Design and implementation of a three axis digitally controlled traverse system for flow surveys in a drying chamber

Abstract

The current paper describes the design and development of a pc-controlled three axis traverse system that aims to serve extensive velocity and temperature measurements into the drying chamber of a laboratory scale convective dryer. The traversing gear design has been conducted based on the convective dryer’s specific experimental requirements and limitations. The fabricated traversing gear uses a trapezoidal lead screw-nut assembly supported by linear ball bearings, coupled with bipolar stepper motors for positioning in three dimensional spaces. A custom drive system solution was selected for achieving accurate motor control, paired with computer software developed using the LabVIEW® graphical programming environment. The functionality of the traversing system was experimentally verified by testing mechanical and electronic assemblies, but also by determining the per axis positioning error.