September 2008

Fuel-Saving Designs Improve Efficiency of Hydraulic Systems
Purdue University

Monika Ivantysynova (center), the Purdue Maha Professor of Fluid Power Systems, works in her lab with Edat Kaya (left), a lab engineer, and Donnell Cunningham, a student from the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Ivantysynova, director of the university's MAHA Fluid Power Research Center, has shown how to dramatically improve the efficiency of hydraulic pumps and motors in heavy construction equipment and reduce the machinery's fuel consumption. (Purdue University photo/Vincent Walter)

Researchers at Purdue University have shown how to reduce fuel consumption and dramatically improve the efficiency of hydraulic pumps and motors in heavy construction equipment.

The new designs incorporate two innovations: They eliminate valves now needed to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid in heavy equipment, and they also might incorporate textured "microstructured" surfaces inside pumps to improve performance.
Research has shown the "valveless" design alone could reduce fuel consumption by 40 percent. Further savings could be realized by combining the valveless design with the advanced microstructured surface concept, said Monika Ivantysynova, Maha Fluid Power Systems Professor in Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering.

The microstructured surfaces have been shown to dramatically reduce power losses due to friction caused by hydraulic fluid, said Ivantysynova, director of Purdue's Maha Fluid Power Research Center.

Findings were detailed in several technical papers presented by her research group earlier this summer at the Fifth Fluid Power Net International Ph.D. Symposium in Krakow, Poland.

"Currently, the best pumps and motors may have a top efficiency of 92 percent, but this efficiency level is only in a certain range of operation," Ivantysynova said. "These hydraulic pumps don't always run at this maximum level. Sometimes you only need them to provide a small amount of pressure or flow, for example, to simply hold a tool in place. Then you aren't running the pump under its highest loads, and the efficiency goes way down."

Findings have shown the microstructured surfaces reduce losses due to friction by up to 57 percent when the pump is operating at low levels and about 10 percent when operating under heavy loads. One of the research papers about the microstructured surfaces was cited as a "best paper" during the conference and was written by graduate student Jonathan Baker and Ivantysynova.

Engineers in the center are working on ways to design pumps and motors that are more efficient in their entire range of operation.
Hydraulic systems use a central "variable displacement pump" that pressurizes fluid, and valves direct the flow of fluid to actuators, which move tools such as shovels and buckets in excavation equipment. In the new valveless design, each actuator has its own pump, eliminating the need for valves.

An excavator has been equipped with the new valveless technology in the Purdue center.

These microstructured surfaces are located in narrow gaps at several locations inside a pump that are filled with hydraulic fluid. The fluid-filled gaps, which both seal the high-pressure chamber and also work as a bearing that allows parts to move freely, are a major source of power losses.

"We are working on those gaps by using computer simulations to understand all the physical effects and to reduce efficiency losses due to friction caused by the viscosity of hydraulic fluid," she said. "We know our simulations are very close to the real physics, and we are currently working to manufacture the surfaces and will do measurements."

Conventional wisdom states that the surfaces should be polished smooth, but Ivantysynova discovered that having a surface containing features one micron high improves efficiency. The gaps are located between the pump's piston and cylinder walls and between the cylinder block and a part called the valve plate, which connects to the cylinder along with the pump ports.
Ivantysynova made the microstructured surface discovery while studying the effects of improperly machined surfaces.

"We learned that it actually improved performance to have surfaces that were not completely smooth, which was unexpected," she said.

Purdue has filed a patent for the innovation, called an "advanced gap surface design."

The innovations might be applied to a new "hydraulic hybrid" concept for cars that would use a hydraulic motor to save energy in hybrid cars.

While hydraulic pumps work by compressing a fluid, which is then used to drive tools, hydraulic motors operate in the reverse manner: high-pressure fluid is pushed into a chamber, which is used to drive a shaft and provide torque.

The hydraulic hybrids would store energy while a car is braking by compressing hydraulic fluid in a tanklike "accumulator." Then the high-pressure fluid in the accumulator would be used to drive a hydraulic motor, providing torque to the wheels and saving fuel.
In conventional electric hybrids, energy is stored by charging a battery while the car is braking.

"With batteries, however, only a portion of the braking energy can be stored because it takes much longer to charge the battery than it does to charge the accumulator with high-pressure hydraulic fluid," she said.

Engineers in the center are building a test rig of the hydraulic hybrid design, and Purdue has filed a patent on the concept.
The Maha Fluid Power Research Center is part of the Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, funded by the National Science Foundation, participating companies and universities

For more information visit www.purdue.edu.

