Optimizing motor and drives packages for best cost of ownership, performance & reliability

In modern industrial systems, it can be shown that there is a large advantage in total cost of ownership to match driven equipment, variable speed drives, and motors at ratings which fully utilize said components. Many industries see a demand for larger and larger power ratings where the sizing of the components and selection of operating points becomes much more critical than their smaller predecessors. These operating points include, at which speed the equipment is capable of operating, at what voltage, and at what temperature. These factors will impact the initial capital cost of the system, the operating cost in terms of power consumption, as well as the flexibility or robustness of the system. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of selecting the appropriate operating voltage, as well as the benefits of matching fully utilized components. These benefits can be shown to provide enough return on investment to justify collaborative development efforts between various equipment manufacturers, thusly providing most cost effective, reliable solutions.