Combination of GDX hammer mill and Ex-certified IE5 synchronous reluctance motors saves energy
Together with ABB, Tietjen Verfahrenstechnik has equipped a hammer mill with Ex-certified IE5 synchronous reluctance motors and ACS580 frequency inverters for the first time. The high energy efficiency of this package solution helps to fulfil the sustainability goals of Tietjen and its end customer ForFarmers UK.
Joint project with ABB
ABB and Tietjen have now jointly equipped a GDX 12 large chamber hammer mill with Ex-certified IE5-SynRM for the first time.
The hammer mills in the GDX series are particularly suitable for the production of compound feed where the feed structure requirements change frequently. The design as a large capacity mill enables high throughput rates to be achieved. A special feature is the fully automatic screen change in idle mode at the touch of a button from the control room. Together with the frequency converter-controlled motor, this results in maximum flexibility regarding the grain spectrum.
The hammer mill as part of the grinding system
As a solution provider, Tietjen integrates the mill into a complete grinding system, which also includes an aspiration system with filter and fan. Although the hammer mill is the main electrical consumer of the system, energy can also be saved by intelligently controlling the air volume in combination with a speed-controlled fan with SynRM motor.
Use of EX motors
The Ex motors used are a 250 kW SynRM for the mill drive and an 11 kW SynRM for the fan drive, both from ABB. The motors are controlled by an ACS580-04- frequency inverter module for control cabinet installation (mill drive) and an ACS580-01 for wall mounting (fan drive), also from ABB. The Ex-IE5-SynRM and ACS580 frequency inverters have been certified as a package. ABB can therefore offer a harmonised, safe and energy-efficient solution from a single source.
Use of the mill at ForFarmers in the UK
The large-capacity hammer mill is operated by the UK subsidiary of Dutch animal feed manufacturer ForFarmers, a leading company in Europe with sales of around 8.4 million tonnes of animal feed. Service technicians from Tietjen and ABB UK commissioned the grinding system in September 2024 at the ForFarmers UK plant in the northern English town of Penrith. Since then, the plant has been running reliably and grinding 20-25 tonnes per hour of various feed components to produce high-quality compound feed.
Sustainability is also important for ForFarmers
Sustainability is also an important issue for ForFarmers. Like Tietjen, the company is aware that energy consumption is a decisive factor in the production of animal feed. ForFarmers is therefore constantly looking for ways to save as much energy as possible, for example through more efficient machine technology. The hammer mill from Tietjen with the highly efficient ABB drive packages consisting of IE5-SynRM and ACS580 frequency inverter fulfils this requirement.
Up to 40 % fewer losses thanks to SynRM motor of energy class IE 5
The SynRMs fulfil the criteria of the ultra-premium energy efficiency class IE5 and are clearly superior to conventional asynchronous motors in terms of efficiency. In contrast to an asynchronous motor, no induction current flows in the rotor of a SynRM and therefore there are no rotor losses, which can account for up to 40 % of the total loss in an IE3 asynchronous motor.
SynRMs achieve very high energy efficiency without the need for rare earths, which are becoming increasingly limited. This sets them apart from permanent magnet motors, which are also highly efficient but require rare earths in their production, most of which have to be imported from the Far East.
Another advantage of SynRMs over asynchronous motors is that the higher power density means that a smaller size is possible for the same output. SynRMs can therefore easily be used as a drop-in replacement.
IE5 motor for potentially explosive atmospheres
By expanding the SynRM family to include products with increased safety, the motors can now also be used in feed production in areas where flammable dusts can occur. With this solution, ABB has made the benefits of IE5 ultra-premium efficiency accessible to sectors with potentially explosive atmospheres.
