Nidec (Nidec) launches SynRA, a high-efficiency synchronous reluctance motor with an aluminum cage

Nidec (Nidec) launches SynRA, a high-efficiency synchronous reluctance motor with an aluminum cage

Reach the highest energy efficiency level IE5 in the international energy efficiency standard

Nidec (Nidec) has launched a high-efficiency synchronous reluctance motor with an aluminum cage, the "Synchronous Reluctance Motor with Aluminum Cage Rotor", for the U.S. market. The motor combines the basic principles of a cage induction motor with a synchronous reluctance motor.

Nidec (Nidec) “SynRA”

*This product specification is only available in the US market

The cage induction motor is a common general-purpose motor in the industrial field. The advantage of this motor is that it can be started by connecting to commercial power and does not require an inverter to control the number of revolutions. It is widely used in industrial equipment such as fans and pumps, air compressors, cranes, and elevators. In addition, a simple and inexpensive V/F converter*1 can meet the variable speed requirements of variable-frequency air conditioners, home appliances, etc. Therefore, the cage induction motor is widely used in various fixed-speed and variable-speed application scenarios. On the other hand, due to the structure of the cage induction motor, a speed difference (loss) called "slip" will occur between the rotor and the stator, so it has the disadvantage of lower energy efficiency compared to the synchronous reluctance motor described below.

"SynRA" uses a special reluctance design on the rotor to incorporate the "cage" structure of the cage induction motor. When the equipment starts, it rotates as an induction motor, and when it runs, it synchronizes the speed and frequency. Therefore, compared with the cage induction motor, the loss is smaller and a higher energy efficiency level can be achieved. In addition, when using a controller, there is no need to equip it with a vector controller and correct control parameters like the conventional "synchronous reluctance motor". Higher energy efficiency can be achieved through a simple V/F open-loop control*² system. This product has reached the highest energy efficiency level IE5 in the international energy efficiency standard, and it has been proven that it can be commercialized at a low cost, which is expected to meet the market demand for replacing cage induction motors.

The Nidec Group will continue to propose innovative solutions through its motor products to contribute to reducing power consumption and lowering the impact on the global environment.

*¹V/F converter: A device that converts voltage (V) to frequency (F) or frequency to voltage. Electrical signals are mostly output as voltage, but due to changes in the amplification and linearity of the transmission system, it is not possible to transmit the signal correctly while maintaining the voltage. Therefore, a V/F converter is used to convert the voltage change into a frequency change for transmission, and then the F/V converter is used to demodulate the transmission signal.

*²V/F open loop control: A control method that uses an inverter to control the speed of an AC motor. Although it is simple in structure and easy to adjust, it is usually limited by low control responsiveness. However, in SynRA, higher energy efficiency can be achieved.