2011 POY Finalists: Electric Motors and Drives

Finalists in Electric Motors and Drives in Plant Engineering’s 2011 Product of the Year competition

By Edited by Chris Vavra, Plant Engineering November 1, 2011

Motor control centers

The Centerline motor control centers feature an integrated EtherNet/IP network, giving manufacturers remote access to production information. Leveraging a single, standard network simplifies communication for the entire enterprise and provides users with the flexibility to control, configure, and collect data from any point in the system. This allows personnel to safely monitor, troubleshoot, and diagnose the MCC without exposing the user to potentially dangerous conditions and power equipment. Centerline low-voltage MCCs offer a rugged, high-performance packaging solution.

Rockwell Automation, Inc.


Shaft voltage test kit

Fans and pumps of commercial HVAC systems, conveyors of industrial production lines, and motors controlled by variable frequency drives are vulnerable to electrical bearing damage. The Aegis Shaft Voltage Test Kit makes it easier for maintenance departments to measure and document damaging VFD-induced voltages before bearing damage and equipment downtime occur. Because the kit can test every VFD-controlled motor in a production plant or mechanical room, it is ideal for maintenance personnel and testing contractors who need to determine whether a motor is subject to stray shaft voltages large enough to harm bearings.

Electro Static Technology


IEC motors

X$D Ultra 841 IEC motors meet or exceed the intent of the IEEE 841-2009 Standard and are designed and rated for Zone 2 and Division 2 hazardous applications with a T3 temperature code. Another feature includes corrosion protection. The motor frame, fan cover, endshield, and conduit box are cast iron for severe duty. Rotor surfaces are coated to resist interior rust to help maintain performance. The Ultra 841 IEC motor is available for voltages of 200 V to 690 V. The motors are available at variable speed or at 50 Hz to 60 Hz.

General Electric Co.


Vertical motor

The 5813 Frame Vertical Titan II is manufactured using a cast iron frame, which allows for the production of the winding and frame assembly to be done in parallel rather than in series. The 5813 Frame Vertical Titan II motor is custom built, based on customer specifications and requirements. It includes WPI and WPII (weather protected) enclosures, and ranges from 250 hp to 1750 hp depending on the required speed. The new motor is available as either hollow shaft or solid shaft in both low- and medium-voltage options. The Titan II features oil-lubricated bearings with several capacity designs available.

Nidec Motor Corp.


MCC Solution

SmartStart is a plug-and-play smart motor control center solution that offers quick and easy start-up and commissioning. MCCs with the SmartStart option include a preconfigured PLC and HMI combination that is factory-installed and tested. With no programming needed and self-configuration of the PLC, SmartStart reduces integration, installation, commissioning, implementation, and maintenance time. The SmartStart feature integrates pre-engineered, pre-configured, and pre-programmed automation hardware to offer a standardized solution for automation and communications in the tiastar Smart Motor Control Center.

Siemens AG


Motor control centers

The Tiastar MCC line includes the Arc Resistant MCC compliant to ANSI/IEEE C37.20.7, and its criteria for containing and redirecting arc flash incident energy. The new SmartStart option features plug-and-play functionality, which reduces commissioning time with preprogrammed and preconfigured data. High-density designs meeting UL and NEMA standards, while reducing unit size for NEMA 1 through starters, allow for up to a 10% weight reduction and a 25% smaller footprint. The new line of MCCs is designed to meet the needs of the construction, water and wastewater, oil and gas, and general process industries.

Siemens AG


Power control

The Sirius Innovations line power control products are available in sizes S00 (10 hp) and S0 (30 hp). They incorporate sustainable elements that make more efficient use of space and simplify assembly while reducing power consumption. A key benefit is increased power performance up to 40 amps in a reduced 45-mm footprint. Additionally, Sirius Innovations includes the IO-Link communication modules to reduce control wiring and snap onto contactors of direct, reversing, and wye-delta starters up to 30 hp. The Sirius Innovations line includes an expansion of termination options including ring-lug terminal versions.

Siemens AG


Overload relays

The Sirius 3RB24 electronic overload relays feature IO-Link for enhanced communication. Contactors, connected to the Sirius 3RB24, provide integrated motor protection and superior communication advantages, including readout of motor current and diagnostics. Rotary switches allow for easy setting of the device’s motor current and the required trip class. A consortium made up of the leading suppliers of automation products has come together to support the new concept in all areas of sensors, actuators, and control technology. IO-Link represents an open, standardized, and manufacturer-independent system for the uniform connection of sensors and switching devices to the control level.

Siemens AG


Motor management

The Simocode Pro Safety is designed to become an integrated part of a plant’s motor management system and improve worker safety. IEC 61508/62061 and ISO 13849-1 standards for functional safety up to SIL 3 or PL e are met with this product. Additional outputs or peripheral devices can be omitted. Two different expansion modules are available, and they can be easily connected to the basic Simocode pro V device. The digital module DM-F PROFIsafe is used with a safe signal where the switch-off is generated in a fail-safe controller, and is transmitted to the motor management system via PROFIBUS/PROFIsafe.

Siemens AG


Pump drive

The P9 is an adjustable speed drive for the pump industry. The ARRA-compliant drive is designed to dramatically reduce pressure buildup and energy consumption, thereby maximizing efficiency, energy savings, and the life of pumping equipment. Its features include linearizing traditional nonlinear pump curves, providing precise variable pumping control. The P9 self-calibrates and eliminates common pump anomalies, and can protect against dead head, loss of suction pressure, cavitation, and thrust bearing. The P9 is also able to load balance multiple pumps, which eliminates the need for PID tuning.

Toshiba America, Inc.


Industrial UPS

The rail-mounted Quint UPS-IQ monitors a scalable battery solution and provides the user with critical data. The IQ technology manages the battery status and displays all of the relevant data on the UPS front panel, or transmits it to a computer. For 24 V loads, the Quint UPS-IQ has output currents of 5, 10, 20, and 40 amps. The ac version has an output power of 500 VA. Other system features include alarm contacts, PC shutdown and restart, triggering e-mails, and event-logging. The entire system, including the battery modules, is UL 508 and 1778 Listed.

Phoenix Contact


Energy storage system

The Hybrid VDC XEB is an environmentally friendly energy storage system that combines flywheel technology with batteries in one patent-pending integrated system. With the combination of batteries, users who need more backup time can utilize the reliability and green aspects of the flywheel system with minutes of extra runtime from the batteries. Compatible with all major brands of three-phase uninterruptible power systems, the Hybrid VDC XEB connects to the dc bus of a UPS. Receiving charging current from the UPS, the VDC XEB provides clean dc power to the UPS during discharge.

VYCON