Phone:       440-684-0601
Fax:            440-684-0656
Toll Free:   800-468-5404
                
Hughes-Primeau Controls celebrates the life and work of Henry G. Hughes
1933-2006
Hughes-Primeau Controls combines 135+ years of selling engineered heat tracing systems with over 50 years of experience from Thermon.

No other company in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, or West Virginia
can match our heat tracing solutions, inventory, nor expertise.
                  A Drug Free Workplace




Link to Adjustable Speed Drive Web Video Demo
Link to Laws of Affinity Calculations

The MagnaDrive Adjustable Speed Drive

 The MagnaDrive Adjustable Speed Drive (ASD) is a breakthrough speed control technology designed to increase the efficiency of motor drive installations and reduce the initial cost, operating and maintenance expense of those installations.

Ideally suited to pump, fan and blower applications, the MagnaDrive ASD brings not only the considerable benefit of speed control to industrial and commercial applications, but also the reliability and reduced maintenance costs that result from transferring torque from motors to driven equipment across an air gap without shaft-to-shaft physical connection.

Simple, reliable and low cost, the MagnaDrive ASD provides the energy savings of speed control without the problems often associated with Variable Frequency Drives. System complexity is reduced, vibration is eliminated and alignment problems disappear. Motor systems can be resized for lower cost and more efficient operation.

The MagnaDrive ASD is currently installed in pump, fan and blower applications, in pulp and paper manufacturing, water and wastewater treatment, raw material processing, irrigation, power generation, mining, food processing and HVAC systems. These installations have demonstrated significant energy savings and reduced system vibration. (See Installations).  

The MagnaDrive Adjustable Speed Drive: How Does It Work?

The MagnaDrive ASD works by transmitting torque from the motor to the load across an air gap. There is no mechanical connection between the driving and driven sides of the equipment. The torque is created by the interaction of powerful rare-earth magnets on one side of the drive with induced magnetic fields on the other side. By varying the air gap spacing, the amount of torque transmitted can be controlled, thus permitting speed control.

The MagnaDrive ASD consists of three sets of components. A magnet rotor assembly, containing rare-earth magnets, is attached to the load. A copper conductor rotor assembly is attached to the motor. Actuation components control the air gap spacing between the magnet rotors and the conductor rotors. Relative rotation of the copper conductor and magnet rotor assemblies induces a powerful magnetic coupling across the air gap. Varying the air gap spacing between the magnet rotors and the conductor rotors results in controlled output speed. The output speed is adjustable, controllable, and repeatable.