IE5 and beyond

Energy efficiency is the holy grail of the motor market and manufacturers are producing ranges of IE5+ compliant models to achieve it.

The quest for ever-greater energy efficiency is what drives the industrial motor market, meaning that manufacturers are in a constant battle to outstrip one another with their latest products.

One of the most recent offerings in the IE5+ market comes from ABB, whose IE5 ultra-premium SynRM motors offer up to 50% lower energy losses compared to IE2 motors.

ABB’s award-winning synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motors offer a new first choice to meet the growing global demand for improved energy efficiency. These motors now meet the new IE5 ultra-premium energy efficiency class defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

The IE5 ultra-premium SynRM motors offer up to 50% lower energy losses and significantly lower energy consumption than the commonly used IE2 induction motors. ABB first introduced SynRM technology in 2011 and case studies in industrial installations have demonstrated energy savings of up to 25%, depending on the application.

The IE5 level of efficiency is made possible by the SynRM design which combines the performance advantages of permanent magnet technology with the simplicity and service-friendliness of an induction platform. To ensure an environmentally-friendly design, the motors do not feature rare earth materials.

“Climate change and environmental responsibility are driving huge changes across all industries”, said Tero Helpio, Global Product Manager, IEC LV motors, ABB Motion. “We have responded to this challenge with our IE5 ultra-premium motors that meet the most stringent energy efficiency standards. These motors offer industrial users a great opportunity to reduce their electricity usage and reduce CO­2 emissions while also benefiting from increased productivity and lower life-cycle costs.”

Additional benefits of the IE5 SynRM motor are lower bearing and winding temperatures for enhanced reliability and long life. The design also creates less motor noise for a better working environment.

ABB IE5 SynRM motors can be used in a wide range of demanding industrial applications where they offer accurate control and high efficiency across the whole speed range, even at partial loads.

This makes them an ideal upgrade option for standard induction motors in pumps, fans and compressors as well as in more demanding applications like extruders, concha mixers, winches, and conveyors. IE5 SynRM motors are an easy replacement for induction motors as they have the same size and output power, so no mechanical modifications are required.

The IE5 SynRM motors meet the requirements of the efficiency class defined in IEC TS 60034-30-2 and are available with output power of 5.5 to 315 kilowatt (kW) in frame sizes IEC 132-315. They can be specified as part of a high-efficiency motor and drive package with ABB variable speed drives (VSDs).

The new IE5+ motor generation from Nord Drivesystems also offers a high power density and is claimed to raise the LogiDrive concept for intralogistics to a new level with regard to energy efficiency and reduction of variants.

The energy-efficient latest generation permanent magnet synchronous motor has considerably lower losses than the current IE4 series. The unventilated smooth motor achieves its high efficiency that, at times, is significantly above efficiency class IE5 via a wide torque range – and is optimally suitable for the operation in the partial load range. The compact IE5+ motor offers a high power density with less installation space and will be initially launched in a size for power ranges from 0.35 to 1.1 kW with a continuous torque from 1.6 to 4.8 Nm and speeds from 0 to 2,100 min-1. Direct motor attachment as well as NEMA and IEC motor attachments are available.

The new IE5+ synchronous motor can be combined with all Nord gear units and drive electronics as a modular system and supplements the successful LogiDrive concept. The standardised geared motor variants – consisting of an energy-saving synchronous motor, a 2-stage helical bevel gear unit and a NORDAC LINK frequency inverter – have been specially developed for use in intralogistics, parcel logistics and airport technology, and represent an optimal compromise between energy efficiency and a reduction of variants. The new IE5+ motor can further increase these benefits. Utilising the high overload capacity of the motors and the system’s wide adjustment range, the solution is individually tailored to each customer and specifically designed for the system’s individual load range.

Nidec Leroy-Somer’s Dyneo+ range of super-premium efficiency permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motors are intended to combine the performance of synchronous permanent magnet technology with the easy set-up of induction motors. The Dyneo+ motors have been designed to meet the most stringent requirements of industrial applications while offering them even more options using digitalisation.

Drawing on its strong expertise, Nidec Leroy-Somer has developed Dyneo+, a new range of super premium efficiency permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motors which incorporate alone all the benefits of induction and synchronous permanent magnet technologies, and offer in addition significant advances in terms of smart drive solutions.

With an energy efficiency level above IE5 reaching the highest efficiency levels of IEC 60034-30-2 and NEMA Super Premium/Ultra-Premium, Dyneo+ makes it possible to achieve substantial energy savings in real use on cycle at variable speed and load.

The Dyneo+ synchronous motor range has been developed alongside the Nidec Leroy-Somer variable speed drives, Powerdrive F300 and the new Powerdrive MD Smart. Perfectly adapted to optimize the Dyneo+ motor performance, this last generation of high power speed drives is fitted with a new HMI and a secured Bluetooth connection to enrich the user experience and fully benefit from the features of the new Systemiz application.

Dedicated to its Dyneo+ motors, Nidec Leroy-Somer has designed Systemiz, a unique interactive application which provides a wide variety of digitalised services, to facilitate the exchange of information between the systems and trigger the subsequent actions.

In addition to instantaneous access to all the product literature, Systemiz enables direct access to motor parameters for easy and intuitive drive setting by simply scanning the QR code on the nameplate. The new fully-configurable Powerdrive MD Smart Interface module makes it possible to set up predictive maintenance.

Designed for variable speed, this new range delivers optimised overall operating performance for operation with or without position feedback.

With accurate speed and torque control, the Dyneo+ drive and motor assembly guarantees constant torque over extended speed ranges, with no derating or forced ventilation.Easy to implement, this highly-effective for applications requiring high torque at high speed. High starting performance in sensorless mode avoids the need for an encoder.