240watt Eco Blue DC pumps

[mike31154]

Generally it's AC motors that are negatively affected by a square wave power signal. They run very inefficiently if at all with anything but a pure sine wave. This is why it's not a good idea to run your AC powerheads on a backup system with a cheaper square wave producing inverter.

Without additional details on the design specifics of this 'DC' motor, it's tough to explain why they're talking about sine wave technology, since generally a DC motor runs on DC, that is Direct Current, not Alternating. I mentioned earlier that I suspect it may really be an AC motor since they appear to be feeding it a 3 phase Alternating Current signal from the controller. It is quite possible that the motor is indeed a DC motor & the frequency of the 3 phase AC signal is so high that the motor sees it as DC. Kind of like feeding an LED, which is also a DC device, a high frequency AC or PWM signal. The LED turns on & off at such a speed, that we don't perceive a flicker at all, yet since it is turned off for a nano second, there is some power savings realized over time. Confused yet? I sure as H am. I need to do a little research on running a DC motor with an Alternating Current or PWM signal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-width_modulation

[subman]

It is very confusing for sure I just did a quick read and there is a lot going on in the controller. single phase in to 3 phase and it looks like some form of dc out....I'm guessing lol I've been out of the electrical fields (no pun intended) for a while so maybe this is a new thing.

[mike31154]

Ya, same here. I've done a bit of reading & it seems 3 phase DC brushless motors are becoming more commonplace due to their efficiency. It appears that most are controlled using a PWM (pulse width modulated) signal but the folks at Blue Eco have decided that a sine wave is a better design than PWM to run the motor more reliably. Probably another reason for the higher cost, since the controller would be more complex to produce a 3 phase sine wave.

So looks like my initial musings about the motor actually being AC were wrong! I must eat crow!

[The Codfather]

Well I think this may be my fault, as I see nothing in the information I have that indicates it is a DC motor. I may have just assumed that it was, but now that I look at it again, they imply it is not a brushless DC motor.
My mistake.

[mike31154]

Right at the top of Page 6 of the manual it clearly states that the pump is run by a brushless DC motor, so no mistake, you were correct.

[subman]

Originally Posted by The Codfather

Well I think this may be my fault, as I see nothing in the information I have that indicates it is a DC motor. I may have just assumed that it was, but now that I look at it again, they imply it is not a brushless DC motor.
My mistake.

No it does say in the manual that it is a DC driven motor.

"Short Instruction
The pump is driven by a DC-motor and, therefore, equipped with a controller. Check the following sequence when starting
the pump:"

mike beat me lol

[The Codfather]

Originally Posted by mike31154

Right at the top of Page 6 of the manual it clearly states that the pump is run by a brushless DC motor, so no mistake, you were correct.

True enough, there it is. In some sense I appoligize for the lack of some information, I'll pass on what I get.
I'll try to post the tech. Specs I have here, they are in PDF. I wonder how I can post them up. Any ideas? Aside from copy and paste?

[The Codfather]

ROTOR
The rotor is the heart of the driving force and needs to fulfill the highest demands. The 8 pole rotor is built around the tungsten or titanium shaft. This static and dynamic balanced rotor consists of 16 high quality neodymium super magnets. The rotor is protected by a composite layer of aramid fiber reinforced carbon.
Both ends have double shaft seal with smooth bearings which sit in a resonace free silicon bedding. As well as making theses pumps capable of hadling sea water it also prevents vibrations which can be sensitive to some invertebrates and koi.
STATOR
The 27 poles stator not only gives an equal propulsion, due to the True Sine Wave technique it also has an unmatched torque.
PUMP HOUSING
The pump housing it made from blended ABS and PC (polycarbonate) that unifies the positive features of both materials. Inside the housing the stator is fully cast in epoxy resin and is protected by a strong layer of aramid fiber reinforced carbon.
POWER MODULE
The power module uses True Sine Wave technology for high reliability. Unlike brushless DC motors with square wave technique, BLUE-ECO pumps use True Sine Wave technology for the best features: High Efficiency (94.6%), noise free running, high torque, wide RPM range, CO2 reduction.
BEARINGS
For pumps, the bearing system is the most important part for reliability and life span. Blue-Eco pumps have a diamond-hard bearing system of doped silicon carbide with or without the combination of the super strong and durable tungsten. The use of these high quality materials are unique and exclusive for these pumps and guarantee a long and trouble free operation.
LEAKAGE FREE
The way BLUE-ECO pumps are constructed prevents any internal leakage. The rotor rotates in the same water that lubricates the bearings. With a unique rinse-system, different for both models, the water inside with be continuously changed during operation.
WATERPROOF
The pump is completely waterproof confirming to class IP68 (up to 12 meters of water head). The controller is waterproof up to class IP64 (splash proof).
CABLE
The cable on the BLUE-ECO have extra protection for maximum safety in case of damage. The outer mantle is made of TPE and is fully saltwater proof. Due to this cable the pump can be fully submersible in (sea)water.

BLUE‐ECO PUMP
CONTROLLER
The controller is developed by senior experts from professional companies in senior aquarium breeding / gardening industry of Netherlands and Germany, and
produced under supervision of the University of Shenzhen, China. This leading university is working close together with Europe’s biggest companies and universities in this area.
CERTIFICATION
The BLUE-ECO pump is the only pump in its class that has both the European CE certifications as well as the German “TUV Prufungs and Test Certificate”. This guarantees extra quality and safety.

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by The Codfather

True enough, there it is. In some sense I appoligize for the lack of some information, I'll pass on what I get.
I'll try to post the tech. Specs I have here, they are in PDF. I wonder how I can post them up. Any ideas? Aside from copy and paste?

I wouldn't sweat it, I think we have most of the info we need at this point. I found the max head pressure figures a few posts up, so there's not much more we really need to make a decision as to whether it's the right pump for our needs. A flow curve would be cool, but in the end, the max pressure, power consumption & price is what most folks will be interested in.

[The Codfather]

What I have also noticed was the marine version is not in the original manual.
It has a low max. head, but a high capacity. Also a 50mm inlet and outlet, not the 63mm like the pond version.
Marine Pump

Type:BLUE-ECO Marine 240W
Capacity:28m3
Inlet:50mm
Outlet:50mm
Watts:14-240
Max Head:7m