Feature Energy management
Motor designs set energy efficiency benchmark
The specialist manufacturer of electric motors and related control equipment, WEG has exceeded the requirements of standards in its latest motor and designs in view of new energy efficient standards.
F
or signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, 2012 is an important . It’s when parties to the legally binding protocol report on their efforts, in respect of lowering the overall emis- sions from six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sul- phur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five- year period of 2008-12.
However the USA is not a signatory, and Canada withdrew in 2011 – but it has proved to be a call to action across many energy-intensive market sectors. What all these sectors have in common is their use of electric motors, which are the single biggest consumer of elec- tricity worldwide. They account for about two thirds of industrial power consumption and about 45 per cent of global power consumption, according to a new analysis by the International Energy Agency. Unsurprisingly, In view of these fig- ures, electric motors have been one of the main target areas for improving energy efficiency. The resulting efforts in this area have generated new energy efficient standards, such as the latest IEC 60034-30:2009, a harmonised IE (International Efficiency) grading stan- dard, which is central to the EU’s new eco-design directive 2005/32/EC. Many manufacturers have antici- pated the new standard, and have pro- duced energy efficient products to comply. But is this enough, bearing in mind that every standard is a compro- mise, in the final analysis? One com- pany, WEG thinks not, and has exceeded the requirements of stan- dards in its latest motor and drive designs – both LV and MV.
The first evidence of this approach is
WEG’s new WQuattro line of super premium efficiency motors. These employ a hybrid design to achieve the highest efficiency in the market, exceeding the requirements of the impending IE4 Super Premium Efficiency classification across their entire output range. The WQuattro line has been developed for users who con- sider energy saving a major priority. It
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is an environmentally-friendly range of motors that, due to its highly efficient performance - with no energy (joule) losses from its rotor - demands less energy from the grid. For the user, this translates into lower total cost of own-
ership, a reduction in CO2 emissions, and a faster return on investment. The WQuattro is a hybrid motor inte- grating a conventional three-phase dis- tributed winding, and a rotor with an aluminium cage and internal high energy magnets. This combination makes the WQuattro ideal for direct-on-line starting and acceler- ation up to synchronous speed. With this type of operation the motor speed does not vary with load, despite overload variations, or cases of voltage drop, as long as the mains fre- quency is kept constant. Moreover, there is no requirement for position- ing/speed sensors, or special protection relays, and the low bearing tempera- tures that result from synchronous operation also ensure longer life and reduced maintenance for the motors. In addition to developing highly energy efficient motors for general industrial and process applications, WEG has also focussed its design efforts on improving the efficiency of more specialist designs, such as per- manent magnet (PM) motors. This technology has tended to be very much on the back burner, due to the design of standard squirrel cage motors, which are relatively inexpen- sive, robust and reliable, and well proven in operation. WEG’s new WMagnet series of PM motors, changes this situation by offer- ing a range of user benefits that bring PM motors into mainstream usage. The WMagnet series delivers higher efficiencies - up to 97.5 per cent - com- pared to equivalent size induction motors, and reduces size by up to 50 per cent and weight by up to 36 per cent. In addition, the motors are, gen- erally, at least one frame size or core length smaller than the equivalent induction motor, and in some cases can be two frame sizes smaller.
WEG Electric Motors WMagnet Motor
Thirty three per cent power saving The energy efficiency of WEG’s PM design has been demonstrated in one of the prototype applications for the motors, at a textile mill.
By replacing standard induction motors used on ring spinning machines with permanent WMagnet motors, the textile plant has reduced its annual power consumption by a massive 33 per cent and increased its machine utilisation by 80 per cent. Both the WQuattro and WMagnet are low voltage motors; however, a substantial section of the motor market is MV, and here, too, the potential for energy efficiency is considerable. WEG is exploiting this potential with its new MV drive, the MVW-01, which achieves 99 per cent efficiency with a unique design that employs Multi-level
A WMagnet Motor Cutaway
Topology to minimise component levels, and high voltage (6.5kV) IBGT’s to reduce motor harmonic currents to extremely low levels.
Unlike many MV drives on the market, which have three or five layer control, the WEG MVW-01 range has just two two layers. The benefit of this is a reduction in the number of compo- nents in the drive, and commensurate improvements in efficiency and relia- bility. With energy costs at record levels, the efficiency performance of the MVW-01 drives is all- important. It has been calculated that for every 1per cent of efficiency lost on 1MW drives, the user will pay an extra £5k per year on running costs – and that figure is just for the drive alone.
WEG Electric Motors T: 01527 596748
www.weg.net
WEG Electric
Motors’s WQuattro Motor
Enter 301
MAY 2012 Factory Equipment
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