The new energy efficiency directives of electric drive units make high demands on motors. Many users have to ask the question if they need to switch over to considerably more complex drive unit systems now, claiming additional installation space. The answer is: they do not have to. There is a motor design working clearly more efficient in an identical installation space without additional components and furthermore offers more advantages. The use of the SINOCHRON Motor amortizes itself in economically attractive time frames and therefore is a wise alternative also for all applications not (yet) covered by these new regulations.
The content of the EU-regulation No. 640/2009 is clear: uncontrolled three-phase motors including geared-motors with rated outputs of 0.75 up to 375 kW operating continuously at rated load (duty cycle S1) have to show at least efficiency class IE2 according to IEC 60034-30:2009 (high efficiency) from June 16, 2011 on. From 2015 on motors for such applications even have to achieve the efficiency class IE3 (premium efficiency) or, however, the IE2-drive unit has to be equipped with electronic speed control.
New drive-unit concepts are in demand
Applications with traditionally continuous duty besides others are pumps and fans – indeed accounting for a big part of the industrial consumption of electricity. The manufacturers of these components are asked now to re-design their drive unit concept and adjust to the new requirements. The SINOCHRON Motor by ABM Greiffenberger offers a great solution.
Structural attributes of SINOCHRON Motors
The main characteristics of this design of motors are unlocked if the name is broken down: it is a synCHRONous-motor with high-performance permanent-magnets showing a SINusodial flux distribution (EMF). Thanks to the internal permanent-magnets the rotor is manufactured easily. Additionally, favorable magnet geometries can be achieved. The anisotropic geometry of the rotor allows for a sinusoidal distribution of the magnetic flux. As a convenient result there is no cogging. The distributed stator winding is identical to the winding of an asynchronous motor allowing for a cost efficient production of the stators in large batch sizes.
Main characteristics: compact, powerful and energy efficient
Important characteristics of the SINOCHRON drive units can be educed from these design criteria. The motors signalize a compact design, good true running behavior and low noise emissions. They differ from an asynchronous motor by an approximate double short time overload capability. Therefore, in many cases a smaller motor frame size can be chosen.
The motors have an excellent control behavior; together with the included control unit SDC a reliably controlled operation from zero up to high speeds is achievable. Thereby, the drive unit convinces with excellent true running even at very low speeds and high achieved dynamics at load impulses and speed variations.
Excellent, if it comes to energy savings: better than IE3
SINOCHRON Motors are already used in different industrial applications. A major motive for the use of these motors was a fact not yet mentioned: the low energy demand. The drive units are classified in efficiency class IE3, however, achieve clearly better values than required by IE3. Therefore, they are a guaranteed future-proof and cost of operation saving solution. If they substituted existing uncontrolled three-phase drive units, energy saving effects in the magnitude of 20 to 35% could be expected.
Not just savings of energy – also space
With that characteristic profile these drive units are suited to drive e.g. pumps and fans working in continuous duty and coming under the EU-regulation. Substitution of the drive units in existing machines and equipment is easy, because no additional components like encoders are needed. If the drive units are applied to new constructions, the user will benefit from smaller overall installed sizes of up to 30%. Therefore, machines can be designed more compact.
Naturally, the same advantages are valid for applications without continuous duty according to the standards (S1), however, the drive units are used over longer periods of time. In these cases the energy saving advantages add up (almost) as quickly and in many of those applications e.g. warehousing logistics, the compact design plays also an important role if it comes to selection of components. Hence, the SINOCHRON Motor also scores here.
Additional advantages in partial load duty
The motor design developed by ABM Greiffenberger not only offers advantages in applications with continuous duty. Since the efficiency of it is also considerably better at partially loaded duty compared to standard asynchronous machines the SINOCHRON®Motor works in partial load applications even more efficient. Additionally, the drive unit shows nearly no losses at no load operation. With these characteristics this motor design also offers great advantages in driving conveying equipment, escalators, spooling machines, compressors and traction drive units amongst others.
Fast amortization
All mentioned advantages rise and fall in practice with one additional factor: the price of the motor. Only, if the cost of investment stands in a “healthy” relation to the energy savings effect, the machine-, equipment- or vehicle-manufacturer will make the decision for such a drive unit. Also in that aspect SINOCHRON®Motors with SDC-controller can convince. Compared to a conventional servo-motor with encoder the drive units are considerably more cost-effective at acquirement. In relation to a conventional gear-motor additional cost is so low amortisation will be reached in the first year of duty in many cases. Thereby, the savings increases in considerable magnitudes as our example from practice shows.
