Robert Chin, Steven Englebretson, Parag Upadhyay,
ABB Corporate Research, January 22, 2016
2016 Review of Innovation in
Machines and Drives
2016 Review of Innovation in Machines and Drives
Outline
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 2

Historical development

Institutions, driving factors, and strategies

Current status and trends

Future Possibilities? Questions & Discussion…
Electrical Machines and Drives
Focusing on “mid-range” applications
Machines range from low watts in toothbrushes and toys up to gigawatt
scale turbogenerators
Focusing here generally on a midrange between these extremes:
fractional horsepower to few megawatts,
typically to drive loads like fans, pumps, compressors, belts…
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 3
Electric Machines and Drives
At work in all industries, all applications
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 4
Established But Not Static Technology
Patents from Espacenet
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
Electric Motors
Motor Drives
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 5
From intellectual property point of view:
Motor and drive innovation accelerating
Established But Not Static Technology
Papers from IEEE Explore (“motor” in title)
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 6
From technical literature point of view:
Motor and drive innovation accelerating
Research Institutions
Collaborative Innovation
Industry
 Behemoths – Multinational conglomerates
 Mid-Sized – Regional, market specific
 Start-ups & Spin offs – Niche, application specific
Wave energy rotor example from
Academia
 Industry and government funding,
 Specialized Labs
 Consortia
Government
 Agencies: DOE- EERE, ARPA-E, DARPA, NSF,
 Military: ONR, ARL, AFOSR…
 National Labs: ORNL, NREL, Sandia, Argonne…
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 7
Photo by Kevin Bennion, NREL
http://www.nrel.gov/transportation/peem_
electric_motor_tm.html
Factors Driving Innovation
Overview
Computer software integral to innovation today
 CAD, FEA, CFD…
 Continually improving and adapting
Cost



Primary concern in highly competitive market
Steady consolidation of major manufacturers
Growing number of application specific players
Application specific requirements
 Power density – volume and/or mass
 Operating temperature, speed, or environment
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 8
Factors Driving Innovation
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles
 Rail
 Marine
 Unmanned
Modern ABB
Traction Motor
1942 Converter
Electric
Fiat
ABBwith
Azipod
Example
1955 Locomotive
3kV,
1500
hp(ABB)
DC motor
(Brown Boveri Review)
Automotive industry
 Toyota, Tesla, BMW, Remy/Mercedes…examples
 Optimized for specific, complex system
Partnerships: Industry/Academia/Government
 Complementary mix of time, resources, objectives
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/02/remy-supplyingthe-motors-for-daimler-built-two-mode-hybrid-tran/
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 9
BMW i3 Electric Motor Production - October 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nJD6b8TL2M
Factors Driving Innovation
New Materials

Rare earth permanent magnets

New possibilities: power density and efficiency

New challenges: Cost, short circuit, part load, demag…

Superconducting conductors and bulk magnets

Steady improvement in passive components

Wide Band Gap Semiconductors
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 10
Factors Driving Innovation
Energy Efficiency Standards

High efficiency motors for
minimum motor loss

High efficiency drives to vary
speed for control and
maximum system efficiency

High efficiency system loads
(fan, compressor, pump…)
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 11
Factors Driving Innovation
Environmental Concern
Energy efficiency
 Minimum government efficiency standards
 Energy costs (Motor+Drive+…)
Renewable Energy
 Most notable: Wind
 Hydro kinetic, geo/solar thermal, micro turbines…
Material restrictions
 RoHS
 Oil-free
ABB Rotor Options for Wind Generators
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 12
New Commercial Motor Types
Synchronous Reluctance Example
•
•
•
Synchronous motor efficiency, induction motor robustness
Requires a drive, higher current (lower p.f.) than induction
Lower starting torque than induction
ABB
•
•
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 13
Siemens
Permanent magnet assisted synchronous reluctance
Line start synchronous reluctance for DOL at IE4+
Motor and Drive Technology
Possibilities for the near future
Motor and drive predictions from
European Committee of
manufacturers of Electrical
Machines and Power Electronics
(CEMEP)
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 14

Conductors and magnets:
superconducting, carbon fiber, …

Increasingly extreme operating
speeds: high and low

Integration of system components

Application specific optimization
ABB Corporate R&D – A Long Tradition
Globally Distributed
 USA




Sweden
Switzerland
Germany
Poland
 China
 India
© ABB Group
January 22, 2016 | Slide 15