Induction motors are used in household appliances, equipment, and vehicles like electric fans, air conditioners, pumps, conveyor belts, and washing machines. That makes induction motors the choice of mainstay for many industries, as it has efficiency in utilizing power and minimal noise emissions, which prolongs its life compared to other types.
Washing Machine Motor
The efficiency of an induction motor is usually between 85% and 95%, with only 5% to 15% of energy being wasted. Traditional DC motors have an efficiency of about 75%. An induction motor washing machine with a power of 400 watts, used 300 times a year, consumes only about 120 kWh of electricity, while a DC motor may increase electricity consumption by 25%, reaching 150 kWh.
While an induction motor usually lives for about 15 to 20 years, a normal DC motor usually can live only up to 10 to 12 years. It can be seen that nearly 90% of induction motors were in normal operation even after 10 years out of 5,000 consumers of washing machines. The figure is only 65% in the case of a DC motor in a washing machine.
The dewatering speed of modern washing machines typically reaches 1200 to 1400 rpm, and induction motors control noise below 50 dB through stable electromagnetic drive. These washing machines require an average of only 0.8 repairs in 10 years, while DC motor washing machines require an average of 2.1 repairs.
A CO2 saving for an induction motor washing machine of about 20 kg per year, saving in average 15% in electricity and 10% in water during wash for the same inverter induction motor equated to around 100 yuan in saving per annum.
According to statistics from the market research company Statista, more than 70% of the global market share used induction motors in washing machines in 2023 and will increase to 85% in 2030. Although less than 1% of equipment uses induction motors, the accident rate for regular DC motor equipment is more than 5%.
Air Conditioner Compressor
Traditional Motors Induction Motor The induction motors generally offer from 85% up to 90% efficiency level, and old-fashioned motors will not surpass below 80% efficiency level. For example, a 3 kW air conditioner compressor, where a compressor with the induction motor takes up just 2.7 kWh/h, while the old-fashioned is taking up at 3.1 kWh/h. If driven for 1,200 hours a year, the induction motor saves 480 kWh, which works out to roughly 288 yuan in electric costs (by assuming 0.6 yuan per kWh).
The design life of an induction motor is much more than 15 years, whereas a conventional motor lasts only 8 to 10 years. Among 10 compressors with an induction motor air conditioner, its failure rate at 5 years is below 3%, compared to a failure rate of 8% for conventional motors. For 500 yuan spent on repair once, 2,500 yuan can save in total throughout the service life.
Due to no friction caused by mechanical brushes, the operational noise of induction motors is normally less than 50 dB, while that of traditional motors is usually higher than 60 dB. According to a survey conducted on 3,000 users, over 70% of users would prefer induction motors for air conditioners in order to reduce noise.
Compared to other types, the inverter induction motor can enhance air conditioners’ EER by more than 20% under partial load operation. Besides, compared to fixed-speed motors, the saving on the annual electricity bill is about around RMB 400.
For every inverter air conditioner compressor with an induction motor, around 100 kg of CO2 per year are saved compared to fixed-speed air conditioners. If 50% of the new air conditioners sold each year in the world make use of induction motor compressors, then over 5 million tons of carbon emissions could be avoided each year—or the average annual emissions of 2 million cars.
The market price of an inverter air conditioner is about 10% higher than that of traditional air conditioners, but the energy savings usually recover the initial cost difference within 2 to 3 years. In 2022, 68% of air conditioners sold worldwide were equipped with induction motors, up from 45% in 2015.
Water Pump Drive
Normally, induction motor-operated water pump drives have efficiencies between 80% and 90%, whereas conventional motors are known to possess average efficiency lower than 75%. In this context, an induction motor-driven 2 kW water pump may deliver around 120 cubic meters of water over 8 hours. However, similar delivery from conventionally motor-operated pumps might be achieved with up to 20% more running hours.
According to some applications, an induction motor water pump has a longer life span of over 15 years, and a traditional motor water pump could only last 8-10 years. As one replacement costs 3,000 yuan, an induction motor water pump could save at least the cost for once in its lifespan of 15 years.
A 10 kW water pump, which is a common irrigation equipment in agriculture, has a head of 50 meters. Equipped with an induction motor, it can work continuously at full load for 10 hours without stopping, with a flow rate of 200 cubic meters per hour.
In the 5,000-pump survey, it is indicated that induction motors’ average annual maintenance cost is 300 yuan, while traditional motors average 500 yuan. For a 10-year usage cycle, an induction motor water pump could save 2,000 yuan in maintenance costs.
Most of the industrial water pumps generate more than 70 dB noise, but due to its smooth running, equipment installed at induction motors can reduce the noise level below 60 dB. In a city water supply system, a 50 kW variable frequency induction motor pump can run at peak and off-peak water demand and save about 30% operating energy consumption.
In the mining drainage area, a 200 kW water pump equipped with an induction motor can work stably and steadily at over 100 meters of head and deliver over 5,000 cubic meters per day. Research says that in 2022, the induction motor water pumps market size hit 45 billion USD and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5% by 2030.
Electric Fan Motor
General household electric fans use 30 to 60 watts, and when driven by induction motors, their conversion efficiency of electricity exceeds 80%. In this regard, a 50-watt power fan driven by an induction motor would be using about 1.2 kWh of electricity in 24 hours of steady running, with the daily amount of electricity used being approximately 0.72 yuan per day at 0.6 yuan per kilowatt. This can save up to 15% of electricity bills daily compared to conventional DC motor fans.
