The largest benefit in energyefficiency improvement comes from a systematic integration and

optimisation of all mechanical and electrical components in a total motor system.

Four major areas are involved (Table 29).



The major element for improving electricmotor system efficiency is better engineering practices
in the following areas:
Lifecycle cost: consider avoiding minimal first cost, decisions on repair versus replacement.
Integrated machine design: OEMs tend to focus on production at low initial cost rather than
efficiency.
Packaged products: component integration to avoid the addition of maximized separate
elements.
Adequate sizing: calculated safety factors to avoid general over-sizing practice.
Efficient operation: factory automation systems with precise on/off and partialload controls
to avoid hours of operation without any use.

As illustrated in Figure 34, motorsystem efficiency can be improved from 42% to 63% or the total
required grid peak load can be reduced from 240% to 160% of the net mechanical load. The
improvement (red surface) results from several individual and consecutive improvement steps.



The efficiency of an electric motordriven system (EMDS) (such as a pump, fan, compressor or
industrial handling and processing) is determined by the total motor system, i.e. the
multiplication of efficiencies for each component. Within the various electric motor technologies
described, energysavings options are available for both components and integrated systems.
Designing the total motor system (the entire application from supply grid to output product) is a
complex task. To achieve costeffective installations and machines that operate safely and
reliably, the engineering approach must set high targets for energy efficiency and apply an
integrated design model. It is important to question production demands (capacity, speed, and
environment) before selecting technical components.
Gears and transmissions
Motor systems experience losses in other mechanical components. Gears and transmissions are
two mechanical elements which offer significant potential for improved efficiency. In motor
efficiency of around 100 kW output, just two percentage points separate one motor efficiency
class from the next. This means it can be easier or more costeffective to change transmissions
and gears to achieve the same overall performance improvement.
Gears are used in some applications to convert motor speed to the required speed. Some types
of gears (worm gears with very high gear ratios) can be very inefficient: the larger the gear ratio
(relationship of the two revolutions per minute [rpm]) and the more gear stages used, the lower
the efficiency. Gear losses come from tooth friction and lubrication churning. Losses tend to be
between 2% and 12% higher in new gears until the teeth are smoothed.
Variable loads and VFDs

The control technology used for adjusting motor, voltage and frequency to deliver only and precisely
the required torque and speed is an electronic controller known as a variablefrequency drive
(VFD) (Figure 19). This independent component lies between the grid and the motor and consists of
an AC/DC converter, a DC link and filter, and a DC/AC inverter. The VFD is mostly based on pulse
width modulation. It has power demand in both standby and subsequent variable operational
modes, so additional losses of a VFD have to be overcompensated by reducing losses in partial load.
Many of the new motor technologies operate with variable speeds.

Many motor applications have high operating hours but variable loads. Even with the relatively
flat efficiency curve of larger IE3 motors (between 50% and 125% load), there are still large gains
to be made by adapting motor speed and torque to the required load. The largest benefit comes
with pumps and fans in closed loops for which power consumption varies as a cubic power of
their rotational speed.