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PCB-stator pump motor is much lighter and more efficient
A US company that has developed a technology that uses PCBs (printed circuit boards) to create electric motor stators, has joined forces with a pump-maker to apply the technology to a “next generation” 3hp (2.2kW) pump motor that, they claim, is much more efficient, lighter and shorter than existing motors.
Massachusetts-based ECM PCB Stator Technology says that the axial-flux motor is
• 94% efficient – 2.9% higher than the leading rival;
• 68% lighter – 22lb (10kg) rather than 67lb (30.4kg);
• needs 66% less copper; and
• is just 100mm long, rather than 424mm for the rival.
ECM and the unidentified global pump-maker believe that their pump will meet a global need. Pumps are one of the biggest uses for motors with a global demand for more than a billion pumps a year, worth more than $200bn.
The developers claims that poorly designed pump systems consume 20% of the world’s electricity, and 25% of the energy used to power electric motors in the US alone. Traditional pumps also have shorter lifecycles, resulting in higher operating costs.
“Though often overlooked, electrically-powered pumps are an integral component of millions of commercial and industrial systems,” says ECM CEO, Brian Casey. “Pump motors are in drastic need of a 21st century design upgrade.
“ECM’s ultra-light, premium-efficiency pump motor design offers the next-generation performance, durability, customisation, and sustainable characteristics the market demands,” he adds.
To create the new pump, ECM used its patented PrintStator technology, which pairs the PCB stators with advanced CAD to design the premium-efficiency motors that are smaller, quieter, lighter and more durable.
ECM announced its technology in 2022, and is planning to release PrintStator as a SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform in the last quarter of this year. The software can be used to design and manufacture PCB stator motors that are lighter, quieter, more powerful, more energy- and space-efficient, and greener for a broad range of sectors. The motors can achieve efficiencies higher than 90%, while needing up to 70% less raw materials to produce. The technology can be customised to specific applications.
ECM says it has already partnered with multiple organisations to create optimised motors for sectors including HVAC, e-mobility, fitness, robotics and renewable energy. These partners include the aerospace and defence developer L3 Harris, the electronics manufacturer Celestica, and the consumer electronics start-up, Nodo Film Systems.
Motors account for more than 40% of the world’s electricity consumption.
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