"In addition to having higher efficiency at the rated point, NovaTorque's PremiumPlus+ motors maintain their high efficiency over a much wider speed and load range. For example, in a variable speed, variable torque application such as a fan or pump, a 50% reduction in speed results in a 75.0 percent reduction in load,” said says Scott Johnson, NovaTorque’s vice president of sales. “At that reduced load, NovaTorque motors will maintain efficiency of approximately 91% , whereas a NEMA Premium efficiency induction motor will have declined to 80%.”

The NovaTorque motor produces this performance with a cheaper all-ferrite (versus rare earth) magnet design.

"The cost of rare earth (neodymium) magnet material, the basis of most conventional permanent magnet motors, has risen dramatically and is now more than 25 times the cost of ferrite. Further, supply of rare earth magnets, nearly sole-sourced out of China, is increasingly uncertain. The ability to use ferrite magnets allows NovaTorque to price its motors comparable to induction motors. This means OEMs and HVAC systems builders can now economically deliver permanent magnet motor efficiency with their systems" says Johnson.

NovaTorque PremiumPlus+ motors are packaged in standard NEMA frame sizes and mounting dimensions and are available both in the mounting frame size typical for induction motors, as well as one frame size smaller. The magnet motors are compatible variable frequency drives (VFDs) from most manufacturers, including ABB, Yaskawa, Mitsubishi, Fuji, Hitachi, and Toshiba.