-PAPER KIOSK: