Ventilation technique 2.0 EU Progress – Motors
Author: eng. Markus Best, Manager of TGA, Helios Ventilatoren, August 2012
Electronically commutated fan motors are about to become standard in ventilation technique: they provide step less, smooth, almost line regulation through the whole range of operating frequencies, they offer higher efficiency, they operate without any damage and the maintenance is not necessary. Moreover, even today fulfill the future requirements of the ErP ErP 2013 and 2015. Possible higher investment costs will be recouped in a very short time based on the maximum effective way of working.
There isn’t other theme which to dominates so much in social life, like improving energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption. This become evident from the many directives and laws with ever-increasing impact on the industry and end customers: for example in 2005 European Union accepted “Energy using Products Directive” (EuP directive) which in 2009 was renamed on “ErP directive” (Energy related Products Directive) more known in Germany as “Directive for ecological design”. From here we found the potential saving of using energy products with minimum requirements. First conditions of the legislation already reached to end customers such as the abundance for using conventional light bulbs. More remarkable consequence of differences to prescriptions in technical building equipment and especially in ventilation and air-condition techniques. A huge part from European common energy needs of 410 TWh annually is consummated from the fans. Legal directives as ErP 2013 and ErP 2015 have the purpose to make minimize these consumptions significantly. In the first stage of ErP, from the early days of 2013 about 30% from today common market of the European Union fans will disappear. The sharpness of energy requirements through ErP 22015 two years later would lead to extra 20%. From this affect most almost all fans of class power 125 W to 500 kW. These dramatically increased performances for efficient are accompanied from enormous requirements for ventilation and air-condition industry.
By using electronic commutated drive technology (Electronically Commutated = EU) is possible today in the area of ventilation equipment to save considerable energy, fulfilling highest requirements. This give the reason to assume that a new type motors would be necessary to become a standard in ventilation techniques – such as some time ago that happened in pumping equipment: In their case the unit using with motor and permanent magnetic electricity become a routine from a long time. Federal and regional stimulating programs contribute for changing old heating circulating pumps with more efficient pumps and accelerate the imposition of the market.
EU-motors are with brushless permanent electricity motors with shunt characteristics which are constructed specially for using in ventilation and air-condition installations.
How the EU engines are operating?
One EU engine has a permanent electricity motor but the traditional commutator with brushed for energy conversion is changes from one circuit board. To this reason this motors are called “electricity commutated motors”. Moreover the stator and the rotor are changed. So, we are talking for motor not with outside, but with inside rotor. It is being understood the magnetic field is produced by circular permanent magnet in the rotor. Stator pack winding is connected rigidly to the bearing cover of the motor. The difference of the common AC engines (АС = Alternating Current) it doesn’t rotate. Location of the permanent magnet is monitored by three sensors and is analyzed from integrated in the engine electronics.