Optimization of the concrete production process in terms of energy consumption

The object of study is the power supply system of a concrete mixing plant. The research made it possible to identify and eliminate the shortcomings of the existing power supply system in order to increase its energy efficiency and productivity. A new concept has been proposed, which provides for an individual arrangement of bins with isolated conveyors for each of them. The study revealed a number of significant advantages of the proposed system, namely: – separate conveyors for each hopper allow to optimize the routes of material movement, avoid unnecessary movements and reduce the load on the drives; – the use of modern electric motors with high efficiency and other energy-saving components can further reduce energy consumption; – due to the independent operation of each hopper, it is possible to load different materials in parallel, which reduces the time required to prepare a new portion of the concrete mixture; – the absence of a common hopper reduces the risk of congestion and obstacles that can lead to equipment downtime; – due to the independence of each hopper, different types of concrete mixtures can be prepared simultaneously. However, there are some potential disadvantages and risks to consider before implementing a new system, including: – the implementation of a new system may require significant investment in new equipment and installation; – the number of system components increases, which may complicate its maintenance and repair; – the efficient operation of the new system requires the development of special software and automation systems. Despite some drawbacks, the introduction of a power supply system for a concrete mixing plant is a promising direction for the development of the machine-building and construction industry. The results of the study indicate the high efficiency of this technology and its economic feasibility in the long term.