ABB has developed what it claims is the world's first high-voltage motor. Called Motorformer, ABB says the product will cut a plant's energy losses by about 25 per cent, gives clear environmental benefits, and has a positive impact on the distribution network. AGA Gas, a member of the Linde Gas Group in Sweden, has ordered the first motor for its plant at Stenungsund. A Motorformer with a voltage rating of 40kV is scheduled to enter into operation in the autumn. It will be used to drive a compressor for the production of industrial gases.
Motorformer
is a synchronous motor based on the cable technology launched three years
ago in ABB's high voltage power generator Powerformer. The new technology,
protected by 200 full patent applications, enables ABB to omit a number of
components normally found in conventional plants with electric motors.
"We anticipate a substantial reduction in the energy consumption due to the omission of, for example, a transformer," says Linde Gas' Christer Sundstrom. "If the results of the tests are satisfactory, we at Linde Gas see a big potential for our other industrial gas factories."