Motors
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Introduction
Electric motor-driven systems make up by far the largest single category of electricity end use in the American economy. Based on a detailed analysis of motor systems inventory, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technologies (DOE OIT) estimates that industrial motor energy use could be reduced by 11% to 18% in the manufacturing sector alone if facilities managers undertook all proven, cost-effective efficiency technologies and practices. That is, implementation of all well-established motor system energy efficiency measures and practices that meet reasonable investment criteria could yield annual energy savings of up to $5.8 billion at average industrial energy prices. Potential motor efficiency savings in non-manufacturing industries are estimated at an additional 14 billion kilowatt hours (kWh). This is roughly equivalent to potential energy savings in such major commercial end-uses as indoor lighting.
Technology Options
There are two basic categories of motor system energy efficiency measures:
- Motor efficiency upgrades that improve the energy efficiency of the motor driving a particular machine or group of machines.
- System efficiency measures that improve the efficiency of a machine or group of machines as a whole. System efficiency can be improved by reducing the overall load on the motor through engineering strategies such as: improved process or system design, better match between component size and load requirements, use of speed control instead of throttling or bypass mechanisms and better maintenance.
The Flex Your Power Tips page provides examples of each of these elements along with the range of savings associated with each kind of efficiency measure. Here are some examples of both motor upgrades and system measures:
Motor Efficiency Upgrades
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System Efficiency Measures
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Efficiency Benefits
Motor system energy use and potential savings vary greatly among industries. For industries that use significant amounts of motor system energy, the financial impact of motor system energy costs and potential savings are substantial. For industries with tight operating margins, relatively small increases in operating margin can have a significant impact on profitability.
Table: Financial Impact of Motor Energy Consumption and Savings in Selected Industries | ||||
Motor Energy | ||||
Industry | Motor System Costs/Estab. | Costs/Total Operating Costs | Savings per Estab/Yr. | Savings as % of Operating Margin |
Paper Mills | $4.6 M | 6.5% | $659,000 | 5.0% |
Petroleum Refining | $5.6 M | 1.4% | $946,000 | 1.0% |
Industrial Inorganic Chemicals | $1.6 M | 10.4% | $283,000 | 6.0% |
Paperboard Mills | $3.0 M | 6.4% | $492,000 | 5.0% |
Blast Furnaces and Steel Mills | $6.0 M | 2.1% | $358,000 | 2.0% |
Industrial Organic Chemicals | $1.3 M | 1.0% | $91,000 | 1.0% |
Industrial Gases | $1.1 M | 21.7% | $116,000 | 13.0% |
Plastics Materials and Resins | $1.5 M | 1.5% | $121,000 | 1.0% |
Cement, Hydraulic | $2.2 M | 9.6% | $219,000 | 4.0% |
Pulp Mills | $1.7 M | 6.7% | $483,000 | 5.0% |
Table: Potential Systems-Level Motor Energy Savings by Select Manufacturing Applications | |||||||||
Estimated Savings (GWh/Year) | |||||||||
Industry | Fan System | Pump System | Compressed Air Systems | Other Proc. Systems | Motor Upgrade | Motor Downsizing | Replace vs. Rewind | All Systems | Total Energy |
Food | 157 | 1,250 | 494 | 517 | 1,376 | 585 | 295 | 4,674 | 12.40% |
Textile Mill | 170 | 593 | 408 | 166 | 743 | 305 | 121 | 2,506 | 15.00% |
Apparel | 1 | 0 | 68 | 15 | 47 | 22 | 8 | 162 | 13.90% |
Lumber/Wood | 153 | 243 | 324 | 341 | 432 | 336 | 184 | 2,013 | 8.80% |
Furniture | 87 | 5 | 78 | 33 | 173 | 68 | 26 | 471 | 12.70% |
Paper | 1,082 | 6,293 | 773 | 881 | 3,197 | 845 | 870 | 13,942 | 14.00% |
Printing | 52 | 17 | 74 | 90 | 305 | 153 | 39 | 731 | 12.30% |
Chemicals | 942 | 7,556 | 6,813 | 994 | 4,219 | 1,409 | 1,255 | 23,188 | 16.10% |
Petroleum/Coal | 271 | 6,159 | 1,352 | 169 | 1,736 | 459 | 453 | 10,599 | 20.40% |
Rubber/Plastics | 113 | 1,851 | 813 | 411 | 1,498 | 435 | 303 | 5,424 | 14.80% |
Leather | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 58 | 11.80% |
Stone/Clay/Glass | 31 | 18 | 96 | 20 | 117 | 45 | 14 | 343 | 15.40% |
Primary Metal | 738 | 1,537 | 2,150 | 1,085 | 3,199 | 983 | 749 | 10,441 | 11.90% |
Fabricated Metal | 34 | 181 | 303 | 80 | 298 | 195 | 46 | 1,137 | 15.60% |
Industrial Machinery | 28 | 195 | 200 | 94 | 368 | 208 | 44 | 1,138 | 15.40% |
Electronics | 18 | 1,554 | 513 | 43 | 609 | 222 | 93 | 3,053 | 23.10% |
Many kinds of motor system efficiency improvements yield benefits in addition to energy cost reductions. These include improved control over production processes, reduction in waste materials and improved environmental compliance.
Manufacturers
Motors & Motor Manufacturers is a database of 341 motor manufacturers at Thomas Register, a comprehensive online resource for finding companies and products manufactured in North America.
Industrial Quick Search, Inc. offers an electric motors manufacturers directory including DC motors, stepper motors, servo motors, AC motors, gear motors, DC electric motors, stepping motors, synchronous motors, permanent magnet motors, brushless motors and electric motor manufacturers.
Purchasing Tips
As of October 1997, all integral horsepower, polyphase, general purpose, low voltage AC induction motors from 1 to 200 horsepower sold in the U.S. must meet minimum efficiency standards. These standards, promulgated by the EPAct, are based on the NEMA MG 1. The minimum efficiency standard increases with horsepower category. The minimum EPAct standards leave room for improvement in motor efficiency and offer the opportunity for energy savings. Premium efficiency motors currently on the market are more efficient than the minimum standard, particularly in the lower horsepower ranges, and NEMA MG 1 has been updated to reflect new Premium standards.
For many companies, it makes sense to establish a motor purchasing policy because it indicates management approval and simplifies the paperwork needed to purchase a new premium-efficient motor. While some original equipment manufacturers supply premium motors as an option, they generally offer a lower-efficiency motor unless your motor management plan specifies the premium model.
There are many tools to help you purchase efficient motors. These include campaigns such as Motor Decisions Matter Campaign and the U.S. DOE OIT's Best Practices Motor Program, as well as software and publications, including:
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Emerging Technology
Experts predict a wide range of trends for motor system components, including:
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More forward-looking information on motor and drive technology is available at NineSigma, where visitors can do keyword searches in the Patents section to find out about newly issued motor and drive patents. The U.S. Patent Office continues to award patents covering motors and/or drives linked to HVAC and industrial processing applications.