Abstract
(Englisch)
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Preserving fossil fuels and reducing air pollution are high priorities for environmentalists consumers, the government, and many businesses. Provocative environmental concerns such as the greenhouse effect, have spawned new niche industries that innovate energy. saving technologies. One such industry has developed a highly commercialised energy saving device for common motor-driven residential appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners. Within the project energy optimiser, a new innovative design has been developed to minimise unnecessary energy losses in induction motors during part load operation. The devices controls the voltage to motor-driven appliances depending on the loading of the motor. And most essential, it combines a self adopting algorithm, which adopt its function to each individual motor characteristics.
Efficient use of energy enables commercial and industrial companies to minimise production costs, increase profits, and thereby remain competitive. The main target for energy-efficient measures in the industrial sector is the induction motor, which uses most of the energy delivered to industrial facilities. In fact, studies commissioned show that electric motors consume almost 40 percent for the case of Switzerland of all power generated. In other countries, this value can even be higher. Some industries are so motor-rich that motors consume more than 92 percent of the supplied energy. 'Consumption of energy' is a convenient but incomplete way to characterise the operation of an induction motor. Instead of simply consuming energy, an induction motor converts some of the electrical energy at its terminals into mechanical energy. During this conversion, some energy is lost. In an era of energy efficiency and conservation, such major users of energy become a prime target for improved energy performance. Compelled by CO2 tax incentives, Kyoto protocol, the policy of the European Union and national government(s), manufacturers of induction motors are thus designing and building more efficient motors-motors with lower energy losses.
The work of Alpha Real AG, dedicated to perform the field measurements of the newly developed energy optimiser, is designed to evaluate the potential energy savings on actual installations as well as to perform an estimation of the overall implication on energy saving potential when using large mass produced energy optimiser.
The performed task schedule can be divided into three phases:
Analysing the problem, the market, the operational and functional mode of the new energy saving device, designing and constructing the measurement and data logging devices, and perform laboratory tests to calibrate the measurement devices, as well as get the team trained for the job. Furthermore., the applications were defined, and characterised according to their potential implication on energy savings
Performing actual field tests on the Mark I energy analysers, which were .developed by the partners and supplied by the project leader to Alpha Real for field testing. Reporting results, findings and conclusions of field test work to partners.
Perform actual field test with Mark II, the revised improved version of the energy optimiser.
The results and findings of the project confirmed the operational possibilities of a device such as the energy optimiser. The market potential is huge. Matech, the industrial partner is investigating in exploring this potential. After successful. introduction in. Germany, Alpha Real will seek its possibilities to introduce the new innovative device in Switzerland.
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