2009 Motor, Drive & Automation Systems Conference – Preliminary Program Announced!

This sixth annual, two-day technical conference will take place March 3-4 in Orlando, Fla. and serve an audience of decision makers from around the world  who are interested in learning the latest advancements and capabilities in electric motor, drive, power & automation systems technology. Don’t miss the once- a-year opportunity to learn about the latest advancements impacting a variety of industries and applications!

The 2009 Motor, Drive & Automation Systems Conference will feature more than 40 technical sessions, including these just announced:
 
• Present State and Futuristic Vision of Motor Drive Technology
  Mahesh Swamy, R&D Engineer, Yaskawa Electric America
• Switched Reluctance Motors and Alternative Technology
  Rob Boteler, Director of Marketing, Industrial Motors Division, Emerson Motors
• Mechatronic System Design
  Dr. Kevin Craig, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Marquette University
• Electric Machine Design Methodology
  Mark Christini, Sr. Applications Engineer, Ansoft Corp.
• Study of the Behavior of Iron Losses in Converter-Fed Induction Motors
  Waldiberto de Lima Pires, R&D Engineer, WEG Electric Motors Corp.
• Advanced Thermal Control Enabling Low-Cost Electric Drive System for Automotive Applications
  Dr. Thomas Abraham, Sr. Engineer, Advanced Vehicle Systems Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
 
 Visit the Preliminary Program for more recently announced sessions -
http://www.e-driveonline.com/Conf-09/motors_conf09_program.php

For more information visit www.e-driveonline.com or contact jeremym@infowebcom.com.   

Siemens Achieves New Record with the World's Largest High Speed Variable Frequency Drive

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. has announced that its Siemens Robicon Perfect Harmony drives have reached a technical milestone with the introduction of an 8 MW Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) that operates with an output frequency of 500 Hz making it the world’s largest high speed VFD.

This milestone is just the latest for the series of high-speed Siemens Robicon Perfect Harmony drives. While the basic VFD topologies have been limited to output frequencies in the 120 to 200 Hz range, Siemens has already manufactured and installed drives that operate at frequencies between 315 and 400 Hz.

The Siemens Robicon Perfect Harmony power-cell based multilevel arrangement provides a unique topology that allows operation up to 500 Hz, regardless of the VFD power rating. Tests on the VFD control were set to operate the motor in encoderless vector control with 920 Hz IGBT switching frequency, resulting in an effective switching frequency of 9.2 kHz and a sample frequency of 9.2 kHz. This test drive demonstrated very high quality waveform to the motor with low harmonic distortion.

An integrated consistency check establishes the validity of the configuration and reduces the possibility of errors even before the network has been installed. A reporting function quickly creates offers, provides mounting instructions for installation personnel and documents the system for acceptance testing and troubleshooting.

This latest VFD will be used to drive permanent-magnetic motors, such as those found in natural gas processing and transportation applications that require high-speed compression. Siemens is one of the few companies to design a VFD that can operate with these physically smaller, more efficient permanent-magnetic motors.
 
For more information visit www.siemens.com

Power Semis Motor Ahead According to New Report from IMS Research

Of all the semiconductors and components used in industrial motor drives, the power semiconductor segment is the biggest revenue opportunity, according to a new report by IMS Research.

The market for power semiconductors in industrial motor drives was forecast to grow from $1 billion in 2007 to $1.3 billion in 2010, with the growth mainly driven by an increasing fraction of motors using drives. This market size is about twice the size of the combined market for micro and analog based components.

“IGBT modules are used in the large majority of industrial motor drives,” explained IMS Research analyst Jamie Fox. “As well as standard IGBT modules, Intelligent Power Modules and Power Integrated Modules are also used. Power Integrated Modules have the highest growth forecast, of 10.8 percent annually.”
 
Most of the market is for modules; however there is also a small market for discretes and power ICs. Significant changes in the basic bill of materials are not expected in the next few years. Performance trends for power semiconductors include a demand for reduced heat losses, better temperature tolerance and higher power densities.

For more information visit www.imsresearch.com  

IR Introduces Revolutionary GaN-Based Power Device Technology Platform

International Rectifier Corp. recently developed a gallium nitride (GaN)-based power device technology platform that can provide customers with improvements in key application-specific figures of merit (FOM) of up to a factor of ten compared to state-of-the-art silicon-based technology platforms. The technology can increase performance and cut energy consumption in end applications in a variety of market segments such as computing and communications, automotive and appliances.
 
The pioneering GaN-based power device technology platform is the result of five years of research and development by IR based on the company’s proprietary GaN-on-silicon epitaxial technology.
 
IR’s GaN-based power device technology platform enables revolutionary advancements in power conversion solutions. The portfolio of system solution products and related intellectual property (IP) extends far beyond leading-edge discrete power devices by effectively deploying the company’s 60-year heritage in power conversion expertise in a wide variety of applications including AC-DC power conversion, DC-DC power conversion, motor drives, lighting, high density audio and automotive systems.
 
