Energy efficiency and reliability improvement strategies in industrial electric motor-driven systems (EMDS)

Electric motor has remained a major prime mover of most industrial driven systems. Global estimates are that 40% of industrial electricity is consumed by electric motor systems, and South African estimates are around 60%.Therefore improving energy efficiency of EMDS (Electric Motor-Driven Systems) will ensure the supply of more consumers using the same electricity production capacity; and slow down the electricity demand growth, and reduce the investment needed for the expansion of the electricity sector. There have been growing concerns and innovations on the reduction of losses incurred by a typical electric motor. Harmonisation of electric motor efficiency standards by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the replacement of die-cast aluminium rotors with die-cast copper rotors are such innovations. EMDS have ancillary components whose collective poor efficiency performance impedes the system efficiency. Therefore there is a need for a system approach to the efficiency improvement.