Motor-drive control

Extracting 100% of the potential power from a motor necessitates advanced motor-control technology. At Hitachi Research Laboratory,, we are carrying out research and development on control technology in response to various intended end-uses. In universal household products as well, technology such as vector control-which we have developed over many years-are applied.

The photo below shows the model BD-V2000 drum-type washing/drying machine-called "Wind-iron Big Drum"-launched by Hitachi Appliances Ltd. in October 2007. To accomplish the "wind iron" function as a world's first, a new "jet-fan motor" for creating and ejecting a "powerful wind" was developed and fitted in this product.

Although the size of this fan motor is equivalent to conventional types, driving it at high speed (more than 14,000 rpm) produces an output power of about ten times that of conventional motors. Applied as methods for driving the motor a high speed are two technologies developed at Hitachi Research Laboratory-namely, "less and less" control and "smart vector control." These technologies feature extremely high reliability because certain types of sensors for the drive circuits are rendered unnecessary.

As a consequence, motor-control technology is contributing to the creation of new product value.