Historical Evolution of Motor Technology 38 Historical Evolution of Motor Technology
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Historical Evolution of Motor Technology 38 Historical Evolution of Motor Technology Hiroyuki Mikami, Dr. Eng. OVERVIEW: Driven by a strong desire to produce electric motors using Kazumasa Ide, Dr. Eng. domestic rather than foreign technology, Hitachi’s founder, Namihei Odaira, Yukiaki Shimizu produced three 5-HP electric motors in 1910. Now, a century later, electric motors incorporate a variety of different technologies and have undergone Masaharu Senoo significant changes in their size, performance, and other features. They have Hideaki Seki become a key device that underpins society in a wide range of fields including power generation, industry, transport, and home appliances. INTRODUCTION fields including power generation, industry, transport, 2010 marked the 100th anniversary of Hitachi’s and home appliances (see Fig. 2). In particular, formation and it is widely known that the company’s in conjunction with advances in microelectronics first product was a 5-HP (horse power) induction motor technology and power semiconductor devices since (see Fig. 1). Although most electric motors in Japan the 1980s, rapid progress has been made in the field at the time were imported from overseas, Hitachi’s of inverters (a form of electrical conversion system) founder, Namihei Odaira, embarked on development and the drive control systems that combine inverters driven by a strong desire to produce electric motors with motors. Along with control functions that have using his team’s own technology developed locally made it possible to supply motors with operating in place of foreign technology. After overcoming characteristics tailored to specific system applications, numerous technical challenges, the result was it also seems likely that this progress was helped along three 5-HP motors produced in 1910. This was the by the desire for greater energy efficiency. Almost all beginning of Hitachi’s activities in the field of electric power generation involves the use of generators and motors as well as its starting point in motor technology electric motors are widely used as power sources in development. factories, railways, and home appliances, and even Now, a century later, the electric motor has become in vehicles and data processing equipment. It is also a key device that underpins society in a wide range of widely known that motors account for approximately Field Application Output (W) 101 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M 100M 1G EPT (main motor) Automotive (HEV) Auxiliary (EPS, pump, etc.) Household AC Home Refrigerator appliances Washing machine Vacuum cleaner General purpose (pump, blower, etc.) Elevator Industrial Railroad Fig. 1—5-HP (horse power) Induction Motor. Steel mill After building up experience and skills through the repair of Power Wind power electrical machinery, Hitachi produced three induction motors systems with an external diameter of approximately 400 mm and a Thermal power weight of approximately 150 kg. The motors were designed EPT: electric power train HEV: hybrid electric vehicle by Naosaburo Takao (who later became Vice-President) and EPS: electric power steering AC: air conditioner manufactured from parts made using a sheet steel processing Fig. 2—Examples of Hitachi Electric Motor Products. machine imported from the UK and a coil winding machine Motors and generators have advanced to become key devices they built themselves. that help underpin society. Hitachi Review Vol. 60 (2011), No. 1 39 40% of all electricity consumption(1). As well as 5-HP (3.7-kW) 4-pole induction motor playing a major role in industrial progress, it is no exaggeration to say that rotating machinery in the form of motors and generators form part of the foundations 1910 1916 1935 1951 1955 1963 1970 1991 1994 1977 2001 Total prod. = 20 M Total prod. = 40 M of modern society. 100 This article reviews the historical evolution of Journal bearing Ball bearing 80 Copper Aluminum the technology used in electric motors together with bar rotor diecast rotor generators, inverter control, and other associated 60 Class E Class A insulation 40 insulation components, describes examples of work being done Steel plate Aluminum Ratio of mass (%) Cast iron frame frame frame on the ongoing development of motors, and looks at 20 New the outlook for the future. JIS 0 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year CHANGES IN MOTOR TECHNOLOGY JIS: Japanese Industrial Standards Fig. 3 shows the history of motors and associated technology. This history goes back nearly two Fig. 4—Changing Mass of Hitachi 5-HP Motor. Numerous technical developments have made motors smaller centuries to a series of inventions inspired by Faraday’s and lighter. laws of electromagnetic induction in the first