The average life of induction motor-driven electric fans is 10 to 15 years, and DC motor fans are 5 to 8 years. More than 80% of users, according to a survey of 1,000 users, believe that the induction motor fans are more durable. The noise level of an induction motor fan is generally kept below 40 dB, while ordinary motor fans may produce noise over 50 dB.
The industrial high-power fans use induction motors of 100 to 300 watts. These fans have the maximum air flow rates of up to 15,000 cubic meters per minute. Annual maintenance for an industrial fan powered by an induction motor costs less than 200 yuan. Unit costs of induction motors have reduced by about 20% due to improvement of manufacturing technology. A single-phase induction motor would cost only about 20% of its total price for a household fan priced at 300 yuan.
Approximately 10 kg less of CO2 is emitted each year by every induction motor fan as compared to the traditional motor fan. Assuming that 50 million more fans enter the world market each year and are added with the induction motor technology, then equivalent planting that would reduce more than 500,000 tons of CO2 would occur, that is, 20 million trees. Induction motor fans account for 65% of total fans sold in the global market, and 300 million were sold in 2022, according to Statista.
Industrial Mixer
A regular mixer for food processing industries might need 2 kW to 10 kW of motor power for generating high torque in mixing viscous materials. For instance, a mixer with an induction motor of 5 kW capacity can mix 1 ton of flour in 30 minutes, while it takes more than 40 minutes if a conventional motor is used.
Industrial mixers typically run for 8 to 12 hours daily, which an induction motor can maintain power output without overheating. A survey of 100 industrial mixers showed that equipment with induction motors had a record of over 95% stability under continuous operations, while other motor types operated at only 80%.
Efficiency in the case of an induction motor reaches 85% to 90%. In comparison, a traditional DC motor’s efficiency would be between 70% and 80%. As a concrete example, a 10 kW induction motor mixer, working 3,000 hours per year, would spend 18,000 yuan in electricity, taking into account 0.6 yuan per kWh, while a conventional motor would have costs exceeding 23,000 yuan. Induction motors will thus save about 5,000 yuan in annual energy costs alone.
The lifespan of an induction motor is between 15 and 20 years. A regular motor has a life span of just 8 to 10 years. In case the replacement cost of a motor is 20,000 yuan, the induction motor mixer will be replaced once in 15 years, whereas a traditional motor would require replacement two or more times.
The average maintenance cost of an induction motor is around 1,000 yuan per year, whereas that of a general motor can go up to 2,000 yuan. The speed of a concrete mixer usually ranges from 10 to 30 rpm. Flexibility will therefore enhance the uniformity of the concrete by about 15%.
Factory Conveyor Belt
Using a standard 5-kW induction motor conveyor belt, the goods can weigh as much as 500 kg and travel at 1.5 meters per second. An induction motor’s efficiency is 10% to 15% higher at full load. Such a setup, running 12 hours a day, will save the induction motor conveyor belt around 3,000 kWh of electricity annually, equivalent to saving about 1,800 yuan in electric power expenses, calculated at 0.6 yuan per kWh.
The average lifespan of an induction motor-based conveyor belt system is more than 15 years, while the average lifespan of a conventional motor system is around 8 to 10 years. The number of car bodies an induction motor-based conveyor line can carry in one hour is more than 200, and for a conventional motor system, it is around 180.
With a sorting conveyor belt, it is possible to achieve a throughput of more than 10,000 items per hour and bring efficiency up to about 20%. For a logistics center processing 50 million parcels per year, an induction motor-driven sorting system can save operation time by up to 1,000 hours.
Annual maintenance cost for an induction motor conveyor belt system is around 3,000 yuan. In comparison, the maintenance cost of a conventional motor system may go up to 5,000 yuan. Conventional motor conveyor belts generate noise above 70 dB, whereas induction motor conveyor belts reduce noise as low as 60 dB. The same conveyor belt driven by an induction motor will shift 2 tons of material within 5 minutes without overheat.
Exhaust Fan Motor
The 50-watt household exhaust fan only consumes 0.05 kWh per hour. Calculated at 8 hours a day, the electricity cost for one month is around 7.2 yuan when calculated at 0.6 yuan per kWh. Induction motor products compare to the traditional DC motor type of exhaust fan, reducing energy consumption by about 15%, thereby saving ordinary households some 50 yuan per year on electricity costs.
For example, the average life of an induction motor exhaust fan is 10 to 15 years, whereas that of a DC motor exhaust fan is 5 to 8 years. This indicates that once an induction motor is fitted with an exhaust fan costing 500 yuan, this has to be replaced once in 15 years; whereas traditional products have to be replaced two or more times.
The commercial exhaust fans are usually in the range of 300 to 800 cubic meters per hour, and induction motors do not lose stability in air volume even at full load. Industrial exhaust fans with an induction motor can produce an air volume of up to 1,500 cubic meters per hour, suitable for workshops or warehouses above 50 square meters.
For a 100-watt commercial exhaust fan, the operating noise is generally less than 45 dB, and traditional motor products may reach above 55 dB. The average annual maintenance cost of an induction motor is about 100 yuan, and the maintenance cost of traditional motor products can even reach 200 yuan.
A 50-watt induction motor exhaust fan can help to reduce emissions by around 10 kg per year. If 50 million exhaust fans are installed globally each year using induction motor technology, over 500,000 tons of CO2 may be saved or equivalent to that of the annual emissions of 2 million cars.
The failure rate on industrial exhaust fans with induction motors is less than 3% compared to those of traditional motor products, which approximate 7%. In the year 2022, the global size for the exhaust fan market had touched 15 billion USD, and of these products, over 60% utilized induction motor technology. This ratio may increase up to over 80% by the year 2030.
