A comparison of current motor technologies appropriate for petroleum and chemical applications

Abstract

A number of different motor configurations have been proposed to either replace or augment the commonly applied three phase induction motor. Motors with permanent magnets, segmented stators, concentrated windings, five or six phase windings, cast copper rotors, salient pole rotors, solid rotors, and hybrid combinations of these have all been touted as having superior characteristics in one way or another. This paper will gather a wide range of competing technologies and compare and contrast them on a number of attributes. In addition to comparisons of efficiency, power factor, relative cost, and power density, these technologies will also be contrasted in regard to other specific benefits they may bring to an application. They will be compared as to how the technology scales to different sizes and speeds. They will also be compared as to their applicability to fixed and variable speed applications, including what simplicity or complexity that they may bring to an electronic controller that they may need to be matched with. In the end, this paper will provide a clean and consistent comparison of a range of possible technologies that may be used in applications in the petroleum and chemical industries.