Presented is a high-phase, order-induction motor drive for use in a series hybrid architecture. This solution overcomes numerous compromises in current hybrid powertrain designs. Notably, it allows for a vehicle that is competitive in terms of performance and cost.

Rising energy costs and concerns about global warming are at the forefront of today’s news. Turn to local or national TV programming, browse the internet or read the paper and one can find numerous stories about the seemingly irreversible energy costs and the subsequent impact that these costs have on simply doing business. As a result, we as individuals are becoming increasingly aware of the cost of energy and we are being introduced to a variety of methods and/or products that will minimize the impact of these costs.

For many years bellows couplings have been near the top of the list of flexible coupling choices for high-performance motion systems. Their high torsional stiffness, low moment of inertia and minimal restoring forces under misalignment make them a preferred choice for maintaining tight control over the load.

In this paper, Edward Hage, founder of specAmotor.com, an online motor calculation and selection tool, focuses on the overheating of electric motors. Presented here is a calculation method with which the temperature and heat development of a direct current (DC) motor and a brushless motor can be predicted accurately.

Can direct drive technology improve your bottom line? Manufacturers relying upon drive systems in their production process have long sought ways to improve gearbox efficiency. While a gearbox-driven system has been the mainstay for manufacturers, it has also been, among other things, the source of frequent breakdowns, expensive line stoppages and increasingly costly maintenance.

Part I of this article appeared in the October 2008 issue. It provided an overview and general classifi cations of power transmission couplings, along with selection and performance criteria for rigid couplings and misalignment-compensating couplings. Part II continues the discussion with selection and performance criteria for torsionally flexible and combination-purpose couplings.

Th e primary sources of bearing failure are lack of lubrication and contaminant ingress. Industrial sealing devices are the primary protection against bearing failure. When the sealing device fails, bearing failure is imminent. Th erefore, extending the life of sealing devices extends bearing life and in turn improves equipment uptime.

Th e signing of a contract for more than 5,000 sets of SKF’s latest high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings (HCCRB) for wind turbines will impart added load-carrying capacity, more reliability and longer life to the Nanjing Gear Company’s (NGC) line of gearboxes for wind generation applications.

In today’s increasingly competitive global economy, industries and the companies that serve them are always looking for an edge. Price and quality being routinely accepted as a given, businesses—large and small—are always looking for a little help. For the worldwide bearing industry, that help exists in the form of the Bearing Specialists of America (BSA).

Power transmission couplings are widely used for modifi cation of stiff ness and damping in power transmission systems, both in torsion and in other directions (misalignment compensation).