May 18th, 2009 - May 18, 2009 –The 2009 Marcus Wallenberg Prize is being awarded to three Finland based ABB engineers for their breakthrough work in developing the Direct Drive System for paper machines.
This year’s Marcus Wallenberg Prize - a major international technology award – will be presented to Jouni Ikäheimo, Vesa Kajander and Bengt Welin. The three have acted as pioneers within ABB, driving development of the new technology.
The Direct Drive System (DDS) is based on permanent magnet synchronous motor technology. It provides improved torque characteristics, very precise speed control and high efficiency without the need for gearboxes, pulse encoders or auxiliary components. It also delivers better runnability and availability while reducing overall lifecycle costs. DDS cuts electricity and oil consumption, reduces noise levels and provides enhanced safety. If applied to all larger paper machines (wire width over 5 meters), DDS could reduce energy consumption by more than 1 200 GWh worldwide – equivalent to the output of two entire coal-fired power plants.
The Marcus Wallenberg Prize, which includes an award of SEK 2 million, will be presented by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden at a ceremony on 28 September, 2009 in Stockholm. The prize seeks to recognize, encourage and stimulate groundbreaking scientific achievements within the fields of importance to forestry and forest industries. It is awarded to individuals or small groups, and each year up to 500 organizations around the world are invited to nominate candidates.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people.
For more information please contact :
ABB Oy Motors
Contact Person: Eila Nyman
Tel: +358 (0)50 33 42295
Fax: +358 (0) 10 22 47372
eila.nyman@fi.abb.com
BU Pulp&Paper
Contact Person: Tua Kauppala
Tel: +358 (0)50 33 24600
Fax: +358 (0) 10 22 24267
tua.kauppala@fi.abb.com