New technologies from Siemens answer industry’s energy challenges

Siemens works closely with customers in many different industries, and the experience it brings to one industry can often benefit another. However, rising energy costs are a challenge that every industry faces, along with motor minimum efficiency performance standards (MEPS) legislation and new wider system efficiency standards.

With the Siemens Integrated Drive Systems (IDS) approach, optimisation of the entire drive train during the planning stage can be assured. In any project requiring a fixed speed motor or variable speed drive solution, companies can not only leverage energy savings from the start, but can also increase plant availability. Siemens offers a range of high and premium efficiency IE2, IE3 and IE4 motors and can already provide system efficiency statements for the complete power drive systems under the new EN 50598-2.

For example, the use of converter-fed motors can produce energy savings of up to 70%, making a significant difference where single or multiple units are used.

On the Siemens stand at Hillhead are the Simotics reluctance motors, based on Siemens’ 1LE1 platform, available with aluminium frames for general-purpose duties (Simotics GP) or cast-iron enclosures for more aggressive operating conditions (Simotics SD). They are part of the Siemens’ Integrated Drive Systems (IDS) portfolio.

These motors are designed to be used with Siemens’ Sinamics G120 converters which incorporate vector control designed specifically for reluctance motors. The identification of the pole positions prevents sudden drive movements on activation, while a flying restart function allows synchronisation with a running motor. Predefined parameters in the form of a code on the motor nameplate simplify the commissioning process.

The synchronous reluctance principle means that motor speeds remain constant, while sensorless vector control optimises performance. Both features enhance controllability of the drives. Ramp-up times are short thanks to the motors’ low inherent moment of inertia, combined with vector control. Low losses in the rotor result in a high thermal utilisation of the motor. In terms of design and handling, the motor is similar to the company’s 1LE1 asynchronous motors.

The Siemens range of SIP planetary gear units, Simogear geared motors and the world’s largest range of couplings are well-proven in the aggregates and materials handling industry, and some examples will be displayed on the Hillhead stand.

By reducing engineering and commissioning time and getting more useful, useable data out of drive systems, Siemens are bringing simplicity to the process and helping improve performance efficiencies, reduce energy use and maintain availability to industry systems and processes.

Adapted from press release by Joseph Green

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/product-news/12072016/technologies-siemens-answer-industry-energy-challenges-508/