Solar Power World

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Manufacturer of motion-control products Dunkermotor offers a line of brushless dc solar tracker motors (STM). The company says the motors have fieldbus-enabled motion controllers optimized to reduce development time, lower installation costs, and provide lowest total cost of ownership. Electric energy production can be increased by 30-35% more with solar tracking compared to fixed photovoltaic panel systems, according to Dunkermotor.

The STM line enables control of up to 127 motors over a 5000 m (16,400 ft) bus length utilizing the motors’ CANopen interface with a single PLC having a solar tracking function block. The motors can also be used with industrial PCs as well as Profibus and Modbus netw orks. The STM motors’ integral controls have up to 650,000 hour MTTF and dramatically reduce bus traffic by running complex routines on board, such as homing and closing the position loop with an attached absolute encoder or inclinometer. In addition, the motors’ embedded intelligence can also take over mission-critical functions, such as returning to a safe position, when the network is down.

The low-voltage brushless dc STM motors are available in three millimeter frame sizes (45, 65, 75) with powers up to 530W (0.7 hp) and can be easily integrated with existing design slew drives, pan and tilt mechanisms and linear actuators used in the solar industry. Where additional gear reduction is required, the STM motors can be mated to Dunkermotor’s own modular planetary or worm reducers offering up to 678 Nm (6000 in-lb) peak torques.

The manufacturer says standard STM motors are maintenance free for life. They are rated for IP65 environmental protection, employ special venting devices to prevent condensation, as well as proprietary lubrication techniques for the low speed, high torque and wide temperature ranges found in solar applications. The STM’s integral control also features speed and torque regulation capability to prevent mechanical damage.

Dunkermotor www.dunkermotoren.com