David Sears, vice president of Technical Services, explains that the motor's low-voltage feature is achieved through the design of the winding, together with the magnetic circuit elements. "These items work in concert to achieve high performance at low-voltage levels, well below the level of shock hazard, which may appeal to an appliance designer," notes Mr. Sears.

In order to operate in harsh environments, Mr. Sears says that all of the motor's seams are sealed with o-rings, and the shaft is designed to accommodate a dynamic seal. "One of the difficulties with sealing such a device is that the shaft turns, which means that there must be a dynamic seal at that location," he explains. "The dynamic seal is to allow shaft rotation, but also provides a secure seal. This is how harsh liquids are kept away from the bearing at the shaft output, and thereby, are also kept out of the internal parts of the motor."

According to Mr. Sears, the new motor was originally designed to drive a pump used within a power backup system, which is why it is able to operate under harsh conditions. "The environment in which this motorized pump must operate places [the] assembly at risk of being splashed with corrosive fluid. For the intended application, power losses must be kept to an absolute minimum, while reliability needed to be at the highest possible level," he explains.

The motor boasts 90-percent power efficiency and is fully encased within a sealed, stainless steel housing. Mr. Sears explains that the 90-percent power efficiency is accomplished by optimizing the motor design for the specific load point at which it is intended to operate. "At the target load point, all elements of power loss have been reduced to the lowest possible levels, including iron losses, resistive losses, windage losses, and bearing/seal friction," he says.