GE Industrial Systems (Fort Wayne, IN) announced its new ECM 84 Series motor, which it says delivers up to 40% greater efficiency than a conventional PSC motor in low-power, air-moving applications.
“With more HRVs [heat recovery ventilators] being built to meet the demand for better indoor air quality, manufacturers are now in need of motors that offer higher efficiency,” said Paul Goldman, business leader for the ECM Group. The new line is designed for the smaller output requirements of energy recovery ventilators, fancoils, small blowers, fan-filter units, and vav terminal units.
The company also announced the ECM 58 Series fan/motor system. Designed for commercial refrigeration and other air-moving applications, the new line provides improved efficiency and quieter operation than shaded-pole motors, the company says.
A heightened emphasis on system solutions is the course at Fasco Motors (St. Louis, MO), which also announced a name change to Invensys Motor Systems to reflect the company’s position as a business unit of Invensys plc.
“System solutions are the future,” said Ignacio Santa Cruz, business development director. “We are going beyond bare shaft motors, not only with state-of-the-art blowers, gearmotors, and actuators, but with electronic control packages tailored to solve our customers’ application needs.
“Our total solutions approach suits customers who want to deal with fewer suppliers and avoid having to integrate disparate systems and components. This approach also increases reliability by eliminating incompatibilities between products.”
New product lines include high intelligence applications (HIA) systems. Three versions are available: standard, mini, and extended voltage range electronic drives. In addition, medical blower and high-temperature application (HTA) drive systems are offered.
Two new 1/7-hp ball-bearing replacement oil burner motors were displayed by
The PSC model (3248) provides energy savings because of its lower starting and running current requirements, the company says. An economically priced split-phase model (3247) features the same ball-bearing construction and a high starting torque especially useful in older systems, says the manufacturer.
The company has also developed a line of Epact and premium efficient cooling tower duty motors, from 2 to 100 hp, designed to operate in 100% humidity conditions and the most corrosive environments, says the company. Features include double-sealed bearings, potted leads, bearing caps on 280 frame and above, a heavy gasketed conduit box and cover, and sealed lead openings.
Baldor Electric Co. (Fort Smith, AR) announced major improvements to the efficiency ratings and overall performance of its Super-E® line of premium efficient motors. The company says it has raised the efficiency level of over 125 individual ratings, with some now exceeding 96%. The efficiencies meet or exceed the new rebate levels established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) and followed by most electric utilities.
The company also introduced a new line of digital soft-start motor controls featuring adaptable soft-starting techniques. The controls are available with output ratings of 9 through 900 amps for motors from 3 through 700 hp, and feature a 32-character display keypad. Operating parameters are entered on the plain English language keypad and the control software automatically sets up the application.
Anacon Systems, Inc. (Moun-tain View, CA) offered the new DigiDrive™ LP low-power motor controllers for 1/3 hp and below single-phase induction motors. It provides a compact-size controller for cost-sensitive applications that can benefit from variable speed control, says the manufacturer.
Also new is the DigiDrive II Network Interface family of low-power motor controllers, which control the speed of 1/10- to 1-hp single-phase ac induction motors. The units provide an expanded range of remote interface and control options, the company says.
The bypass/drive is for single-motor fan and pump applications up to 50 hp at 208 to 480 vac. The unit is wall mounted, providing easy access and serviceability, says the company.
The electronic bypass is integrated with the company’s ACH 400 adjustable-speed ac drive, to form a single unit that features a compact design “tailor-made to fit easily into all types of oem equipment used in the hvac industry,” Miller stated.
Another new product is the ACS 140 drive, a low-horsepower unit which offers the functions and features typical of large-horsepower drives, says the manufacturer. Able to respond to input signal changes in as little as 8 msec — one of the fastest in the industry, the company says — the drive has a 1/2- to 3-hp range, in a 200 to 240 vac single- and three-phase configuration, and in a 380 to 480 vac three-phase construction.
Through an alliance with controls manufacturer Saftronics,
Its exhibit launched the new FPC5001 drive, featuring a patent-pending design that combines bypass functions and hvac operation requirements into an integrated package that can minimize harmonic distortion by 20% and improve full-load system efficiency by 4% to 5%, says the manufacturer.
Also introduced was Rapidpak, a compact ac inverter that is pre-programmed for a range of applications, and the FP5 fan and pump ac drive, a dedicated inverter for the hvac industry that features an automatic energy-saving output voltage adjustment to ensure that motors operate at peak efficiency, says the company.
“We are committed to serving the full needs of our hvacr customers, and we believe that the capability to provide state-of-the-art motor/drive solutions significantly extends our ability to do so,” said Gary Wolfe, marketing manager for integral horsepower motors.
