Low Voltage AC Induction Motors

Low Voltage AC Induction Motors

Low voltage AC (LVAC) induction motors are the workhorse motor technology for many segments of the electric vehicle industry; providing a tough-to-beat balance of cost, performance, efficiency, reliability, mechanical simplicity, motor control simplicity and overall system cost. At Nidec Drive Systems, we combine decades of electric vehicle experience with a passion to design high performance LVAC induction motors that are cost-effective and reliable for our customer’s application.

AC induction motors are one of the simplest motor mechanical constructions available. They offer both a balanced 3-phase wound stator and cast rotor core. LVAC motors transfer electrical energy from stator to rotor without slip rings or brushes, making for smooth, quiet and reliable operation. Motors are designed to be maintenance-free for life with no wear parts or service items.  We specify highly reliable temperature and speed sensors to provide dynamic data to the motor control.

Nidec Drive Systems uses an IP67 speed sensor, which conforms to industry standard I/O and has been subjected to a battery of tests ranging across various international standards; resulting in a reliable, durable and cost-effective speed sensor solution for the most demanding environments. Nidec Drive Systems uses multiple temperature sensor solutions, including PT1000 and KTY150 equivalent sensors.

Nidec invests in automation for stator and rotor making to drive costs down and quality, performance and consistency up.  We test our production motors for noise, vibration, performance and many other CTQs to help protect our customers and deliver a high-quality, consistent product.

Considerations for specifying AC induction versus other motor technologies

• AC induction motors are relatively easy to control. A simple volts/hertz algorithm can be tuned to control AC induction motors, although more sophisticated control algorithms can be used too.
• AC induction motors are inherently asynchronous and fold back as needed for load or temperature increases.
• AC induction is mechanically simpler than brushed DC or brushless AC motors. This simplicity typically results in high reliability and lower motor cost compared to a brushed DC or IPM motor solution.
• Motors of the same KW rating can be designed economically so that peak efficiency and power density of AC induction motors are typically higher than brushed DC motors but lower than brushless PMAC/IPM motors.
• AC induction motors are very forgiving to sudden loads. They do not stall easily. If there is a sudden load impulse, an AC induction motor will slip more for that impulse and current draw goes up.
• AC induction motors supply reactive current to magnetize themselves, so power factor is generally lower than brushless PMAC / IPM motors.
• AC induction motors do not contain rare earth materials or magnets that can be demagnetized due to excessive magnetic fields (due to excessive motor current) or extreme temperatures, and thus also do not have cogging or ripple torque challenges.
• Because an AC induction motor induces the magnetic field in the rotor from the stator, when the AC motor is mechanically turned without power being applied, no back EMF or voltage is produced in the field windings, so no risk exists for damage to the control in this condition.
   

• 0.8-1.2 KW (S2-60 EE)
  • Peak Efficiency Warm: 76%-80%
  • Speed Range (RPM): 0-7,000
  • DC Bus Voltage (VDC): 24-102
  • Enclosures: IP00-IP67
  • Typical Applications: Pump, Traction, Steer
  • Shaft Options: DIN, ANSI Internal/External Spline, Taper, custom
  • Drive End Mounting: SAE, Most Gearbox Standard Mounts, custom
• 1.3 - 12.8 KW (S2-60 EE)
  • Peak Efficiency Warm: 80%-91%
  • Speed Range (RPM): 0-7,000
  • DC Bus Voltage (VDC): 24-102
  • Enclosures: IP00-IP67
  • Typical Applications: Traction, Pump
  • Shaft Options: DIN, ANSI Internal/External Spline, Taper, custom
  • Drive End Mounting: SAE, Most Gearbox Standard Mounts, custom
• 18.4 - 26 KW (S2-60 EE)
  • Peak Efficiency Warm: 91%+
  • Speed Range (RPM): 0-7,000
  • DC Bus Voltage (VDC): 24-102
  • Enclosures: IP00-IP67
  • Typical Applications: Traction, Pump
  • Shaft Options: DIN, ANSI Internal/External Spline, Taper, custom
  • Drive End Mounting: SAE, Most Gearbox Standard Mounts, custom