Nidec Motor Corporation has released their new line of U.S. MOTORS-brand SINEWAVE OPTIMIZED motors for constant-speed pumping applications. The vertical hollow-shaft motors are certified NEMA Premium efficient, making them a fit for treatment plants that struggle to meet Department of Energy (DOE) regulations.

“Due to DOE regulation changes, motors that were installed just a few years ago may have been standard efficient,” explains Ed Koepke, marketing manager for Nidec Motor Corporation. “Today all motors must meet the premium efficiency levels.”

In addition to meeting the new DOE efficiency requirements, SINEWAVE OPTIMIZED premium-efficiency vertical high-thrust motors are available from stock in sizes from 7 1/2 to 600 hp, and provide a lower cost alternative to inverter-duty motors. According to Koepke, they are a potential fit across several applications in the water and wastewater industry.

“These motors are typically used on any pumping within the water/wastewater facility,” he says. “However, with a modified shaft, they are also being used as aerators and/or mixers within various facilities.”

According to Koepke, Nidec foresaw the DOE’s switch to premium efficiency regulations, and the need for constant-speed pumping. The SINEWAVE OPTIMIZED Series has been in development for quite some time.

“Lots of research and development went into this series due to problems we saw with premium motors being run on variable-frequency drives in the field,” he says. “We were seeing that many premium motors being run on an inverter began having bearing failures within 18 to 24 months based on stray ground currents that arc through the bearings and cause fluting.”

While the SINEWAVE Series is ideal for constant-speed pumping applications, there is still a need for motors that can handle variable-speed applications. That’s why Nidec also builds and stocks U.S. MOTORS inverter-duty motors in sizes from 15 to 600 hp, with features designed to protect against the punishing effects of pulse-width modulation waveforms generated by inverters.

Koepke says that the varied options give operators a full set of Nidec products when they need additional efficient power.

“We’ve heard a lot of positive feedback because we’re helping save treatment facilities money every year that can be used for other improvements within a facility,” he says. “Downtime is a big factor, and the longer a motor continues to run with minimum maintenance, the better the whole facility runs. So selecting the right motor can and will improve a facility. If the energy savings can be seen with one motor, what will the improvement be when you change 5, 10 or 30 motors?” 888/637-7333; www.nidec-motor.com