The high throughput, 150 mm GaN-on-Si epitaxy, together with subsequent device fabrication processes, which are fully compatible with IR’s cost effective silicon manufacturing facilities, offers customers a commercially viable manufacturing platform for GaN-based power devices.

For more information visit www.irf.com  

150 kW and 200 kW Output Motors Offer High Efficiency with a Compact Design

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, has made available two new Large Spindle Motors with 150 kW (3,000 RPM) and 200 kW (2,000 RPM) rated output. The new high power spindle offerings are based on the AiS servo motor design and features; synchronous internal permanent magnet construction, high-resolution encoder feedback, standard amplifiers and GE Fanuc reliability.
These new motors are well suited for the retrofit of large CNC machines that used DC or large induction motors and industries such as Oil & Gas or Shipbuilding where large parts require high spindle power.

“These large spindle motors are in addition to the full line-up of GE Fanuc spindles,” said Paul Webster, CNC product manager for GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms. “Now, GE Fanuc can cover the range for 0.5 kW to 200 kW with its high performance spindle offering. This enables customers from very small mini-mills to huge lathes for the oil/gas industry to take advantage of the performance and reliability of a GE Fanuc spindle system.”
The new motors feature high power, compact size, standard components and synchronous internal permanent magnet design. The use of tandem control allows the motors to be operated on multiple smaller amplifiers that regenerate power back to line. This capability saves significant electrical energy costs, and the use of standard amplifiers makes components readily available.
“These are very large motors but are based on the design of smaller servo motors so, they are very high efficiency and have a compact design,” continued Webster. “They are energy efficient and flexible so companies should find that they fit in virtually every situation where high spindle power is required.”

For more information visit www.gefanuc.com

WEG Offers New PetroDuty API-Designated Motor Designs

WEG Electric Motors Corp., a global supplier of motors, drives, controls, transformers and generators, has introduced two new PetroDuty motor designs, the 4th edition API-541 and 1st edition API-547.

These new WEG motor designs have been specifically developed to satisfy or exceed the strict requirements set forth by the American Petroleum Institute (API).

“Our customers in the petroleum and petrochemical industry require motors that provide increased durability and value,” said Steve Waite, product manager. “These tough new API-designated motor designs have been engineered with rugged features and quality components that allow them to perform reliably in harsh environmental conditions.”

API-541 – 4th Edition
The newest PetroDuty-541 WEG motor design is rated 500 horsepower (HP) and above, as set forth by the API, for use in critical applications in the petroleum industry. With a voltage capacity of 2,300 to 13,200 volts (V), it also offers dual voltage at 2,300 V and 4,000 V. Among its standard features are provisions for the Bently Nevada series 3300 proximity sleeve bearing probes, as well as a copper bar rotor with C5-quality core laminations. The API-541 motor design is available with two starting methods (direct on line or variable frequency) and a variety of enclosures (DPG, TEFC, WPI and II, TEAAC, and TEWAC).

API-547 – 1st Edition
The new PetroDuty-547 WEG motor design is suitable for use in general purpose petroleum or chemical applications, as well as in other industrial severe-duty environments. Rated for 250 through 3,000 HP, it has a voltage capacity of 2,300 to 13,200 V. It features a die-cast aluminum rotor (1000 HP or less) and a copper bar rotor for motor ratings 1000 HP and above. Two poles are available for 800 HP and below (in totally enclosed enclosures) or 1,250 HP and below (in WPII enclosures). Four, six, and eight poles are available for all enclosures. In addition, WEG API-547 motors are available with TEFC enclosures and WPII enclosures (with air filters).

Both API-541 and API-547 motor designs operate on 50 and 60 hertz (Hz) frequencies and offer standard features that ensure dependable, low-maintenance operation. These features include sealed VPI insulation systems, IEC and NEMA designs with cast-iron or fabricated-steel frame material, IP-55 protection ratings, anti-friction sleeve bearings, taconite labyrinth seals, Resistance Temperature Devices (RTDs), and stainless-steel hardware.
 
For more information visit www.weg.net

ASI Launches New Line of Motion Products

ASI, Inc has launched a new line of motion products. The line includes high quality, low-cost DC step drives, step motors, and integrated stepper motor and drives. For convenience, ASI is offering DC step drives with 5 or 10-amp output and low-cost DC step drives with 2 or 3.5-amp output. To compliment these drives, ASI offers a line of stepper motors with NEMA frame sizes 17, 23 and 34. These efficient stepper motors come with 44, 187 or 455 oz/on of torque. ASI also offers integrated stepper motor and drives in NEMA size 23 that provide 125 or 210 oz/in of torque. Simple-to-use programming software is included.