half of the 19th century. Because early motors were powered by batteries, most progress focused on DC (direct Hitachi have changed over time. The adoption of a current) motors. This was followed subsequently by wide range of technologies has reduced motor size the invention of practical induction, synchronous, and to about one-fifth that of the first motor made back other AC (alternating current) motors as AC power in 1910 and advances in production techniques have technology became more advanced. The principles seen cumulative production pass 45 million motors in behind the motors used today were largely worked January 2010. out during the 19th century and they have undergone The following sections describe the changes that steady progress since then by drawing on advances have taken place in the key technologies of design in the three key enabling technologies of design, (analysis), materials, and production techniques that materials, and production techniques. have underpinned the evolution of the electric motor. The 5-HP electric motor described above was also part of this history of progress. Fig. 4 shows a graph Design and Analysis Technologies indicating how the weights of 5-HP motors made by This section takes as an example the use of electromagnetic field analysis in electrical and magnetic design which is considered the most 1830 1900 2000 important design and analysis technology for motors Hitachi 5-HP induction motors and generators. Motor development at Hitachi Fig. 5 plots the progress in electromagnetic 5-HP motor field analysis alongside the changes in the capacity ▲: Steinmetz ▲: Kron coordinate ▲: 2D magnetic analysis transformation ▲: 3D magnetic of turbine generators which are the largest of all ▲: Concordia theory analysis rotating machines. Because conducting studies on Systematization Design ▲: DC generator / Magneto of motor theory technology full-scale prototypes is impractical when developing ▲: DC generator / ▲: Electrical steel ▲: Rare-earth Dynamo sheet permanent magnet large generators, electromagnetic field analysis ▲: AC generator ▲: SMC has played a role in design investigations since the ▲: Induction motor ▲: Amorphous steel sheet Invention of “motor” Material technology technique was first invented. Quasi two- and three- ▲: Insulation ▲: High-space-factor winding dimensional analyses were first used in the 1960s and Production technology ▲: Segment core three-dimensional analysis using the edge-element- Period of Period of industrial based finite element method is now widely used(2). Period of invention scientific initiatives initiatives Computing speeds have also been improved, not only 2D: two-dimensional 3D: three-dimensional DC: direct current AC: alternating current SMC: soft magnetic composite because of the obvious improvement in the capabilities Fig. 3—History of Motors and Associated Technologies. of the computers themselves, but also through the The electric motor was invented in the 1830s and underwent adoption of a number of computational techniques. scientific and industrial advances during the 20th century. A relationship is evident between this trend and the Historical Evolution of Motor Technology 40 Conventional 4-pole Stator Frame 1,600 1,570 MVA Conventional 2-pole 1,300 MVA Rotor 200 1,200 Air-cooled 2-pole Amn 1,120 MVA 100 800 MVA 800 940 MVA 0 −60 60 Time Harmonic Order 400 250 MVA 0 70 MVA n 60 0 0 m End Max. capacity (MVA) Space Harmonic Order Hitachi turbine generator Base 3D analysis cover Quasi 3D analysis Electromagnetic field Spectral force resolution Structural vibration 2D analysis 108 Parallel computing Improvements of edge- Cal. by simplified stator model Application of FEA element FEA formulation 106 to electromagnetism 80 Meas. Cal. by complete stator model 70 4 Quasi-3D 10 Robust algorithms 60 formulation for solving non-linear 50 2 problem 10 40 Invention of edge-element FEA 30 Pick up points 1 for noise 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 20 Relative calculation speed (p. u.) Sound pressure level (dBA) 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 Year Noise p. u.: per unit FEA: finite element analysis Frequency (Hz) Fig. 5—Advances in Analysis and Design Techniques Relating Fig. 6—Motor Electromagnetism and Noise Analysis. to Electromagnetic Field Analysis. Motor noise can be estimated quantitatively based on a Large and complex analyses have facilitated the development coupled electromagnetic force, structure, and fluid analysis. of motors, generators, and other machines thanks to advances in the computing environment. analysis, structural analysis, and vibration and noise increase in the capacity of the turbine generators analysis and it has become possible in recent years to made by Hitachi, which has utilized electromagnetic analyze motor noise through coupled electromagnetic field analysis from its very beginnings,