Patented Rotary Heat Exchanger Drive Now Available for North America

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The DRHX drive for rotary heat exchangers has proven very successful in Europe, boosting overall energy efficiency in the systems and simplifying installations. Now, the patented drive is also available in a 277V version, making its advantages available in North America, too.

Lasse Larsen from OJ ElectronicsThis Rotary Drive will Improve Energy Efficiency in North America

“The DRHX rotary drive will enable far more efficient heat recovery in North America.” So says product manager Lasse Christian Larsen from OJ Electronics when asked about why the company has created a 277V version of its acclaimed DRHX rotary drive.

He elaborates: “Really, it was the customers in the region who asked us to do it. Efficient heat recovery is becoming an ever-more important consideration in the North American market, and several of our customers had seen the results that the DRHX rotary drives had achieved in Europe: vastly improved system efficiency for the drive and motor, more accurate motor control, simpler installations with fewer components, and more. Quite simply, the DRHX approach creates new opportunities for saving energy by ensuring optimum operation of the rotary heat exchanger that handles heat recovery. It’s a simpler, more robust solution—and the ability to regulate speeds paves the way for optimizing several parameters. For this reason, we had customers eager to adopt this new alternative instead. And now, everyone in North America can!”

Next-Gen Technology for Rotary Heat Exchangers

Lasse continues: “If you ask me to explain what the DRHX is all about, I’d say that we designed it to be the next generation drive for rotary heat exchangers. We wanted to change the way things were done, so it’s based on patented technology that includes field-oriented sensorless motor control combined with a custom-designed motor. That combination is quite unique, and it’s the secret to the great efficiency of this solution: simply put, the drive uses the signal from the motor to ensure that the motor gets exactly the level of current required to achieve the desired speed and torque. No more and no less.”

The closed-loop control detects the motor load, while a very sophisticated software algorithm detects the rotor’s rotation – so you don’t need a physical rotor guard. The long and short of it is that you get more silent, more accurate and more energy-efficient operation.

 

An Excellent Alternative to Geared Motors

In North America, businesses have greatly relied on geared motor solutions for rotary heat exchanger applications, and with the DRHX your range of options expands. While the DRHX rotary drive can be used with geared motors, it really comes into its own when combined with the MRHX customized motor to provide even torque throughout the entire speed range. This means that rotor speed can be accurately controlled throughout a much wider range – and the result is efficient heat recovery and more precise temperature control.

Great Expectations

Going by the initial responses from customers and general market trends, Lasse Christian Larsen sees great potential for the 277V DRHX drive: “To be perfectly frank, we expect much from the Northern American market. We firmly believe that efficient energy recovery is an area that’s ready to take off in a big way in these territories, and there’s been no product like the DRHX rotary drive available in the States before. So we’re hopeful that many will see the benefits – and look forward to answering all questions. We’re here to help!”

 

Key Features of the DRHX Drive for Rotary Heat Exchangers

DRHX Drive for Rotary Heat Exchangers from OJ Electronics

  • Sensorless rotor guard – eliminates the need for physical/optical rotor monitors
  • Sensorless closed-loop control – patented solution ensures reliable operation
  • Compact, easy-to-install design
  • Self-cooling design – no need for additional cooling
  • Modbus RTU
  • BACnet MS/TP
  • 0–10V speed control
  • Industrial-grade, easy-to-read display
  • 277V power supply
  • Lost belt detection

 

Click here to learn more about the DRHX Drive.

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Lasse Larsen, Product Manager Rotor Drives

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