Engineers are always dreaming up ways of improving on existing models of the motor. Industries need motors to be more powerful but without forfeiting precision.  The following are some of the important advances in the latest motor technology.

New Efficiency
Yaskawa Electric is one of a number of companies to have come up with a new kind of efficient motor that not only uses less energy but also uses substantially smaller components.  The new synchronous motors use internal permanent magnets which give the motor more power.  The motors will be used in applications where it is necessary to rotate an instrument using great force.  Examples might include such things as lifts and cranes.  They will also be useful in applications where a lot of energy is used such as continuous fans or pumps.

Less Heat, More Precision
One of the benefits of the new motor is that the increased rise in heat is only one third that of conventional motors.  This is because the torque is generated by magnets rather than a secondary current. With a secondary current, which is what we usually find in a motor, twice as much heat is generated. Lowering heat losses saves energy and allows for more precision.

Noise Reduction and Energy Savings
A second benefit can be found in the lift industry where there is little room for the motor and so low audible noise is desirable.  The new motors can fit inside the lift shaft. Speed control is also enhanced.  Another important benefit of these new magnet motors is that they will help to produce big savings in energy. Approximately two thirds of all the electricity used in developed countries is to power electric motors.  Therefore one effect of any small improvement in motor efficiency will save energy.

Reduced Size
Size is always taken into consideration when developing new projects of this kind.  However, the reduced size of these new motors is considerable, with the physical dimensions being one third smaller allowing radical configurations to be designed.  Yaskawa Electric is already offering clients a new flat “slimline” motor, ideal for use in lifts where the need for installation in confined spaces has previously presented engineers with all kinds of problems.

Other applications
The applications for these new improved motors are not confined to industry.  For the past few years Honda has been leading research into hybrid petrol electric vehicles which run, as the name suggests, on a mixture of petrol and electricity.  The new Honda Accord is such a car.  Its motor has twice as much power as its predecessors.  It is also more efficient as it converts a higher percentage of the available electricity into energy.