July 27, 2022, 1:00 PM ET

Designing for Data Centers — What to look for in a Motor

Bevan Christiansen
Segment Manager Air Handling & HVAC
NEMA Motors

Data Centers use 2% of the world’s energy, and 40% of it is used to keep things cool. Cooling occurs in both white and gray space areas within a data center – so the motors used in these different areas must be modified to optimize performance.

Moving air is one of the most inefficient uses of energy and can be improved significantly by selecting a higher efficient variable speed motor – but by doing so, many users experience shaft current issues and premature motor failures so selecting the right motor for your application and environment is important. For instance, motors used on cooling towers, condensers and pumps outdoors are often subject to extreme temperature fluctuation and harsh environments – so selecting the right outdoor duty motor is important. Chillers/compressors are the biggest single electricity consumer in data centers – so selecting motors with features to improve the performance and reliability of these applications is critical. Once you have the right motor, it is also essential to have best practices to help minimize your replacement costs.

Join Bevan Christiansen, Segment Manager, Air Handling and HVAC for ABB for a conversation on:

• Why is energy efficiency important in Data Centers?
• Why is shaft grounding an issue and what features should you look for to mitigate it?
• What motor features are important for harsh duty environments?
• How do motors play a role in safety and how can I minimize maintenance costs?

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