Public Funding for Cepower Ltd

This project will assess the feasibility of a newly configured induction motor technology with brushless rotor design for use in industrial variable speed drive (VSD) applications including grid-connected flywheel energy storage drives. It offers substantial reductions, projected to be over 25%, in the system capital cost as compared to conventional VSD technologies by utilising a fractional-size frequency converter. It hence enables a far greater proportion of motor applications to benefit from the energy efficiency and improved environmental impact of VSDs. The core technology has been progressively developed in computer simulation and small-scale laboratory prototypes and the aim of this project is to prove the technology feasibility on a credible-sized experimental prototype VSD system and to assess its economics and benefits for industrial VSD applications

The penetration of VSDs in the drive market is growing, however, high upfront cost and long payback are major barriers to their widespread uptake. CEPower have developed a patented induction motor technology, with two stator windings and a brushless rotor, that only requires a fractionally-rated inverter to achieve similar performance and efficiency as those of commercial VSDs. Its main applications include a wide range of industrial variable speed pumps, fans and compressors. This project aims to prove the technical feasibility and quantify the performance and economics of CEPower's VSD technology through design optimisation, build and testing of a 40 kW prototype system.