Feature 40 years of drives & motors
aircraft, making flying green again? The waste heat can also be recov- ered by CNTs which can generate electricity as part of a thermo cell, opening up the possibility of provid- ing part of the electricity demand of future variable speed drives through the waste heat of its power electronics. Room temperature superconductors have been the holy grail of electrical engineers for many years and CNTs can achieve this feat. This could get round the limits in motor size caused by the use of copper windings – with superconductors, more current can be squeezed through smaller wires, giving smaller stators, smaller hous- ings and therefore smaller frame sizes. Motors could be a fraction of the size they are today, bringing automated motion to processes that have been unable to benefit from it in the past.
The future is now
Even though we can look forward to immense improvements based on exotic materials, there is still a good deal of advancement and development going on right now in the field of drives and motors, based firmly within the limits of today’s knowledge. Drives are getting easier to use every day. ABB has created its first AC drives portfolio built on a common
architecture. Now, low voltage AC drives use a single-design control panel, harmonised parameters, universal accessories and the same engineering tools. Benefits include fast commission- ing, increased personnel safety, reduced energy consumption and minimal operator training. Today’s most advanced drives feature control panels designed for maximum usability, with multi-use programmable keys and intuitive navigation that helps users to quickly locate parameters, functions and edit values. They also feature sequential programming, removing the need to provide external logic components, as well as energy efficiency meters and the ability to communicate with all major field bus protocols. CNTs offer the prospect of smaller drives but we can already see what this trend might lead to. Micro- drives, smaller, lower powered drives, are now used in run- ning machines, spa baths, wood turning lathes and many other appli- cations in domes- tic and light commercial settings. Drives are also playing
The new ABB motor and drive package is said to offer customers 30% less energy losses than a conventional motor
a leading role in helping the develop- ment of greener energy technology. ABB, for example, has launched a range of solar inverters designed to harness the energy from the sun at maximum efficiency, while a new motor and drive package offers cus- tomers 30% less energy losses than a conventional motor. The motor’s innovative rotor tech- nology works without bars or shorting rings, thus eliminating I2R losses, and it has a novel lamination design that allows it to run cooler than a conven- tional rotor. This means the motor can meet the most stringent IE4 efficiency standard, qualifying it as a super- premium efficiency system. It can also be supplied in a high output version, giving up to 40% more power den- sity than an equivalent sized induction motor. With drives and motors developing con- stantly, and with the prospect of high tech materials providing truly astonishing capa-
bilities, the future is arriving quicker than we think.
ABB T: 01925 741 111
www.abb.co.uk\energy Enter 262
THE SMART MOVE IS LINAK
a world of sensors
- inductive, photoelectric, capacitive, ultrasonic, mechanical, pressure
- linear position sensing - vision
Whether you need a special sensor solution, a broad variety of products or assistance with a challenging application Balluff offer an excellent range of application matched readily available solutions backed up by local and worldwide support.
Linak is a world leader in electric linear actuators and lifting columns, providing controllable movement for countless industrial, medical, furniture and agricultural applications.
Safe, reliable, clean, quiet and maintenance free, they deliver maximum thrusts in excess of 1 ton with stroke lengths up to 999mm.
LINAK UK Limited
Actuation House, Crystal Drive Sandwell Business Park, Smethwick West Midlands B66 1RJ Telephone: +44 (0)121 544 2211 Email:
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