Infinitum unveils Sustainable Electric Motor for Commercial Applications
At the AHR Expo, Infinitum, creator of the sustainable air-core motor, unveiled the next generation of its award-winning Aircore EC, a high-efficiency motor system designed to sustainably power commercial and industrial applications, such as HVAC fans, pumps and data centres with less energy consumption, reduced emissions and reduced waste.
Infinitum’s latest generation Aircore EC motor system features an integrated variable frequency drive and delivers upwards of 93% system efficiency, as well as class-leading power and torque density in a low-footprint package that is 20% lighter than the previous version, with new features for easier installation and serviceability.
The Aircore EC motor system is available immediately in four standard frame sizes ranging from 3-15 HP at 415V, 460V and 575V for the Canadian and US markets. In addition, Infinitum will be releasing a heavy-duty version of the Aircore EC suitable for pump and more demanding fan applications.
Additional features of the Aircore EC motor system include:
- Custom Nameplating: Allows customers to match an application’s exact HP/RPM specifications for reduced energy, electrical and wiring costs
- Flexible Mounting: Compact form factor enables a variety of horizontal, vertical and peripheral mounting options
- Controls: Optional IoT capabilities and Infinitum’s I-con motor control software ensure continuous monitoring and reporting of carbon emissions, energy consumption, heat and vibration for optimal energy management, performance and predictive maintenance
- Communication: Support for a wide variety of communication protocols, including MODBUS RTU, Analog, MODBUS IP, BACnet MS/TP and more
- Serviceability: User alerts identify specific problems for faster resolutions; removable access panel allows for easier access to terminals, connectors and programming ports
“Infinitum’s Aircore EC product is unique in the industry and opens design possibilities for a wide variety of use cases. Its compact form factor enables direct mounting options which can limit additional cost associated with installation,” said Blake Griffin, analyst, Interact Analysis. “In addition to achieving IE5 efficiency, Infinitum’s custom nameplating capability is an extremely powerful offering as it can drastically lower overall capital investment associated with large motor driven systems. This benefit cannot be understated when considering installations of motors can reach the hundreds or thousands in projects within sectors like data centres and commercial buildings.”
“Infinitum’s Aircore EC motors are a key component of our APL-DP-EC Series of plenum fans for air handling units, which are recognized for their space and energy savings and commonly used to cool data centres,” said Don Barkley, HVAC Sales Manager of Canarm. “Infinitum motors can be used to build fan arrays that offer high-reliability and redundancy for data centers, while the motor’s modular design requires less labour for installation and allows for easier maintenance. We look forward to taking advantage of the latest features in this new version of Aircore EC.”
Infinitum’s technology was recently highlighted in the 2024 Global Cleantech 100 report for its ability to achieve deeper building decarbonization by boosting the efficiency of HVAC hardware that is enhanced by the motor system’s software to allow for granular control and preference-setting.
“Designed with a greener future in mind, the next evolution of our Aircore EC motor system pushes the boundaries of efficiency and sustainability even further,” said Ben Schuler, founder and CEO, Infinitum. “The combination of lighter materials, higher efficiency and power density, and design for serviceability and reusability give our new Aircore EC motor the advantage to power the world’s most energy-intensive applications with less energy, emissions and waste.”
The Infinitum Aircore EC motor replaces the heavy, copper wound iron stator found in traditional motors with a lightweight, printed circuit board (PCB) stator that is 10x more reliable. When compared to conventional motors, it is 10-65% more efficient, 50% smaller and lighter, and uses 66% less copper. The motor’s modular design allows for housing, rotors and stators to be reused multiple times to serve future generations. The Aircore EC motor system is covered by 43 issued patents and 48 pending patents and IP-65 rated.