For more information visit www.asi-ez.com

Go Green and Maximize Performance with Portescap’s New Athlonix Brush DC Motors

Portescap, a Danaher Motion Company, recently introduced the new Athlonix high-power density brush DC motors. These compact, high-efficiency endurance motors deliver quality speed-to-torque performance in a compact lighter weight package (15 to 53 grams depending on frame size) with output power up to 9 watts. Athlonix motors feature an energy efficient coreless design with an optimized self supporting coil and magnetic circuit, which delivers maximized power density and sustained endurance over the life of the motor. They are available in 12, 16 and 22 mm frame sizes.

“Athlonix motors are powered by a proprietary self supporting coil, whose design optimization flows from more than 70 years of Portescap research and design. The result is maximized magnetic flux and turn-density for a given diameter, within the Athlonix motor platform,” said Udayan Senapati, Brush DC product line manager at Portescap. “In contrast, typical self supporting coils have inherent turn-density limitations that affect the magnetic flux density in the magnetic circuit, which further limits power output and endurance of the motor,” he said.

The optimized coil design leads to a low motor regulation factor with energy efficiency approaching 90 percent, depending on the motor load conditions. With such high efficiency, users benefit from increased performance over the life of the motor, in a more compact and lighter weight package. Additionally, less power-draw helps facilitate reduced cost-of-ownership with increased value-in-use for the end-user. 

“The motor regulation factor, measured by R/k2 where R is the coil resistance and k is the torque constant, is a critical measure of motor’s power density over its performance lifetime. The lower the motor regulation factor the lower will be the heat loss at higher loads, thus enabling the motor to retain high power density with sustained endurance. The heat loss from a motor is detrimental not only in terms of reduced efficiency, but it also degrades motor performance over the life of the motor. Superior motor regulation, then, is the key to levels of performance and endurance that set Athlonix apart from conventional technologies,” said Dr. Senapati.

A typical 22 mm coreless motor that is operating at high load of 15 mNm for 5,000 hours can see performance degrade due to the thermal heat it has generated, while at the same time having less power and less energy efficiency due to higher motor regulation factor. Athlonix motors have motor regulation factors that are lower by 5 to 20 percent than most comparative motors available today, resulting in consistent power density over the life time of the motors.

With maximum continuous torque up to 16.5 mNm and good angular acceleration, Athlonix motors deliver higher throughput than comparative motors by quickly and efficiently accelerating to the desired speed. As a result, they are well suited for use in automation applications such as medical analyzers and electronic assembly that require constant pick-and-place operations during machining, assembly and scanning. Their endurance and high performance, energy efficient operation also makes them well suited for use in medical pumps, secure door locks, watch winding mechanisms and robotics, among others.

For more information visit www.portescap.com

New PLN–Series Planetary Servo-Gear-Head for Demanding Automation Applications

Neugart USA recently introduced the new PLN series high precision planetary servo-gearhead. Designing the new PLN planetary servo-gearhead, Neugart engineers used the experience gained with the successful PLS-, PLV-,  PLS-HP- Neugart gearboxes. Using enhanced new computer simulation and optimization methods, as well as sophisticated component testing procedures, together with adopting new manufacturing and assembly methods, the new PLN gerhead is positioned to be the next bench mark in its class.
 
The new PLN has increased torque density, reduced weight, smoother quieter run, reduced heat generation and higher permissible input speeds. The input allows for larger motor shaft diameters, which makes it possible to fit larger motors, and thus become a more economical drive combination.

The current Neugart PLS, PLV and PLS-HP will be gradually replaced by the new PLN series. The current series will be offered until end of 2009. Subsequently, they will be only available as custom gearboxes.

For more information visit www.neugartusa.com

2009 Motor, Drive & Automation Systems Conference
March 3-4, 2009
Hilton Disney / Orlando, Florida
http://www.e-driveonline.com/Conf-09/motors_conf09_index.php

Contact Jeremy Martin regarding speaking opportunities.
jeremym@infowebcom.com

OCTOBER 2008
6-8
National Robot Safety Conference, Indianapolis, Ind.

14-16
ISA Expo, Houston, Texas  

14-16
SMMA Fall Technical Conference, St. Louis, Missouri

14-16
HTUF - Hybrid Truck Users Forum, South Bend, Ind.

28-30
CWIEME, Chicago, Ill.

EME Electrical Manufacturing Expo 2008
November 3-5
Orlando, Florida

CONTACT US
Jo Thurman
EIC/EM Expo 2007
P.O. Box 278 • Imperial Beach, CA 91933
Phone: 619-435-3629 • Fax: 619-435-3639
Email: JoThurman@emcw.org

www.coilwinding.org/2008eme/contactus/2008contact.html

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sueh@infowebcom.com or 330-725-5812.

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