International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

An experimental model of a safety clutch has been developed and manufactured, which will improve the efficiency of screw conveyors by increasing the axial displacement of the driven half-clutch with a jammed working body, while reducing dynamic loads during overload. When conducting a multifactorial experiment to determine the moment of operation T of the safety clutch of a screw conveyor, the variable factors were the angle of inclination of the working body to the horizon α, the rotation frequency of the screw working body n, and the time of increase in the resistance moment То. Based on the results of experimental studies, corresponding regression equations, response surfaces, and their two-dimensional cross-sections were constructed to establish the influence of controlled factors on the moment of operation of the safety clutch under extreme operating conditions. The obtained regression equation can be used to determine the moment of clutch engagement during the transportation of bulk and lump agricultural materials by a screw conveyor.

The article presents the developed experimental installation of a pneumatic screw conveyor and a research methodology for determining the power indicators that arise when moving bulk materials from the effects of air pressure and the volume of various types of bulk materials. Graphic dependences of the moving cargo effort on air pressure and the action of moving different bulk materials on their volume at constant air pressure are built. The dependences of the productivity of the pneumatic screw conveyor on the change in the area of the hopper opening, the rotational speed of the screw feeder and the value of the working air pressure in the technological line are established.

The paper deals with a variable multifunctional simulation tool that enables to design and assemble animated models of various technological processes controlled by externally connected fuzzy logic unit. It enables to verify the correctness of fuzzy controller settings in the future control of real technological processes in practice. This tool represents an effective, innovative, and creative concept important to understanding control approach of technological processes modeling as an insight to behavior of real industrial processes and their control which is based on fuzzy logic. On the base of this animated simulation, real technological processes control can be realized successfully according to producer demands afterwards. Models of technological processes assembled by this simulation tool can be then externally controlled by various control strategies (traditional PID controllers, ON-OFF controllers,PLC controllers, fuzzy logic controllers etc.) via a proper real controller connected to the computer. In the paper, two-conveyor-belt system for product packing is shown. The goal consists in control of synchronization of products and boxes placed on individual conveyor belts in order to pack the product into the box. The main concern here is to improve dynamic performance and control efficiency with the help of assembling an animated model of the controlled technological process and its external control by a fuzzy logic unit.