Flux Drive Inc. designs and manufactures permanent magnet adjustable speed drives and couplings that increase the life and performance of rotating equipment in Illinois. Here are some of the items that our applications support:
Here are some of the applications for Facilities Located in Illinois:
The
Flux Drive
SmartCOUPLING
is a flexible soft start coupling that provides energy savings
through speed trimming on oversized loads for applications in Illinois. By separating motor
and load across an air gap, the SmartCOUPLING also completely
eliminates vibration transfer and corrects for misalignment.
Read the SmartCOUPLING article in the May 2014 issue of Pumps & Systems Magazine!
The
Flux Drive
Inline
ASD and
Belt-Pulley ASD are 100% mechanical
solutions for dynamic adjustable
speed, providing maximum process control and energy savings in
addition to soft start, misalignment benefits, and the durability
and reliablity to operate in any environment.
All Flux Drive products
have been proven to reduce system maintenance cost and offer
substantial energy savings. Other benefits include:
> 98.5% efficient power transfer |
> Lower utility demand charges |
> Reduces vibration |
> No harmonic interference |
> Reduces system Noise |
> Motor can be sized for the load |
> Reduces life cycle costs |
> 100% mechanical speed control device |
> Operates in harsh environments |
> Eliminates coupling failures |
Due to the torsionally disconnected design, vibration created by a traditional flexible coupling is eliminated; thereby increasing the life of all the machine's components. Since torque passes through air via magnetic flux, with no physical connection, no parts wear out due to normal operations.
Flux Drive products provide safe and reliable operation in harsh environments. A protective coating and simple efficient design guards against extreme temperature, moisture, seawater, salt air, and chemical corrosion. All couplings and drives meet international classification design standards.
Flux Drive products easily retrofit to existing motors without upgrading to inverter duty. This innovative design accepts large degrees of misalignment. Alignment is performed by using a simple air gap spacer method. No expensive laser alignment system is needed.
With no electrical windings and no electricity creating the
magnetism, no harmonics or power fluctuations interfere with operations.
Flux Drive's SmartCOUPLING (FSC) product line provides adjustable fixed speed control for energy savings for your facility in Illinois, while delivering valuable additional maintenance benefits.
Designed as a
drop-in replacement for grid, gear, elastomeric, and other flexible
couplings, the FSC transfers
torque across an air gap by means of magnetic
induction —
completely isolating a motor from the driven load. Excessive vibration
and torsional forces are nearly eliminated, reducing expensive downtime
from severe misalignment, failed bearings, seals, broken shafts or
damaged couplings. Locked rotor current at start-up is also limited,
potentially reducing costly utility demand charges (kW) on electric
motor driven applications including constant torque loads like
conveyors, compressors, and positive displacement pumps and blowers.
For applications such as centrifugal pumps, fans and
blowers the FSC is also the
only coupling that provides significant energy savings (kWh) through
load
speed/flow reduction. Simple SmartPOWER™ adjustment spacers decrease the
coupling effect of the permanent magnets, giving operators the ability
to extend soft-start duration and/or reduce the fixed operating speed by
up to 50%. Since the FSC follows the Laws of Affinity on centrifugal
system loads, trimming the load
speed by just 10% could result in over 20% in energy (kWh) savings in pump
and blower applications!
SmartCOUPLINGs are currently available for Inline applications and Belt-Pulley Applications for your facility located in Illinois.
Flux
Drive's ASD product line provides full dynamic adjustable speed control
for maximum energy savings and process control. Based on Flux
Drive's patented
technology,
the ASDs allow for varying amounts of overlap between the permanent
magnet portion of the drive (typically connected to the motor) and the
inductrion rotor portion (typically connected to the load). The two
sides are separated by an air gap, thus allowing for cushioned
start, vibration reduction and misalignment correction.
During
ASD operation, the motor is allowed to operate at its rated speed, but
load speed can be reduced by up to 70%. On centrifual loads, the
slower load speed will "unloads” the motor, resulting in lower amperage
and kW consumption.
Flux Drive Adjustable Speed Drives are currently available as Inline ASDs for pumps and other shaft-to-shaft connected systems, and Belt-Pulley ASDs for belt driven loads.
Another product, the Manual Adjust Belt Pulley Drive (MBP) is available for fixed speed control if dynamical speed adjustment isn't necessary.
Technical References
FAQ
Case Studies
* Veolia - Stickney WWTP
SmartCOUPLING solves thermal growth and misalignement issues and saves energy.
*
Sierra Pacific Industries
200hp Belt-Pulley ASD saves over $30,000/yr on Boiler ID Fan.
*
Vancouver
Aquarium
Flux Drive Adjustable Speed Drives saves 1 Megawatt
per year. Project recieves 75% reimbursement from BC Hydro.
*
Moody Gardens Resort
Energy Savings will Recoup Investment in 14 months.
*
Houston Zoo
Flux Drive Adjustable Speed Drive cuts Energy Usage by 40%
*
YMCA
(Mel Korum)
Flux Drive Adjustable Speed Drive cuts Energy Usage by
78%.
Flux Drive technology utilizes portions of induction motor theory combined with recent improvements in permanent magnets to create a breakthrough design for flexible soft-start couplings and adjustable speed drives.
In all Flux Drive products, coupling torque is transferred across an air gap by means of magnetic induction. This unique magnetic circuit eliminates high-peak power demand during start-up and provides significant energy savings during reduced speed operations. Because torque is transmitted 100% mechanically, Flux Drives are unaffected by lightning strikes, poor power quality or hot, wet, or corrosive environments that can easily damage Variable Frequency Drives. They also create no harmonics, can be used on any motor (including older non-inverter-duty rated motors), and provide misalignment and maintenance benefits that electronic drives simply can't offer.
Further, unlike any other magnetic couplings or ASDs, Flux Drive products to transmit 140-150% of rated operating torque when the difference between motor and load speed is the greatest (i.e. at start-up or during a load seizure). This is more than enough torque to start high inertia loads such as conveyors and compressors while still providing a cushioned start that reduces electrical demand and equipment damage.
Unlike "eddy current" drives and couplings, there is no need to oversize the Flux Drive and there is no need for complicated speed or heat sensors to protect the coupling during a load seizure event.
One Technology - Two ConfigurationsInside the SmartCOUPLING, the induction rotor is oriented radially - allowing for a thin design that lets the SmartCOUPLING fit into existing shaft openings. It's truly a "drop-in" replacement for elastomeric, grid or gear couplings. The 0.100" air gap provides room for thermal shaft growth or misalignment correction.
Within the Adjustable Speed Drive the rotor is oriented axially, much the same as in an induction motor. This design allows for adjustment in the overlap between the permanent magnets in the outer cylinder and the internal rotor. The degree of overlap determines the strength of the magnetic coupling effect and therefore the load speed. The animation below shows the rotor at various levels of enagement. ASDs can be used with a simple hand-crank style actuator for manual speed control, or it can be fully automated using an electrical linear actuator connected to the facility control system.