AC motors can be found in household appliances as well as the trades sector. In industrial applications, however, they are only used in specific sectors. The following explains the types of AC motors and their use in the industry.
Electric motors can be subdivided into DC motors, (single-phase) AC motors and three-phase motors. The difference between AC motors and three-phase motors is that three-phase motors are connected to three AC voltages with a phase shift of 120° (three-phase current). This phase shift generates a rotating field in the motors’ windings and thus a rotary movement. AC motors, however, are operated on single-phase mains. Due to the single-phase connection and unlike the three-phase motors, they do not automatically have a rotating field from the energy supply.
To generate a rotating field with AC motors and thus actuate the rotor, constructive measures are required in comparison to three-phase motors. Over time, different types of AC motors have been developed for the generation of the rotating field. These include:
As mentioned above, AC motors can be found in machines and devices for households and trades. For industrial applications, this motor type is only used in specific sectors, for example in the building industry, food industry, agricultural industry, or in amusement parks. NORD has thoroughly revised its existing AC motor especially for providers in these sectors. The new single-phase asynchronous motor is available in a power range from 0.12 to 1.5 kW as before, but now – thanks to his higher efficiency – corresponds to efficiency class IE2 according to the Ecodesign Regulation 2019/1781. These AC motors are equipped with starting and operating capacitors, and are used as an economic solution for simple requirements. For the motors, the previous mechanical relay was replaced by a new electronic relay. The design was also refreshed. For example, the capacitors were mounted in the terminal box. Therefore, the motor now also complies with protection class IP66, and is protected against the entry of dust and water.
Would you like to discover more about the AC motor and its advantages for your application?
With regard to energy savings, the entire drive system including electric motor, gear unit and drive electronics must be taken into account. Here, the potential is typically between 30 and 60%. In this post, we want to have a specific look at the options for electric motors. NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has been committed to this task since the start of the energy debate several decades ago and attempts to reconcile sustainability, improved economy, higher energy efficiency as well as optimised functionality and performance in all new and further developments of its drive systems.
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS is known for high-quality gear units, electric motors and frequency inverters and – based on its application expertise and great depth of production – has developed from a gear unit manufacturer to a value chain partner for complete drive technology solutions. The overall portfolio also includes industrial gear units for output torques of up to 282 Nm that are perfect for heavy-duty applications.