In addition, the company unveiled a newly expanded line of cast-iron Century® Industrial E-Plus® motors. The totally enclosed, fan-cooled (TEFC) motor line now includes two additional speeds: 60 through 400 hp, 3,600 rpm, and 50 through 400 hp, 1,200 rpm.
Besides its ac microdrives, drives, and bypass packages, the big news at MagneTek was its acquisition. Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. (Waukegan, IL) has assumed ownership and operation of the MagneTek drive products business unit in New Berlin, WI, formerly a part of the Drives & Systems Group of MagneTek, Inc.
MagneTek will retain the industrial controls business unit of the group, with its specialized manufacturing and applications operations serving the crane and hoist, elevator, mining, power conditioning, and fuel cell markets.
Danfoss Graham (Milwaukee, WI) introduced its engineered option packages for the VLT 2800 adjustable speed drive. According to the company, the drive provides full-featured performance at a cost below full-featured drives. The unit is available from 1/2 to 25 hp and input voltages of single phase, 208 to 240 vac or three phase, 208 to 240/380 to 480 vac.
The option packages can be configured for two- or three-contactor bypass, circuit breakers, drive input fuses, or drive disconnect switches. Other options include 3% line reactors, auto bypass, common run/stop, bypass undervoltage protection, hand/ off/auto selector switches, or manual speed potentiometers.
It also features single-phase input, dc bus terminals, zero side clearance requirement, programmable digital and analog I/O, anti-windmilling control, and speed search. An easy-to-use interface with programming macros simplifies startup, the company says.
The pumps are designed for hvac and industrial applications such as pressure boosting, cooling towers, and domestic water service. Because the new pumps require no isolation pad, they take up a minimum of floor space, the manufacturer says.
The Beckett Corp. (Irving, TX) displayed a newly designed replaceable check valve for its CB 15 and 20 Series pumps. The check valve incorporates a retaining clip rather than the threaded connection commonly found in most condensate pumps.
“We are committed to making the contractor’s job easy when it comes to maintenance related to the condensate pump,” said Larry Anderson, president of Beckett Industrial/OEM. “Our new replaceable check valve is built for lasting durability and ease of use when it comes to cleaning and replacement.”
The company also announced a redesigned large condensate pump line. Accommodating multiple voltages (including 115, 230, 277, 400, and 460 V) and incorporating a replaceable check valve, the new large condensate units will be available in late 2001.
The company also announced the launch of its new Variable Speed (VS) circulator, which takes a signal from an outside source and responds by varying the speed. With this product users can match output with demand on a fully modulating basis, says the manufacturer.
Also featured was the Mixi-Mizer radiant floor injection mixing pump which offers an integrated pump and indoor/outdoor controller.
Little Giant Pump Co. (Oklahoma City, OK) exhibited its new EC-400 condensate pump, designed for use with mini-split, ductless air conditioning systems.
The compact, two-piece design and small dimensions allow for easy installation in most systems, says the company. Both components can be placed inside the air handler, or the pump/control can be placed up to 3 ft above the air handler in the ceiling void or inside trunking conduit. The unit is energy efficient, using only 0.4 watts of electricity in standby mode, the company says.
A new series of low-water cut-off/pump controllers featuring environmentally friendly mercury-free snap-action switches was shown by McDonnell & Miller, a unit of ITT Industries (Chicago, IL). The 42S Series is for installations with operating pressure below 50 psi, or for applications that require wider differentials at lower pressure.
The 42S has two switches: one to operate a boiler feed pump, and a second to interrupt the burner circuit in a low water condition. Also available are the 42-A with quick hook-up fittings and the 42-N with gauge glass tappings.
The new Technovar™ variable- speed pump controller, from Bell & Gossett, a unit of ITT Industries (Morton Grove, IL), features control logic developed exclusively for pumping applications, the company says. It offers analog output for speed or P.V. indication and digital output for fault annunciation.
Status indications and diagnostic messages are in plain English — there are no codes to look up, says the manufacturer.
Sidebar: Obituary
LAS VEGAS, NV — Cleo Cripps, past president of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA), died here in Las Vegas on February 13. He was 73.Mr. Cripps opened Associated Air Conditioning in 1965, Superior Service in 1972, and was a principal in Valley Supply, as well as many other southern Nevada air conditioning projects.
He is survived by his wife, Yuvonne, and several sons and daughters, including Mary Dille, president of the Southern Nevada Air Conditioning Refrigeration Service Contractors Association (SNARSCA).
Publication date: 03/19/2001
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